https://rawnak.nyc Portfolio - Rawnak Zaman Fri, 20 Jun 2025 23:08:39 +0000 https://rawnak.nyc en https://rawnak.nyc/Small-Business-Diversity-in-Jackson-Heights Mon, 18 Nov 2024 22:08:29 +0000 Portfolio - Rawnak Zaman https://rawnak.nyc/Small-Business-Diversity-in-Jackson-Heights 06 GRADUATE THESIS: AROUND THE WORLD IN 40 BLOCKS: SMALL BUSINESS PERSPECTIVES ON THE EFFECTS OF DIVERSITY ON THE RETAIL CORRIDOR IN JACKSON HEIGHTS, QUEENS MAY 2020 An exploration of the challenges and expectations of operating a small business in Jackson Heights amid demographic change, drawn from interviews with small business owners specializing in products ranging from cultural items to general neighborhood services. Note: Fieldwork for this study was undertaken before the Covid-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020 and the subsequent lockdown. ︎ Abstract and full paper here. INTRODUCTION New York City has a long tradition of small business, from the earliest pushcarts and markets to today’s street vendors and shops. Some of the most recognizable, like the much-beloved bodega, were first established by immigrant communities in response to a demand for specialty products and, often, informal social spaces. Today, 48 percent of New York City’s small businesses are immigrant-owned, employing half a million New Yorkers and contributing billions of dollars to the city’s GDP. <img width="4160" height="2340" width_o="4160" height_o="2340" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2abd4f2e7eb8bb5133a8278da9fe7d29b121ebf7575f26849a90c3c6c333bba0/diversity-plaza-jackson-heights-queens-nyc-march-2020.jpg" data-mid="222004954" border="0" alt="Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights, Queens. March 2020." data-caption="Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights, Queens. March 2020." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2abd4f2e7eb8bb5133a8278da9fe7d29b121ebf7575f26849a90c3c6c333bba0/diversity-plaza-jackson-heights-queens-nyc-march-2020.jpg" /> In the 1950s, Colombian and Cuban entrepreneurs began to establish businesses in Jackson Heights, Queens, contributing to the formation of some of the first immigrant communities in the neighborhood. Three decades later, the first Indian-owned businesses in Jackson Heights opened as Indian entrepreneurs began leasing vacant storefronts. Retail clusters like these have been called "ethnic enclaves", broadly defined as places with high concentrations of businesses and customers who share a common ethnic identity. Today, businesses in Jackson Heights’ “Little Colombia” and “Little India” are more accurately multiethnic. Globalization and economic mobility have brought about a neighborhood that is increasingly diverse in every sense of the word, transforming the commercial signature of the place. How a neighborhood’s small businesses interact in this space will help shape the future of its retail corridor. <img width="3315" height="1478" width_o="3315" height_o="1478" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0bc752a9b5180745a6c2bdafb928bfab62e832ecf47598c98246943f28066505/jackson-heights-retail-corridor-study-area.png" data-mid="222093988" border="0" alt="Study area. Two segments of the corridor, on 73rd to 74th Streets from 37th to Roosevelt Avenues, have become a destination for products from the South Asian subcontinent and the Himalayan region" data-caption="Study area. Two segments of the corridor, on 73rd to 74th Streets from 37th to Roosevelt Avenues, have become a destination for products from the South Asian subcontinent and the Himalayan region" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0bc752a9b5180745a6c2bdafb928bfab62e832ecf47598c98246943f28066505/jackson-heights-retail-corridor-study-area.png" /> Twenty-two small business owners in Jackson Heights were interviewed for this study, which compares the experiences of businesses on or near 74th Street that were originally conceived to meet the needs of the South Asian community through the offering of specific products and services (12) to those of general businesses like pharmacies and hardware stores, primarily on 37th Avenue (10). They deal in products ranging from saris to prescription eyeglasses and self-identified as coming from a variety of backgrounds. Despite their varied offerings, contrasting priorities, and different personal journeys, business owners experienced similar dynamics buoyed by a reliable customer base and long-established corridor, as well as both anxieties and hopes regarding ongoing demographic changes. FINDINGS I. Transnationalism The market for buying gifts to send or take back to one’s homeland was prominent in the early years of Jackson Heights’ South Asian enclave. In the 1990s, the retail block on 74th Street had several electronics shops that sold imported 220V appliances, which were a popular gift to bring back. Area businesses have since slotted themselves into different roles in the local economy, from international money transfer services that advertise currency exchange rates to luggage sales that complement purchases bound for abroad. Forty years on, the 74th Street retail strip has not only endured but grown, though its core customers may have changed. Business owners noted subtleties in customer preferences, such as vegetarian food preferences among some groups, halal among others. Groceries and supermarkets seem well situated to accommodate and adjust. Meanwhile, among general neighborhood businesses there was an acknowledgement of the need for multilingual customer service. ︎︎︎ Use the left/right arrows to browse interview quotes: "People used to buy electronics from here to take back home because it wasn’t readily available back home at that time. Now it is, so not as many