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Design Trust for Public Space News 2018

Shared Spaces Nonprofit organization in New York City, NY, United States – Architectural News USA

Jun 18, 2018

Design Trust for Public Space News in Summer 2018

Join Design Trust at the AIA Conference 2018

It’s not too late to register for events at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Conference on Architecture in NYC. There are two Design Trust events as part of the Conference:

June 21, a conversation about DTPS’s El-Space project in partnership with NYC Department of Transportation to regenerate spaces under elevated transportation infrastructure

June 23, a walking tour exploring the neighborhoods of DTPS’s Future Culture initiative and the Sonic Gates sound sculpture walk on the North Shore of Staten Island

More details below:

El-Space: Innovation in City Design & Urban Regeneration

THURSDAY JUNE 21, 2018, FROM 7:30AM TO 9:00AM

AT THE NEW SCHOOL, 63 5TH AVENUE, TISHMAN AUDITORIUM

AIA CREDITS: 1.5 LEARNING UNITS

Design Trust and NYC Department of Transportation’s El-Space project represents the first comprehensive, citywide approach to planning, designing, and transforming the vast resource of space beneath and adjacent to elevated transportation infrastructure. The initiative considers “el-space” as an urban system to better manage land and built assets, improve pedestrian mobility and safety, foster environmental health, and link neighborhoods to jobs and amenities.

This session will demonstrate the potency in advancing new forms of design, spatial activation, and community engagement. Architects, designers, public sector professionals, and nonprofit and business leaders will gain valuable insights to apply back at the office and in other cities.

The Sunset Park El-Space Pilot:

photo by NYC Department of Transportation

Moderated by Susan Chin, FAIA, Hon. ASLA, Executive Director, Design Trust for Public Space

Panelists:
• Neil Gagliardi, ASLA
Director of Urban Design, NYC Department of Transportation
• Andrew H. Kimball
Chief Executive Officer, Industry City
• Tricia Martin, RLA, LEED
Principal, WE Design Landscape Architecture

Future Culture: Exploring Staten Island’s North Shore

WALKING TOUR

SATURDAY JUNE 23, 2018, FROM 10:15AM TO 1:30PM

MEET AT THE CENTER FOR ARCHITECTURE, 536 LAGUARDIA PLACE

AIA CREDITS: 2 LEARNING UNITS

Staten Island view:

photo by Gareth Smit, Future Culture Photo Urbanism Fellow

The North Shore of Staten Island boasts spectacular harbor views—and a concentration of mega projects. Nearly $2 billion has been invested in new real estate, including a new mall, an observation wheel, and hundreds of units of housing.

Join this walking tour of the Sonic Gates sound sculpture series along the waterfront, a creative placemaking project developed jointly by Design Trust and Staten Island Arts with the community as part of our Future Culture initiative.

You’ll learn how the local community and developers are planning for their future during this changing time, and how they are working to preserve the area’s uniqueness and strengthen its connection to its waterfront.

Previously on e-architect:

Mar 23, 2018

Design Trust for Public Space News in Winter 2018

New York City Urban Agriculture

What would make urban agriculture in New York City more equitable?

Luisa Santos, Equitable Public Space Fellow, recently spoke to Civil Eats about the urgent need to advocate for a citywide urban agriculture plan.

A public hearing on urban ag policy held last fall left a bitter taste in community organizers’ mouths; advocates said the meeting was largely skewed toward for-profit, primarily white growers, while community growers of color were underrepresented.

Luisa Santos, who testified on behalf of the Design Trust for Public Space at that meeting, called for a citywide task force that would review the proposed plan. A diversity of growers on that task force is key, she said, as is acknowledging resource gaps between community and commercial growers… Keep reading

Culinary Kids Garden, Far Rockaway, Queens. Photo © Rob Stephenson for the Design Trust for Public Space, featured in “From Roof to Table: New York City’s Growing Movement”

Design Trust supported the original legislation Intro 1661, which Luisa Santos refers to as “the proposed plan” above. This proposal called for creating a comprehensive urban agriculture plan for NYC. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Council Member Rafael Espinal revised Intro 1661 and created Intro 1661-A. The revised proposal scrapped the plan in favor of two websites to share information.

Design Trust could not support the revised Intro 1661-A, which did not address urban agriculture more broadly citywide that spans health, environment, jobs, and food security. So, we issued a petition urging City Council Members and the Mayor’s Office to return to the original goal of developing a robust urban agriculture plan. Over 1000 gardeners, farmers and advocates signed our petition, and we sent your message to City Council Members.

Despite our efforts, the New York City Council unanimously passed Intro 1661-A on December 11, 2017. However, we showed that there was broad support for a comprehensive urban agriculture plan to ensure access to fresh and local food, job creation, environmental and social resiliency, and transparency and equity in decision-making processes.

