Built Environment

Neighborhood physical spaces that are clean, accessible, functional, and beautiful. Residents describe investment in shared spaces as important to making people feel valued in their community, and well-kept spaces are both indicators of and contributors to economic and physical security.

Areas within Built Environment that residents found to be most important for safety and thriving.

The following indicators are meant reflect the conditions underlying community safety and thriving.

Housing Deterioration

NYCHA residents face crumbling and hazardous infrastructure, including buildings without working doors, elevators, and cameras, apartments with long-overdue repairs, and trash-covered outdoor spaces. Neglected spaces affect how people feel about their communities and can attract crime, making them a key measure of decreased psychological and physical safety.

Emergency housing complaints

Responsible NYC/Gov Agency: HPD

Description: Number of complaints citing heat and hot water, lead, or other emergency problems in privately owned buildings

Public Data Available? Yes.

Included in ONS Neighborhood Navigator: No.

Data Concern/Recommendation: Should be integrated for future phases and past data should be included.

 

 

Rodent presence

Responsible NYC/Gov Agency: DOHMH

Description:Monthly count of failed rodent inspections

Public Data Available? Yes.

Included in ONS Neighborhood Navigator: No.

Data Concern/Recommendation: Should be integrated for future phases and past data should be included.

Bed bugs

Responsible NYC/Gov Agency: HPD

Description: Number of units in a building that are infested with bedbugs

Public Data Available? Yes.

Included in ONS Neighborhood Navigator: No.

Data Concern/Recommendation: Should be integrated for future phases and past data should be included.

NYCHA complaints

Responsible NYC/Gov Agency: NYCHA

Description: Number of maintenance complaints received by NYCHA

Public Data Available? No.

Included in ONS Neighborhood Navigator: No.

Data Concern/Recommendation: Data should be made publicly available by geography. Resolution data is seemingly available, but not the number of complaints.

Emergency violations issued

Responsible NYC/Gov Agency: HPD

Description: Number of emergency violation repair citations issued by HPD

Public Data Available? Yes.

Included in ONS Neighborhood Navigator: No.

Data Concern/Recommendation: HPD is working to merge its Complaints and Complaint Problems open datasets. This change will likely take place in late January 2022 at the earliest. The merge will make it easier for everyday New Yorkers to link complaint problems to building address, allowing the public to more easily identify complaints and complaint problems that have been issued in their buildings.

NIS Measuring Community Safety Report

Look beyond Crime. Explore Community Safety Within 15 NYC Neighborhoods.

The NYC Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) Neighborhood Navigator contextualizes safety by looking beyond crime metrics as the sole indicator of safe communities. Safety is Multidimensional.

ONS Neighborhood Navigator

How residents talk about Built Environment…

[I]f you put that park together, we should put it together, brand new. It would make the neighborhood more welcoming. Just imagine coming out the door and you just see a brand new park there. First thing the impression, you're going to think they care about us. You understand? That park hadn't been done for the last 26 years. I've been here since 1987. The same day they fixed that park. That same summer, they fixed it, and they haven't touched it since then. Since the [MAP resident] team that you see right here, came up in there and put the lines on there, put the hopscotch there. Like I said, we did two or three events inside there. No argument, no fighting. We had a good time. If that playground would be done-over, you'll see a whole different atmosphere out here in Van Dyke.
I also believe that not only changing the infrastructure to where we want it to convey positivity, but also unity, also community, not only safe but people treat things the way they view them. If they value them, then they will definitely treat themselves with value and others with value around them. Something like even us fixing the basketball court, that was a huge deal when for 13 years we didn't have a basketball game, like a tournament.

How do residents feel about Built Environment?

SAFElab Social Media Tool

FAQ

Q: Is this data available?
A: All the data provided in the data explorer can be downloaded from the NYC Open Data Portal. All of the other data included as samples or recommended for data collection can be sourced from the NIS report but is not readily available.

Q: What are some actionable steps as a NYC resident?
A: First, we encourage you to review the NIS Safety and Metrics report. Second, encourage the relevant NYC agencies to improve data collection efforts, quality, frequency, and granularity. Third, hold government accountable around safety by pushing accountability across all agencies – every agency discussed has some role to play in co-producing safe and thriving communities.

Q: Who should I contact if I see errors or concerns in the data explorer?
A: Please email map@cityhall.nyc.gov with the subject “ONS Neighborhood Navigator Issue.” Someone from our team will get back to you 🙂

Q: When will the social media data be made available?
A: The SAFE Lab Social media tool is currently under research and development but will be made available in 2022. To keep up to date, please revisit this site for more information.

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