people buy it. But still, we serve that community because there are a lot of people who take things home as gifts... It’s just easier, plus, ooh, that person bought it from overseas. They still like that."Industry: electronics "Nobody expected us to do that type of business but people were really hungry for those types of goods… They’d never seen these kinds of fabrics... Slowly, slowly... India started to make synthetic saris in India. So, what happened is the Indian population stopped buying these saris from us. We were in a big dilemma of what to do. Who’s gonna buy? And then luckily, what happened is the Bangladeshi people came in, you know? Slowly the Nepalese came in, and of course the Pakistanis were there. And the Indians were there also. But these were the people who helped us, you know, go back to doing good business."Industry: apparel "There used to be one or two [businesses] that sell Nepali items. Now there’s tons of them which are selling goods. With Nepali restaurants we need certain things that few shops sell... Now you can see. Especially Patel Brothers. You will see a lot of items imported from Nepal. The community is changing so you have to attract them by putting some items."Industry: restaurant "It’s a few things [food products] that I have to avoid [for religious reasons]. All other things are there. All is there… I can compete at the same time."Industry: grocery "[With] Pakistanis and Indians... you have to bargain down. So, you’ve got to know how to talk with them and you give them a little something and you get the job... I have people who come in and have no clue about prices. And sometimes I spend quite a bit of time at the counter before I make a deal."Industry: home improvement "I try the best I can to staff people who speak different languages but I might have one person on the floor at a time. It’s always important to have a Spanish speaker but not possible all the time."Industry: specialty shop II. The Location + Reputation Advantage Cultivating a reputation by word-of-mouth was the modus operandi of businesses old and new. Some of the business owners contribute to community causes that grow their reputations in lieu of resources dedicated to conventional marketing strategies, though the societal pressure to contribute financially can also feel burdensome. Ultimately, the business owners valued the trust built up over years of service to their community. This may however be a source of anxiety in markets where business is slowing. For purveyors of South Asian clothing and jewelry, for example, the reputation advantage is upended by nature of new customers’ unfamiliarity with the market and products. Walkability and the absence of big box enable businesses to occupy spaces and provide services for which people would otherwise go to a big retailer. Jackson Heights’ co-ops in particular have helped 37th Avenue establish an ecosystem of its own. Five of the nine businesses interviewed along 37th Ave referenced the co-ops as helping to add to the homeowner population, and thus, residents who would be in the community for some time—“embedded” as one business owner described it. And there are long-time relationships embedded in the long-time businesses. During one interview, a customer shared, “That’s why you come here and you don’t go to Home Depot... because you get personal service. However many times I’ve moved, I [come here].” The owner responded, “See, that’s the service I’m talking about. No matter what, they [big box] can’t take that away from us.” ︎︎︎ Use the left/right arrows to browse interview quotes: "The only way for small businesses to succeed is to have a relationship with people. We’ve been with our customers through deaths, births. We offer a service, that’s the main thing. Whatever nationality you are, there is a sense of community. We have people working here who are Spanish, Indian. People relate to that... I don’t know the girl’s name at Duane Reade... [Here] people tell you their troubles. About their knee surgery."Industry: pharmacy "We are very much involved with the community... So, they know us very easily and we do get respect also. At the same time, we contribute [financially] also because we own a business... It’s very easy to promote our business [at the] same time... I do believe this generation is a digital generation, so I still do the marketing and all stuff. Not aggressively maybe, but whatever is required."Industry: jewelry "If you don’t do blah blah blah, what happens? One mouth, it’s gonna be in everyone’s ears. That’s the biggest fear. You make one mistake, you are done… It’s not easy at all, especially in your own community."Industry: restaurant "If you donate to the schools, someone who hasn’t heard of [the shop] or has an unfavorable opinion of it might have a more favorable opinion."Industry: specialty shop "I sell Indian things... Other people come but don’t buy much. You have to work harder to make a sale, build up to it."Industry: apparel "Maybe I’m wrong, but more people are coming with disposable income and are more able to spend money… I think one, we’ve been here a long time, and plus our inventory, we added more. But the neighborhood is changing, too. Many people used to complain, oh, this is 15, 20 dollars. Now people know these [products] cost pretty much [the] same everywhere. They might spend 50 cents less [elsewhere] but it’s not as nice or convenient."Industry: home improvement "Consistency is probably the most important thing in any business. When you’re dealing with a business that’s not a necessity, really a luxury a lot of the time, you have to convince people to spend their money... The Spanish community is some of my biggest customers. The Indian community. I did a wedding thirty years ago