About

The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan is about planning for the future of Jamaica, Queens. Throughout this process, we’ve heard about the importance of highlighting Jamaica’s history and finding ways to celebrate it. The Jamaica Memory Box is an initiative to help preserve and share memories and experiences of living in Jamaica, Queens. The Memory Box will be set up at local libraries and cultural institutions, and if you live, work, go to school, or worship in Jamaica, you’re invited to come to the Memory Box to share stories about the past, present, and future of Jamaica. These stories will be archived on a website and released with the Draft Jamaica Neighborhood Plan in early 2025.

What will I do?

At the Jamaica Memory Box, you will join an in-person story circle with your neighbors, friends or family at a location and timeslot of your choice. Simple prompts will invite you to share stories about your memories of Jamaica, as well as what you notice walking around the neighborhood today. The session will take approximately one hour, and the audio will be recorded. The collection of recordings will be posted online

Incentive for participation

If you choose to participate, we will give you a $30 gift card at the end of the session. Please note that gift cards expire in two months.

What Happens After?

Audio recordings and transcripts of stories will be shared on a website launching in 2025. Participants in the Jamaica Memory Box will receive an email notifying them of the launch.

Who’s Involved?

This initiative is led by the NYC Department of City Planning with support from Interboro Partners, a multi-disciplinary firm offering inventive and inclusive planning, urban design, and architectural design services. Compensation is provided by the Community Compensation Fund from the NYC Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity. The MIT Center for Constructive Communication will create a public website to house the audio recordings.

Questions?

If you have any questions or need more information about the Jamaica Memory Box, please contact us at JamaicaPlan@planning.nyc.gov or call us at 212-720-3548

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