From the Archives
Art Chang for Mayor
2021 Campaign for Mayor of New York City
NYC Needs a Mayor with a Plan
I’m a son of Korean immigrants, professional problem-solver, dad of 2 Brooklyn kids, and a pro-business progressive. I not only have plans — I have the experience to execute them.
NYC
We are a city that has risen over and over again by doing what we do best. We create, innovate, produce, cause, invest and forge a better future. With the right leadership, we will do it again -- and in doing so, break the cycles of inequity and injustice. Do we want to emerge as we were pre-Covid? Or do we emerge as a more fair and just city with compassion and possibility?We all know what needs fixing: housing affordability, safety, policing, small business support, education, healthcare. Go to any candidate’s website, and you’ll see that they care about these things too. But fixing these things takes more than a campaign pledge. It takes a strategy. My strategy is based on a lesson I’ve learned over my years of experience across several sectors:The systems we need to fix are interconnected.
Our policing solutions and housing policies will impact public health. Our education policies will impact the lives of small business owners. This is why city policies have unintended consequences: they are driven by campaign stump speeches rather than by smart implementation. At a time of unprecedented crisis, it is vital that we approach these issues holistically rather than individually.
Why Art?
I am a hands-on doer and problem-solver. Over 35 years of doing the work to make our City better, I’ve gained an unparalleled set of capabilities in many corners of our city’s government.I put Queens West in the ground -- that’s the LIC waterfront. And because I built it with climate change in mind, it was one of only 2 waterfront developments to not lose power during Hurricane Sandy.I started 12 small businesses in New York City.I launched NYC's tech startup industry.I built Casebook, the first web-based software platform for child welfare.I’ve worked at CUNY, the City Law Department, the Brooklyn Public Library, and was the first Asian-American appointed to the Campaign Finance Board.I know this city and how our government functions: I’ve served under 4 Mayors and 2 Governors.You know our infamous "I Voted" stickers? I co-created NYC Votes to improve transparency in our democracy.I know every detail about how our City works, and know how to make it work better for the people it's supposed to serve.
My Priorities for NYC
Universal Childcare
New Yorkers deserve Universal Childcare to level the playing field between men and women by creating access to a critical service with clear benefits.Mental Health
Mental health problems are intersectional. Poverty, violence, cultural norms, the pandemic quarantine, gender and racial bias and other factors all contribute to mental illness. The absence of parks, open space, clean air, safety, supportive schools and other factors stand in the way of health. The top priority of my administration will be to address the causes of illness, especially poverty, to promote the presence of health, and to create a more responsive government that puts people first over bureaucracy.Affordable Housing
Housing is a human right. Our plan will extend eviction and foreclosure moratoriums to March 31, 2022, cancel debt accrued for both tenants and landlords, provide housing for the homeless, and lower housing costs for all by expanding the City’s portfolio of developable land and converting unused office space into residential and other uses.Protecting the Arts
The thousands of people working in the arts industry have been left behind during the COVID recovery. My plan creates protections for workers plus support for the industry that makes it a safer and more equitable space for all. The arts and entertainment brings tens of billions of dollars into NYC’s economy each year, and our city will not fully bounce back until the arts are back.High Quality Education for All
I believe that when a city prioritizes education, everyone has the ability to succeed. Our education system should be re-framed around the priorities that matter to all of us: students knowing their rights in and responsibilities to our civic society, being capable of making positive contributions to our economy, and taking care of themselves and others.Reimagining Policing and Public Safety
There are more effective and affordable ways to keep people safe than more police. We need to redirect police funds, changing our existing emergency response methods to utilize unarmed responders. We will also regain civilian control over New York City’s paramilitary organizations, and create user-friendly, real-time and transparent data services to better direct services to distressed communities.Supporting Small Businesses
Retail stores, restaurants, bars, small entertainment venues, and arts and cultural institutions are essential to rebuilding the city we love and have been devastated by COVID-19. We will form and listen to advisory committees in each industry, and create a volunteer “Innovation Corps” of entrepreneurs who are given the freedom to re-think how the government supports the most distressed industries.