for the son or daughter of one of the restaurant owners there and to this day I’m getting wedding requests that could be traced back to that wedding."Industry: specialty shop "I think a lot of businesses will get squeezed out. It might get more corporate—that’s usually what happens when you start to see those trends. But I would like to see this area keep its individuality."Industry: restaurant ︎︎︎Click here to continue Findings/II. [ Findings/II continued ] Few people used the term “gentrification” specifically, but they alluded to common anecdotes, such as a “Manhattan crowd” moving into the neighborhood. The effects were perceived to be concentrated around the upper 70s to 80s; one business owner near 74th Street declared that his location was “not attractive to white people.” Another business owner observed that “the 80s” had new storefronts with “a different look, maybe a more gentrified look” as well as a Starbucks, the presence of which is popularly perceived as a telltale sign of neighborhood change. “The only thing constant is the change,” he added. III. Community Cohesion “Community” was invoked in different contexts: the hyperlocal business community, the co-op community, different ethnic communities. Jackson Heights organizations plan cultural events and the neighborhood hosts two annual neighborhood-wide parades for Queens Pride and Halloween. However, there appears to be no mechanism for interaction between retail blocks, with each section of the corridor operating independently. Although there are many advantages to a long-established business corridor, some business owners sensed that the business community is entrenched in a way that has not come to terms with today’s needs. Few credited local merchant groups with much beyond asking for donations and offering advertisement opportunities (and “not digital” advertisements, pointed out one business owner, who said that the association he was acquainted with skewed older and was “old school” when it came to marketing). Others credited the local merchant groups in discussions about organizing street fairs, addressing parking needs, and supporting City efforts to convert an intersection near Roosevelt Ave into a pedestrian plaza. Only three immigrant business owners mentioned engaging with local political bodies. Though people were aware that avenues of access to resources were available, few took part themselves. The time-consuming work of running a business, an aversion to politics, or language barriers precluded it in some cases. ︎︎︎ Use the left/right arrows to browse interview quotes: "The neighborhood has changed for the better. There’s less crime, less drugs, it’s cleaner. And even though there’s so many nationalities living close together, Jackson Heights is very unusual in that you still have a sense of community… Take any of these apartment buildings. We have the oldest co-ops in the United States, right? We have people living there that are thrown together, so the connections are really cool... You walk down to Roosevelt Avenue and it’s like you’re in South America. I’d be one of the few white people there. Same thing if you walk down to 74th Street. Yet at the same time we’ve been neighbors and the communities are so close to each other that one flows into the other."Industry: specialty shop "Every year we have a Diwali Mela [fair] here on the street. And the Bangladeshis, when they have their Boisakhi [Pohela Boishakh, the Bengali new year] ... It’s not like we’re from India so we’re separated, or from Bangladesh so we’re separated. Because we are all dependent on each other."Industry: apparel "I personally do not perceive any cooperation between the three distinct areas. Not for malicious reasons. I don’t know anyone in those other corridors. On 37th Avenue I know some people and their phone numbers and email. It might be a neighborly thing... To me, in Astoria, I probably know most of the business owners. It’s culturally [in terms of business] different. Could be because there just aren’t as many mom and pop shops. Maybe the older ones know each other. Maybe as a cohort, shops that started around the same time. But I don’t think it’s purposeful in any way."Industry: specialty shop "I want to interact with the local community. I want to go to the, you know, precinct, local community houses, school community. They [business association] want any, like, a minister [who] comes from Bangladesh. What do I have to do with that? Nothing to do with them."Industry: grocery "It’s not like they’re [employees] not friendly or whatever. They just seem to frequent their own. You know? I guess they feel more comfortable, they know the food, but I know for a fact that’s what they do."Industry: home improvement "But you know what, self-segregation? That’s what it comes down to at the end. They [different ethnic communities] feel comfortable with their own kind, so they make their own groups to hang out. That’s the same thing that’s pretty much happening on this side [74th St] also."Industry: electronics "The Jewish community, the white community, they interact [with local officials] very much. But the language barrier, we don’t know how to speak to them. Maybe that’s the issue."Industry: restaurant IV. Modernizing + Adapting “If I can convince you,” said a jeweler, “you won’t shop around to Tiffany’s. You will buy from me. But you should be able to trust me, and to gain that trust, I should be able to convince you.” This was a common refrain among the business owners, who shared two perspectives on modernization: 1. Elevate the reputation of the corridor, both to position the corridor as a prime destination for retail and attract young people to spend and invest in the neighborhood. 