BP PROGRAM GOES CITYWIDE

a program started by borough president scott stringer is going citywide, with support from the city and the city university of new york.

the program pairs urban planning students with understaffed manhattan community boards to assist with land use applications. the students get a $5,000 stipend culled from philanthropic organizations.

stringer's fellowship will now be extended to the city's community boards through hunter college's department of urban affairs and planning.

"[the fellowship program] has also helped shift the focus of a new generation of professional urban planners toward a real understanding of how community members, local government and land use experts interact and engage in discussions about the future shape of our city," stringer said in a statement.

stringer first announced the program's expansion in his february state of the borough address. the citywide fellowship will have a presence in all five boroughs. each year, the program will grow to eventually place an urban planning fellow in each of the city's 59 community boards.