Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is "Listening to the City"?

"Listening to the City" is a 21st Century town hall meeting that will enable up to 5,000 concerned residents of New York City and the surrounding region to provide input to decision-makers on plans for the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan and the region, and the creation of a permanent memorial to the victims of 9/11.

2. Who is organizing "Listening to the City"?

"Listening to the City" is being organized by The Civic Alliance to Rebuild Downtown New York, a coalition of more than 85 civic, labor, business, environmental groups and academic institutions who have come together after 9/11 to ensue that the public's voice is included in the rebuilding decisions. You can find a list of these groups at www.civic-alliance.org.

3. Who is invited to participate in Listening to the City?

Everyone. We are seeking people from many walks of life - people who represent the region's age, income, ethnic, racial, geographic and gender diversity.

4. When and where is it scheduled?

"Listening to the City" is a day-long event that will take place on Saturday, July 20th at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Participation is free, but space is limited. The program runs from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Participants should plan to arrive early and spend the entire day at the event. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

5. Is there a cost to participate?

No, participation is free but space is limited. So it's important for individuals to register early.

6. How do I register for "Listening to the City"?

You can register by calling 1-800-862-3154 or by visiting www.listeningtothecity.org.

7. What if someone does not speak English?

We are making every effort possible to ensure non-English speaking individuals can participate in the event in a meaningful way. Multiple language translators and bilingual materials will help people who don't speak English to participate in "Listening to the City." Some of the roundtable discussions will be designated for specific languages so that participants can fully engage in the face-to-face discussions.

8. How do I get more information about "Listening to the City"?

To get more information individuals should call 212-404-3041 or visit: www.listeningtothecity.org.

9. Will childcare be available? If so, will there be a charge for it?

Yes there will be childcare available. When you register for the event, please indicate that you need on-site childcare and how many children you plan to bring.

10. Will transportation be provided to the Javits Center from convenient locations?

Some transportation will be provided. We're still working on the details.

11. What exactly will happen during the day?

The event will include up to 500 round tables, each with 10-12 participants. Professional facilitators at each table will lead face-to-face discussions on the rebuilding effort and creation of a permanent memorial. Participants' input will be wirelessly transmitted onfrom laptop computers to a "theme team." This team will look for common themes and post resulting questions for the entire group's consideration via large screen projectors. Participants will then use wireless polling keypads to "voice their opinions" individually on the questions, with tallied results displayed instantly.

12. What will we be discussing on July 20th?

Participants will have an opportunity to view and discuss up to six alternatives for the site, adjacent areas and related transportation plans to be released by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation in July as well as react to a variety of proposals created by organizations and individuals through the public input process. Participants will also be able to voice their opinion of what issues should be of greatest concern in rebuilding downtown and the region.

"Listening to the City" will be the first formal public input session after the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation releases its proposals. Therefore, it will serve as an important benchmark of public opinion about the planning process. Because we are working hard to ensure that participants in "Listening to the City" are representative of the city and region, this benchmark will be highly meaningful.

13. Has an event like this ever been held before?

Yes, "Listening to the City" builds on a prior, 600-person event devoted to the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan, which took place on February 7, 2002, at the South Street Seaport. AmericaSpeaks, the non-profit organization that created the innovative model for large-scale public engagement, has staged over 50 such events around the country for groups as large as 3,700. This will be the largest such event ever held.

14. How do we know the decision-makers will pay attention?

"Listening to the City" is independent of official governmental organizations, but the effort is supported by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the two key organizations with responsibility for the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan. Their top staff will attend "Listening to the City" and have committed to seriously consider the recommendations and perspectives generated at the event.

15. Who is funding Listening to the City?

"Listening to the City" is funded through generous support from the corporate and foundation communities, including the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Atlantic Philanthropies, and Rockefeller Foundation, as well as a grant from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation.

16. How are you ensuring that participants will be representative of the city, region and concerned constituencies? How will you determine who exactly attends "Listening to the City"?

Diverse participation is very important to the organizers of "Listening to the City." Our goal is to include people from many walks of life: residents and workers, survivors and families of victims, emergency and rescue workers, business and property owners, citizens and civic leaders. We want to reflect the region's considerable age, income, ethnic, racial, geographic and gender diversity. To achieve this mix, we are conducting a concerted outreach effort that includes multi-language communications through media, mail and face-to-face contact. However, we will only be able to accommodate 5,000 participants. So it's important that interested individuals register early to secure their space.

17. Are the family members of the victims of 9/11 being included in this event?

We are extremely sensitive to the needs and desires of family members to be included in the planning process for Lower Manhattan, and we are making every effort to reach out and invite them to participate in "Listening to the City."

18. What if someone cannot take part on July 20th for religious or other reasons but still wants to participate?

Individuals unable to attend on July 20th for religious or other compelling reasons are invited to register - on a first-come/first-served basis - for a smaller event on Monday, July 22nd. This event was created to ensure that everyone would have a chance to participate.

19. What is the relationship between LMDC and "Listening to the City"?

"Listening to the City" is supported by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation as well as other key city and state government organizations that have authority for developing the region. However, it is an independent initiative of the Civic Alliance to Rebuild Downtown New York.

20. How important is "Listening to the City" in the planning process for Lower Manhattan? How will results of the day be used?

At the end of the day on July 20th, tabulated polling results from all questions put before the participants will be available. These will be distributed to participants, policymakers and the media. Within two weeks of the event, we will publish a more detailed final proceedings report, which will also be widely distributed to policymakers and the media. Unquestionably, the public input generated at "Listening to the City" will be highly visible and credible

The decision-makers associated with the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the two key organizations with responsibility for the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan, will attend "Listening to the City" and have committed to seriously consider the recommendations and perspectives generated at the event.