2. Establish an environment where businesses can more adeptly, and with less risk, respond to the current needs of neighborhood residents. For business owners who experienced 74th Street’s evolution into a main retail destination for products from the Indian subcontinent, in recent years there has been a conspicuous reduction in traffic. Now there exist other hubs for people to buy such goods, “unless you want to buy a lot of stuff for a wedding or something, then you come to Jackson Heights.” As the second and third generations come of age and possesses disposable income, business owners see an opportunity to encourage community interaction with a quality shopping experience and enable “Insta-sharing of food” by people who seek an experiential outing. Merchants compared themselves and their peers to national and international brands in an aspirational way—to position their small businesses with the same attention to brand and customer experience, “So even though this is Jackson Heights, this can be downtown Manhattan.” ︎︎︎ Use the left/right arrows to browse interview quotes: "We have to save our community, our food, our culture by keeping these businesses and showing them to newcomers. If we close it all because of rent and other issues, it’s a loss to the community. We can promote cultural exchange this way."Industry: apparel "I don’t wanna say it, but the decor is weak. It’s the 21st century. People should see you’re up to date... The challenge is that not a lot of people want to spend money. It’s the mindset and culture. The new generation is not like that. They’re looking for quality and service."Industry: optical "50 to 60 percent of the stores will be out of business. The new generation doesn’t like to shop."Industry: specialty shop "We have to give them some space... it’s a way to keep the second generation in the community and I can make some business, also. In our community, we’re missing that many places like that. Halal food, high end."Industry: restaurant "Keep this in mind, Indian, Pakistani, Bengali, Nepalese—this community, they believe in saving money. So, they save everything. So, they do have more disposable income."Industry: electronics "My concept is to take a little from every culture and add Desi flair to it. Why not bring hibachi here, offer the same experience but halal? Something similar but different."Industry: grocery "[Young adults] growing up, that’s not the problem. Other groups are growing and taking your place. The online market is what’s affecting things. It’s not an issue of people taking each other’s place. Young people are just more likely to shop online."Industry: electronics "There are already so many restaurants here. But there’s not a quality, good restaurant... Mostly they’re take-out types. But there’s nowhere good like in Manhattan. I think if someone opens something nice, that could be a start."Industry: apparel "We [Nepal community] still don’t have a culture of eating out. That’s the biggest challenge we had until a few years ago... It used to be a challenge, now it’s a good thing. They’re following the American way of lifestyle. People started celebrating birthdays, which we don’t have a culture of celebrating."Industry: restaurant "If you’re bad at the business, in two, three months, before you even know the customers, you’re out of the business. So, you need at least one year’s time. At least you need a base or you’ll lose a lot of money. So new people cannot try it because they don’t have a concept yet. Other places literally opened in three places because they learned the concept."Industry: restaurant "The people running the shop, we’re all getting old. We’ve tried to get some young people to come join us, to take over, but it looks like nobody is interested in getting into this kind of... once you are qualified, you are educated, you don’t want to come into the retail business and do this kind of work. So, this is what has happened."Industry: apparel "Rent is definitely high. Because we’re so close to Little India, as they call it. Over there rent is the same as in Manhattan. The marketplace, right? People come from out-of-state to buy Desi groceries. So rent is very high and building owners are realizing—'they’re charging $15,000, why am I charging only $4,000?'"Industry: home improvement "People love to think I’m a gentrifier—people think I’m coming for cheap rents. Let me promise you, per square foot I’m paying much more. To spend resources, it’s cheaper in Astoria. Jackson Heights is notoriously expensive. Maybe that’s why you don’t see a lot of modernization. There’s a lack of childcare services despite it being such a family-friendly community."Industry: specialty shop But Manhattan was also invoked in the context of rent and other costs. At the time of interview, a grocery and butcher shop was gearing to close after nearly 30 years. The owner noted that though competitors started to enter in the late 1990s, competition “skyrocketed” around 2006. Ultimately, for his business the reputation built from being one of the first Bangladeshi businesses in the area came up against hard accounting. He and another business owner who cited the crowded retail market decided to leave retail entirely in pursuit of service-based businesses. An environment in which entrepreneurs can take risks has the potential to attract younger business owners with new ideas to the corridor and stimulate investment into the community. But according to business owners, in the 74th Street block the old guard is entrenched; in other parts of the neighborhood, like along 37th Avenue, amenities like childcare lag behind the community’s needs. Two business owners on opposite sides of the age spectrum also observed a lack of new young entrepreneurs in cultural businesses. For immigrants, entrepreneurship