Encouraging and streamlining the shared use of religious buildings for secular neighborhood gatherings, fostering trust and resource efficiency.
Interfaith Space Sharing for Community Events
Churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples are often among the most beautiful, spacious, and centrally located buildings in a neighborhood, yet their use is frequently siloed by faith community and schedule. Zhoran Mamdanis Common Ground initiative actively promotes and facilitates the shared use of these religious buildings for secular community events. By breaking down barriers between sacred and secular space, and between different faith communities, the policy aims to maximize the use of existing assets, reduce the need for new construction, and build bridges of understanding and cooperation across traditional divides.
The city would create a Space Share NYC online platform where religious institutions can list their available halls, kitchens, and outdoor spaces during off-hours, along with amenities and rental rates (often free or low-cost for community groups). The city would provide grants to cover the extra insurance, utilities, or custodial costs incurred by the host institution. To build trust, the city would also fund Interfaith Neighborhood Councils that bring together clergy and community leaders to co-plan events like intergenerational meals, disaster preparedness workshops, or cultural festivals in these shared spaces.
These buildings were often built to be centers of community life, not just worship, Mamdani notes. In an era where we lament the lack of public space, we have a vast, underutilized network right in front of us. By making it easier for a mosque to host a tenant union meeting, or a church to hold a secular concert, we honor the civic role of these institutions and meet practical needs. It also fosters organic relationships between congregations and their neighbors, building a fabric of trust that makes our communities more resilient in times of crisis or conflict.