We continue to advocate for the City to form a Task Force and to begin the groundwork for a plan that reflects the interests of the over 900 community gardens and urban farms and growing commercial sector in NYC.

Mar 16, 2018

Design Trust for Public Staff News

New deadline to apply: April 1, 2018

Apply to become an Equitable Public Space Fellow and join our staff for a year!

Join the Design Trust team as a full-time paid staff member for an intensive one-year fellowship. Apply by April 1, 2018.

We seek emerging design professionals from historically marginalized groups and underrepresented perspectives, who are passionate about creating a just city and are interested in the public realm from architecture to planning to urban studies to public policy.

The Equitable Public Space Fellowship aims to improve diversity within the design field and shape the Design Trust projects to include issues of equity at their core. The program offers many opportunities to help young urbanists launch well-grounded careers.

Make an impact on New York City’s public spaces

Gain cross-sector experience with urban planning, design, community organizations, non-profits, government, and private entities; and a firsthand look at how systems work and affect the public space in the city
Contribute ideas and expertise on issues in the field and participate in preparation of Design Trust publications, events, and public work, and represent the Design Trust at public meetings and national conferences
Obtain hands-on professional development and mentorship, and join the network of over 100 Design Trust Fellows

Earn a $40,000 salary for the year with full healthcare benefits

See the application guidelines

Luisa Santos and Carlos Mandeville, 2017-2018 Equitable Public Space Fellows. Photos: Design Trust for Public Space

Feb 5, 2018
Apply for Equitable Public Space Fellowship

Apply to Become an Equitable Public Space Fellow and Join Staff for A Year!

The Design Trust for Public Space seek candidates from historically marginalized groups and underrepresented perspectives who are curious, driven, and passionate about NYC’s shared spaces and transforming the city’s landscape.

The Design Trust Equitable Public Space Fellowship Program, now in its third year, supports the next generation of urban designers, architects, landscape architects, and planners in contributing to complex public space challenges in our global city. As we surveyed the representation of minority groups in the design profession and the growing diversity of NYC’s neighborhoods, we recognized the need to reflect the people we serve.

The Fellow will join the Design Trust team as a full-time paid staff member for an intensive one-year fellowship to begin in June 2018 and end in July 2019, and will become a part of the Design Trust community, interact with project fellows, partners, and collaborators. We will select a promising emerging professional whose life and work experience will contribute significantly to the design expertise and design thinking in our work with community-based organizations and public agencies.

Benefits include:

• Opportunity to have a real impact on New York City’s public spaces through Design Trust projects;
• Cross-sector experience with urban planning, design, community organizations, non-profits, government, and private entities; and a firsthand look at how systems work in New York to affect the public space in the city;
• Contributing ideas and expertise on issues in the field and participating in Design Trust publications, events, and public work, and opportunity to represent the Design Trust at conferences throughout the US;
• Hands-on professional development and mentorship, and the network of over 100 Design Trust Fellows;
• $40,000 salary for the year along with full healthcare benefits.

We welcome applications from anyone with a 2-year or 4-year degree from a community college or university. The Fellowship is not open to candidates who have completed a graduate degree.

“I came into the Equitable Public Space Fellowship knowing I wanted to work in the public realm in some nebulous way, but not being sure how people actually did it. The Fellowship helped me understand public space issues at a systemic level, and also the individual professional’s role and scope of impact in the field.

Throughout the year, I worked as a valued member of several interdisciplinary teams, and got to contribute in a way that is not common for emerging professionals. Additionally, I was able to meet people through the Design Trust network who have brought their personal ethics and passions into their professional lives in meaningful and impactful ways – something I’d like to model in my own work.

I’d recommend the fellowship for anyone looking to get both practical experience and a system-wide perspective on issues affecting our city.”

— Jourdan Sayers, Inaugural Equitable Public Space Fellow, 2016-2017

Dec 13, 2017

Design Trust for Public Space News in Fall 2017

Take Down NYC Fences

“Designers are experts in space planning, but the people who live in Wald Houses are experts in their community – how they interact with the neighborhood and what they need to thrive. As the Landscape Architecture Fellow, I worked to bring these two areas of expertise together for a successful project.” —Rebecca Hill, Opening the Edge Landscape Design Fellow

“A communal proverb describes that people will not understand their vision until they see it. Our approach stems from this adage. By utilizing images and objects for visual inquiry, residents were able to cultivate their own vision of community.” —Emmanuel Oni, Opening the Edge Active Design Fellow

The Design Trust for Public Space’s project, Opening the Edge: Reimagining Green Space at Wald Houses, in a ground-breaking process and partnership with NYCHA, enabled a team of Lillian Wald Houses residents to design their own public space.

Join Design Trust for Public Space to help bring the aspirations of Wald residents to life by building a prototype for open space!