can be a path to economic mobility. “They came here to establish themselves,” said the older member, “and that is how they’re using it. And after they learn something, they’re flying away." “Everyone is a programmer,” said a second-generation business owner. CONCLUSION “Sometimes I call it blood money,” said a business owner who has been in the neighborhood for 32 years, “because I work all holidays. I don’t know what Easter or Christmas are like.” In every small business success story, there is the reality of grueling hours, complex regulations, and the daily arithmetic of sales against ever-growing expenses. Sometimes the challenge comes from certain external forces—unreasonable rents, lease disputes, or permit issues. Other times, the challenges are a function of a business’s life cycle, as when a successor to the business is not found, or the market changes irrevocably. Those non-market forces were the focus of this study. The business owners interviewed were not interested in preserving the corridor in its current state but, rather, conserving its foundation—shops of cultural significance and small businesses that provide personal attention. The area’s affordability is what made it the neighborhood it is today. In that distinction, it has fostered an environment in which skill-sharing and success enable entrepreneurship. For small businesses to modernize, compete amid e-commerce and chains, and continue to contribute to the local economy and invest in the local community, they will require the tools and the space to do so.&nbsp;Communities are not static; they form, shrink, and shift as homeownership, wealth, and generations grow. As some groups mature and resettle beyond the neighborhood, newer communities can establish their place in the corridor, building on the investment of their predecessors. An organized approach to capacity building and corridor-wide planning in the neighborhood, paired with a commitment to the types of affordability that enable small businesses to thrive, will be essential to the corridor’s longevity. Q1: What drew you to Jackson Heights for business? Q2: What are your expectations for the corridor? Use the buttons below to filter responses. Place cursor on a card to flip ︎︎︎ to the other side for more comments. SHOW ALL CUSTOMER BASE EXISTING MARKET MET A NEED "All these houses and apartments, there used to be American [and Italian] people staying. The whole street was a residential building... And slowly, slowly people started opening shops, the buildings broke down. And this became Little India. And now it looks like a Little Bangladesh!"Apparel merchant, 74th St. On the future of the corridor: "People have built up so many things here. Indian shops and all. Grocery shops and all. And a lot of people put a lot of money into this area. So, chances are this market is going to remain here. It’s not going to disappear in the next couple of years." The neighborhood was Desi-oriented. There were Indians and Punjabis. It wasn’t clear that it would become Bangladeshi, but it was similar.Grocer, 37th Ave. As for why entrepreneurship among the younger generation has lagged, the business owner, himself second-generation, posited that “people are scared to do it because it is risky. There’s still an old-fashioned mentality. And entrepreneurial interest among Desi-Americans is dying.” I knew there was lots of community-based [business] but is my community enough to support my expenses, you know? Will I be able to do enough business where my expenses will be met? But once I opened the business it proved that yes, there is.Jeweler, 74th St. “I guess we still have to improve,” he said, “The ambience of this business is not right for sure.” He questioned the dissonance of paying such high rents yet having to request police officers to monitor the area because of thefts. He was also worried about losing customers because they had one bad experience in Jackson Heights. “Within my merchant group, they should understand how to deal with people.” I picked Jackson Heights mostly because we found a significant overlap in customer base… And it was close enough to our [other] store that we could move and transfer products. I also know some people who have businesses in the area.Owner of a specialty shop, 37th Ave. On future outlook:City Council has a lot [of the responsibility] when it comes to regulation about storefronts. If we can’t afford it, we will leave. [But] I would double the size for my store tomorrow. I think it’s a very strong community. The family had worked/operated in the neighborhood for a long time so they knew the people and the area well.Pharmacy owner, 37th Ave. On the future of the corridor:It’ll get bigger and better... There are a lot of community groups and Jackson Heights Beautification Group has been cleaning and planting. ... Online business is hard not just for us but for everyone. ... A lot of young people come in. A lot of co-ops or rental apartments attract people who will live here for a long time. When we came into this country my father’s family friend was in the electronics business. He told my father to come in so they started working together... That person was based in Jackson Heights so that’s why. When you learn, you learn with the same community and everything.Owner of electronics shop, 37th Ave. When I took over [in 2001] it was more Indian and Pakistani. It’s funny because people still think of Jackson Heights as Indian but it’s really not anymore. Maybe at that time. Probably before that, too, a Spanish influx, [now] Tibetan. And in the last several years, white people moved back in too so it’s more mixed... We all had English. [For Bengali customers] we tried getting a salesperson who spoke the language… It makes a difference. We zeroed in on Jackson Heights because it was close to our homes, there was foot traffic, it was well-established, and there used to be a [similar business] here.Owner of specialty shop, 37th Ave. On the evolution of the corridor:If you’re able to provide to everybody, you have a good chance of succeeding. It’s not guaranteed, but it’s a chance at survival...