Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office has established a new "mass engagement" department, aimed at soliciting input from New Yorkers and shaping policy decisions through community outreach. The initiative is an attempt to replicate the grassroots energy from his recent mayoral campaign, where tens of thousands of volunteers knocked on millions of doors.
Mamdani emphasizes the importance of listening to everyday citizens, rather than relying solely on existing knowledge or expertise. He views this approach as essential for building trust and identifying solutions to pressing issues in the city.
While the concept is not novel, Mamdani's commitment to community engagement sets him apart from past mayors who have relied more heavily on agencies for outreach efforts. By leveraging his campaign's volunteer network and recent fundraising successes, the mayor hopes to sustain momentum and maintain a strong connection with his base.
Tascha Van Auken, who managed the campaign's volunteer organization, will oversee this new department. She describes her role as streamlining community outreach initiatives at City Hall, with a focus on scaling participation in civic engagement efforts. Van Auken notes that her work seeks to develop relationships with underrepresented New Yorkers and foster greater civic involvement.
Mamdani's office has already begun implementing this initiative, with the mayor himself taking time to engage with residents during his first few days in office. However, not everyone is pleased with his policies, as demonstrated by a recent encounter on the subway with Brooklyn resident Bernard Garfinkel. Despite some skepticism about Mamdani's approach to public safety, Garfinkel acknowledged that the mayor has strong rhetorical skills and genuine commitment to protecting all New Yorkers.
Mamdani emphasizes the importance of listening to everyday citizens, rather than relying solely on existing knowledge or expertise. He views this approach as essential for building trust and identifying solutions to pressing issues in the city.
While the concept is not novel, Mamdani's commitment to community engagement sets him apart from past mayors who have relied more heavily on agencies for outreach efforts. By leveraging his campaign's volunteer network and recent fundraising successes, the mayor hopes to sustain momentum and maintain a strong connection with his base.
Tascha Van Auken, who managed the campaign's volunteer organization, will oversee this new department. She describes her role as streamlining community outreach initiatives at City Hall, with a focus on scaling participation in civic engagement efforts. Van Auken notes that her work seeks to develop relationships with underrepresented New Yorkers and foster greater civic involvement.
Mamdani's office has already begun implementing this initiative, with the mayor himself taking time to engage with residents during his first few days in office. However, not everyone is pleased with his policies, as demonstrated by a recent encounter on the subway with Brooklyn resident Bernard Garfinkel. Despite some skepticism about Mamdani's approach to public safety, Garfinkel acknowledged that the mayor has strong rhetorical skills and genuine commitment to protecting all New Yorkers.
I'm not sure if this is just another PR stunt or a real attempt by Mayor Mamdani to connect with the people. He says he wants to listen to everyday citizens, but what does that even mean? Is it just about hearing what they have to say, or actually doing something about it?
. Sounds like he's a good guy to listen to, even if you don't agree with him. Guess we'll just have to wait and see how this whole mass engagement thing plays out...
mayor mamdani is literally changing the game with his community outreach efforts 
I mean, who wouldn't want their voices heard by the mayor himself? it's like, he's already taking the time to engage with residents on his first day in office - talk about setting a great tone for his term 
i love that tascha van auken is overseeing this new department, she sounds super passionate about building relationships with underrepresented new yorkers 
and i'm all about that civic involvement life 
of course, not everyone is feeling it, but i think mamdani's approach is gonna pay off in the long run 
, so to speak, with this mass engagement department. It's like he wants to make sure every single New Yorker has a say in the city's decisions. I think it's about time we got more of that grassroots energy from our leaders 
. Tascha Van Auken seems like a total rockstar for taking on that role and scaling up community outreach efforts 
. Now we just have to see if this initiative really sticks around 
I mean I'm not surprised that Zohran Mamdani's team is trying to ride his campaign wave, but it's about time the city realized that listening to everyday people isn't just a buzzword. Tascha Van Auken sounds like a total rockstar btw for taking on this role and scaling up community outreach - we need more folks like her doing this kind of work 
anyway, I'm curious to see how this new department does and if they can really make a difference in the city
I think it's awesome that Mayor Zohran is putting community outreach at the forefront of his administration! It's like he's saying, "Hey, I care about what you guys think, let's work together on this". As someone who's lived in NYC for a while, I've seen how disconnected city gov can feel from regular folks. But if this "mass engagement" department actually starts listening and includes underrepresented voices, that's gonna be HUGE! 
It's not just about replicating campaign energy, it's about building trust and solving real problems. Kudos to Tascha Van Auken for taking on this role – I'm curious to see how she scales up civic engagement efforts 
. I just hope they're not relying too much on social media and online engagement 
– sometimes you gotta get out into the streets and really talk to people face-to-face.
. It seems like there are always opposing views and debates happening 
. Still, it'll be interesting to see how this initiative plays out over time 
... Tascha Van Auken seems legit tho, but is she really just a pawn in Mamdani's game of community outreach? 
...
. But Mayor Mamdani seems different, you know? He's not just talking the talk, he's actually trying to walk the walk 
.
. Fingers crossed he keeps up the good work and doesn't let the haters bring him down 
.