&nbsp;The older you get, the more you want to stabilize the community you live in. People from other states know that there is an Asian market for gold jewelry in Jackson Heights. There are more than 30 jewelry stores throughout, including small ones.Jeweler, 74th St. In the last few years, Jackson Heights has changed a lot. There were few jewelry stores before. There are more choices now. The Desi community is also big. The Bengali community has been the majority in the last eight years. Once people get into the neighborhood, they don’t move. And groceries are cheaper here than in other places. It supports the community. It was the only Desi community for shopping [in the 1990s].Apparel merchant, 37th Ave. Another merchant with a similar business observed that with today’s multicultural ties, people of different backgrounds come to shop for Indian weddings. But there was also pessimism about the future: "I don’t see the customers that used to come from Long Island or NJ. ... There’s no future here. People only come for the old gold stores. Property taxes go up and owners raise rents. How can we convince the landlords?" People in this community—a lot of Indian, Bangladeshi, South Asian people—they like to send gifts to their family. Many people staying here alone, family not here.Printing and supplies, 37th Ave. “I don’t think they’re doing something better in actual policy, actual actions... They have some organization, but it’s like a signboard,” he said about a local business association. He worried about the economic outlook for his main customers, lower-income, lower-skilled workers. The [Bangladeshi] community was small at the time and there was no business like this here.Employee at media shop, near 74th St. The business has since pivoted to selling and repairing electronics, and now sees a greater variety of customers. It was necessary and inevitable for the business’s survival; a “community-based business” alone, he believed, would not work anymore. Another employee added, "House rent is also high, so how can people live here? Who is affordable housing serving? How is an income of $50,000 affordable?" You have all these buildings with a lot of apartments. And at the time it was a lot of rentals so there was constant movement—people moving in, people moving out. So it was the perfect neighborhood for it.There’s nothing in the neighborhood. People usually have to go to Home Depot or outside in Long Island.Business owners in home improvement, 37th Ave. Jackson Heights is one of the first neighborhoods in NYC that built co-ops, way back. And that, more than anything, is probably what helped me stay in business and get me going. Word of mouth. Oh, who did that? And so on, and so on. var slideIndex = [1,1,1,1]; /* Class the members of each slideshow group with different CSS classes */ var slideId = ["mySlides1", "mySlides2", "mySlides3", "mySlides4"] showSlides(1, 0); showSlides(1, 1); showSlides(1, 2); showSlides(1, 3); function plusSlides(n, no) { showSlides(slideIndex[no] += n, no); } function currentSlide(n, no) { showSlides(slideIndex[no] = n, no); } function showSlides(n, no) { var i; var x = document.getElementsByClassName(slideId[no]); if (n > x.length) {slideIndex[no] = 1} if (n < 1) {slideIndex[no] = x.length} for (i = 0; i < x.length; i++) { x[i].style.display = "none"; } x[slideIndex[no]-1].style.display = "block"; setTimeout(showSlides, 2000); // Change image every 2 seconds } // Add active class to the current button (highlight it) filterSelection("all") function filterSelection(c) { var x, i; x = document.getElementsByClassName("filterDiv"); if (c == "all") c = ""; for (i = 0; i < x.length; i++) { w3RemoveClass(x[i], "show"); if (x[i].className.indexOf(c) > -1) w3AddClass(x[i], "show"); } } function w3AddClass(element, name) { var i, arr1, arr2; arr1 = element.className.split(" "); arr2 = name.split(" "); for (i = 0; i < arr2.length; i++) { if (arr1.indexOf(arr2[i]) == -1) {element.className += " " + arr2[i];} } } function w3RemoveClass(element, name) { var i, arr1, arr2; arr1 = element.className.split(" "); arr2 = name.split(" "); for (i = 0; i < arr2.length; i++) { while (arr1.indexOf(arr2[i]) > -1) { arr1.splice(arr1.indexOf(arr2[i]), 1); } } element.className = arr1.join(" "); } var btnContainer = document.getElementById("myBtnContainer"); var btns = btnContainer.getElementsByClassName("btn"); for (var i = 0; i < btns.length; i++) { btns[i].addEventListener("click", function(){ var current = document.getElementsByClassName("active"); current[0].className = current[0].className.replace(" active", ""); this.className += " active"; }); } https://rawnak.nyc/A-Wicked-Problem-Post-Wildfire-San-Diego Wed, 20 Nov 2024 04:07:53 +0000 Portfolio - Rawnak Zaman https://rawnak.nyc/A-Wicked-Problem-Post-Wildfire-San-Diego 07 'A WICKED PROBLEM': POST-WILDFIRE RESTRUCTURING IN EXURBAN SAN DIEGO MAY 2020 <img width="9792" height="6528" width_o="9792" height_o="6528" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a982fba75d7f1b1e9983d196f5577cce8b00f9ed5d575b08aac033cc83fa113f/san_diego_2007_wildfire_summary_galbo_le_zaman_gsapp_2020.png" data-mid="222099212" border="0" data-scale="85" alt="Wildfire management has been considered a &lsquo;wicked problem,&rsquo; which Hammer, Stewart, and Radeloff (2008) describe as &ldquo;both a cause and consequence of a complex set of related problems&rdquo; comprising different areas of expertise and a variety of stakeholders such that proposed approaches may contradict one another." data-caption="Wildfire management has been considered a ‘wicked problem,’ which Hammer, Stewart, and Radeloff (2008) describe as “both a cause and consequence of a complex set of related problems” comprising different areas of expertise and a variety of stakeholders such that proposed approaches may contradict one another." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a982fba75d7f1b1e9983d196f5577cce8b00f9ed5d575b08aac033cc83fa113f/san_diego_2007_wildfire_summary_galbo_le_zaman_gsapp_2020.png" /> <img width="847" height="350" width_o="847" height_o="350" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/957ac36e73d8f0d77f696b48191fff3164dace3d812d4aff95eceed5c67fe091/san-diego-building-permits-dbscan-2020.png" data-mid="222099365" border="0" data-scale="95" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/847/i/957ac36e73d8f0d77f696b48191fff3164dace3d812d4aff95eceed5c67fe091/san-diego-building-permits-dbscan-2020.png" /> <img width="843" height="329" width_o="843" height_o="329" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8b630f8b0385f9be149361d82f6a786275184624eef1ab4abb16017013a4ff94/san-diego-building-permits-dbscan-2020.png" data-mid="222099374" border="0" data-scale="95" alt="In order to consider development trends, building permits issued by San Diego County&rsquo;s planning department were spatially analyzed. Cities, like San Diego and Chula Vista, do their own permitting; for unincorporated towns like many of the exurban places beyond the San Diego metropolitan area, permits for private construction are issued on the County level." data-caption="In order to consider development trends, building permits issued by San Diego County’s planning department were spatially analyzed. Cities, like San Diego and Chula Vista, do their own permitting; for unincorporated towns like many of the exurban places beyond the San Diego metropolitan area, permits for private construction are issued on the County level." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/843/i/8b630f8b0385f9be149361d82f6a786275184624eef1ab4abb16017013a4ff94/san-diego-building-permits-dbscan-2020.png" /> A research project developed and completed by Kate Galbo, Ri Le, and myself in the Spring 2020 course Advanced Spatial Analysis at Columbia University GSAPP. This study investigates 2007’s San Diego County Firestorm, one of the most destructive wildfire seasons in San Diego history, with damages totaling over $1 billion (Information Insurance Institute, n.d.). The 2007 Firestorm comprised a series of wildfires that began igniting across Southern California on October 20th. A half million San Diego County residents were evacuated from their homes, an evacuation similar in scale to that of Hurricane Katrina (SANDAG, 2008). The Witch Creek Fire, which merged with another fire, the Poomacha Fire, was the largest in San Diego County. We investigated developmental patterns and growth through spatial clustering of building permits using density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) to analyze trends in permit distribution. We identified growth in the WUI zone using a classification methodology operationalized by SILVIS Lab (Spatial Analysis For Conservation and Sustainability) at University of Wisconsin, which uses land cover data to classify two different development patterns. And we explored the social context and patterns of San Diego County through non-spatial clustering on the Centers for Disease Control’s social vulnerability index (SVI) using HDBSCAN (hierarchical DBSCAN) to analyze change in percentiles. Finally, we observed spatial patterns by collocating these results. Our research suggests that the structural changes after the fire may reflect existing long-term development patterns and sociodemographic change. ︎ Full paper here. https://rawnak.nyc/Mini-CV Fri, 20 Jun 2025 23:08:39 +0000 Portfolio - Rawnak Zaman https://rawnak.nyc/Mini-CV MINI CV WORKS &amp; PUBLICATIONS “A Place for Food Cooperatives in a Municipal Grocery Framework.” April 2026. CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies. [Authored] Greener Corridors for a More Resilient City. 2024 – 2025. The Municipal Art Society of New York. [Co-authored] SITE x SITE: Refining Soft Site Development Projections Under CEQR (Viewpoint). July 2023. Edited by L. Margaret Barry, Environmental Law in New York via LexisNexis [note: paywalled].&nbsp;[Co-authored] SITE x SITE: A Look Back at Soft Site Development in New York City. March 2023. The Municipal Art Society of New York.&nbsp;[Co-authored] “Around the World in 40 Blocks: Small Business Perspectives on the Effects of Diversity on the Retail Corridor in Jackson Heights, Queens.” May 2020. Columbia University, Masters thesis. [Authored] PANELS &amp; PRESENTATIONS “Greener Corridors for a More Resilient City” at Planning for Brooklyn’s Climate Future policy summit. April 2025. Brooklyn Borough Hall, Brooklyn, NY. [Presenter] “Making Policy Public” at Center for Urban Pedagogy annual benefit. October 2024. Dumbo Loft, Brooklyn, NY. [Panelist] “Democratizing Data for Civic Advocacy &amp; Planning” at CUSP-GX Civic Analytics and Urban Intelligence course taught by Prof. Manohar Patole. September 2024. New York University Center for Urban Science + Progress, Brooklyn, NY. [Guest Lecturer] “NYC’s Equitable Development Data Explorer” at Planning with Foresight APA-NYM annual conference. October 2022. New York City College of Technology, Brooklyn, NY. [Speaker, panelist] OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS “A Day in New York City with The Municipal Art Society’s Rawnak Zaman” @ Madame Architect (2024) “Your Year in Maps” @ Bloomberg CityLab (2020) https://rawnak.nyc/Overview Mon, 18 Nov 2024 22:08:30 +0000 Portfolio - Rawnak Zaman https://rawnak.nyc/Overview <img width="1470" height="974" width_o="1470" height_o="974" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c7146ce3b74653640685f3c350ad6a8763bb7dd4e08cbaaac3c1f16e827eda3a/greener-corridors-northern-blvd.jpg" data-mid="222002918" border="0" alt="Image Credit: The Municipal Art Society of New York" data-caption="Image Credit: The Municipal Art Society of New York" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c7146ce3b74653640685f3c350ad6a8763bb7dd4e08cbaaac3c1f16e827eda3a/greener-corridors-northern-blvd.jpg" /> 01 GREENER CORRIDORS The Municipal Art Society of New York's latest research initiative, Greener Corridors for a More Resilient City, is an examination of New York City's most problematic at-grade arterial roads and a vision for design and policy interventions that alleviate issues of mobility, heat &amp; flooding, and incompatible land uses. Findings were shared in a series of webposts that utilize Mapbox and Datawrapper for visualizing data. Explore NOV 2024Research, GIS <img width="2832" height="1440" width_o="2832" height_o="1440" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c9b0aab33fb4ce68083791e72a2855790ae308d77ce20cce15a21dd3aa37d340/janes-squawk-janes-walk-2023.png" data-mid="222003346" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c9b0aab33fb4ce68083791e72a2855790ae308d77ce20cce15a21dd3aa37d340/janes-squawk-janes-walk-2023.png" /> 02 WILD GIS CHASE Wild GIS Chase is a collaboration with a colleague in which we use different techniques to tell stories about urban life, in the spirit of Jane’s Walk, an annual celebration of city life, histories, and stories through in-person and virtual volunteer-led tours. To date, we’ve created a storymap about the bird habitats of Queens, NY as well as a virtual tour of a section of Steinway Street in Queens famously called “Little Egypt.” Explore MAY 2024Creative <img width="1080" height="1080" width_o="1080" height_o="1080" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/dfa4979350994f576b5e71f06e966204ff2f06e9672b0041aa8ca49ce990af10/cup-stories-data-power.jpeg" data-mid="222004461" border="0" alt="Image Credit: Center for Urban Pedagogy" data-caption="Image Credit: Center for Urban Pedagogy" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/dfa4979350994f576b5e71f06e966204ff2f06e9672b0041aa8ca49ce990af10/cup-stories-data-power.jpeg" /> 03 STORIES + DATA = POWER STORIES + DATA = POWER is a foldout poster developed by the Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) to introduce community organizers to a new data tool developed by the City in response to Local Law 78 of 2021, which established racial equity reporting in certain land use projects. The Racial Impact Study Coalition, a coalition of community-based and citywide organizations, successfully advocated for the adoption of LL78 and partnered with CUP to create a visual document that guides readers through the process of navigating the data tool. Learn more AUG 2023Advocacy 04 SITE X SITE SITE x SITE, a grant-funded project by MAS and the Regional Plan Association, investigated the efficacy of ‘soft site’ analysis under the City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) process, in which rezoning proposals must be evaluated for impacts stemming from anticipated and potential new development. The analysis and companion webtool was developed with technical support from the Spatial Analysis &amp; Visualization Initiative at Pratt Institute. Explore MAR 2023Research, GIS <img width="1231" height="690" width_o="1231" height_o="690" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6e3bb2c579da10c9ec879c790df5557a29dac6d9069b295dadb966862fe801ab/34-ave-linear-park-petition-comments.png" data-mid="222004468" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6e3bb2c579da10c9ec879c790df5557a29dac6d9069b295dadb966862fe801ab/34-ave-linear-park-petition-comments.png" /> 05 SUPPORT FOR A LINEAR PARK This webpage highlights comments submitted by supporters of a petition by the Friends of 34th Avenue Linear Park (now the Alliance for Paseo Park) calling for permanent greenspace along Jackson Heights' Open Street. The page features quote tiles that can be filtered thematically. Explore JAN 2022Advocacy <img width="4160" height="2340" width_o="4160" height_o="2340" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2abd4f2e7eb8bb5133a8278da9fe7d29b121ebf7575f26849a90c3c6c333bba0/diversity-plaza-jackson-heights-queens-nyc-march-2020.jpg" data-mid="222004741" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2abd4f2e7eb8bb5133a8278da9fe7d29b121ebf7575f26849a90c3c6c333bba0/diversity-plaza-jackson-heights-queens-nyc-march-2020.jpg" /> 06 GRADUATE THESIS: AROUND THE WORLD IN 40 BLOCKS An exploration of the challenges and expectations of operating a small business in Jackson Heights amid demographic change, drawn from interviews with small business owners specializing in products ranging from cultural items to general neighborhood services. Read More MAY 2020Academic <img width="843" height="329" width_o="843" height_o="329" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8b630f8b0385f9be149361d82f6a786275184624eef1ab4abb16017013a4ff94/san-diego-building-permits-dbscan-2020.png" data-mid="222100193" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/843/i/8b630f8b0385f9be149361d82f6a786275184624eef1ab4abb16017013a4ff94/san-diego-building-permits-dbscan-2020.png" /> 07 A WICKED PROBLEM A research project investigating development patterns and growth following the San Diego Firestorm of 2007, one of the most destructive wildfire seasons in San Diego history. Read More MAY 2020Academic