Rebecca Hill and Emmanuel Oni at the Lillian Wald residents’ Community Design Team meetings. Photo: Design Trust for Public Space

Dec 7, 2017
NYC Urban Agriculture Plan – Design Trust for Public Space

We need an urban agriculture plan, not a website, to grow more food and jobs in NYC!

The Design Trust for Public Space supported the original legislation, Intro #1661, proposed by the Brooklyn Borough President Adams and sponsored by Council Member Espinal on July 20, 2017, to expand and strengthen urban agriculture citywide with a comprehensive urban agriculture plan, ensuring access to fresh and local food for all New Yorkers, job creation, and environmental and social resiliency.

photo Courtesy of Design Trust for Public Space

The revised Intro #1661-A is a completely different bill that we cannot support. Now the New York City Council proposes to scrap the comprehensive urban agriculture plan in favor of websites to share information.

Creating websites does not require legislation, and much of the data proposed to be included in the websites can already be found on existing platfroms, such as Farming Concrete and NYC Park’s GreenThumb.

Furthermore, websites will not address the fundamental issues of resource gaps within urban agriculture or of the lack of coordination, integration, transparency, and equity in decision-making processes.

Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, and Denver have plans that have encouraged innovative land and space use, spurred job creation, refined food policy, and supported mission-based gardeners to expand their efforts – why not New York?

We urge City Council Members and the Mayor’s Office to reconsider and return to the goal of developing a comprehensive urban agriculture plan that will maximize the health, social, economic, and environmental benefits of farming and gardening for all New Yorkers.

We only get one chance to do urban agriculture legislation right!

Deliver this message to the Mayor’s Office and City Council Members before they vote on Monday, December 11, at 1:30 pm.

NYC Urban Agriculture Plan – Design Trust for Public Space Petition – website no longer active

Dec 6, 2017
Help us Take Down the Fences at the Lillian Wald Houses

“I proposed Opening the Edge because I believe that the now-fenced, unusable grass spaces at the edges of many New York City Housing Authority (‘NYCHA’) developments create physical and psychological barriers between NYCHA residents and their surrounding communities.

My goal was to work with residents and neighbors at one development to design a lively, interactive public space that they could enjoy and that could serve as a prototype for other developments. I wanted to take down the fences and bring the spaces alive.” —Jane Greengold, Opening the Edge Participatory Art Fellow

Join to help bring the aspirations of Wald residents to life by building a prototype for open space!

Nov 15, 2017
Unlocking the potential of NYC’s public spaces

NEW DEADLINE TO APPLY: DECEMBER 7, 2017
Seeking community planners and participatory designers

Design Trust and South Bronx Unite (SBU) will explore the potential of the Community Land Trust as a model for public space and the value of community-based planning in the Mott Haven-Port Morris area in the South Bronx.

Join our team on this new project, Power in Place: Building Community Wealth and Well-Being in Mott Haven-Port Morris by applying for a fellowship.

The deadline to apply is December 7, 2017 at 5 PM.

#PowerinPlace

UPCOMING EVENT: DECEMBER 2, 2017
Kick-Off Celebration for Power in Place: Building Community Wealth and Well-Being in Mott Haven-Port Morris

Join South Bronx Unite and Design Trust on Saturday, December 2, from 3 to 5 pm, at Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY) Bronx at 463 E 149th Street, Bronx, to kick off a community asset mapping and planning project that will support the Mott Haven-Port Morris Community Land Trust (CLT) in the South Bronx.

Building on a deep legacy of community organizing roots, Power in Place will make the case for community-prioritized use of land by exploring the potential of the CLT as a model for public space, and by creating a community-driven plan, map, and communication toolkit to achieve community-desired outcomes.

Come celebrate the launch of this event and learn more about how this project will empower people in the South Bronx community.

Celebrating the power of design during National Design Week

As the winner of the Cooper Hewitt 2017 National Design Award for Corporate & Institutional Achievement, we participated in a dynamic week of educational programs and activities.

From Family Design Fest and Teen Design Fair to Winner’s Salon and the National Design Awards Gala, we were inspired by everyone we met. Many different backgrounds and age groups bonded through their unequivocal interest in design.

This award raises awareness of design and our shared spaces as the lifeblood and heart of our cities that should be public for all.

#NationalDesignWeek

Another fabulous Art & Design Benefit Auction, chaired by Design Trust Co-founder Claire Weisz

Design Trust friends partied at Dune Studios on November 1 and helped us raise over $330,000. The funds will help support trailblazing projects from Mott Haven-Port Morris in the Bronx to the Rockaways in Queens.

NYC Housing Authority residents reimagined their own open space

Residents of the Lillian Wald Houses on the Lower East Side, working with a team of Design Trust Fellows, reimagined the now fenced-off grassy area on Avenue D between 3rd and 4th Streets as a lively public space.

We’re now working with NYCHA residents to increase outreach among the larger Wald Houses community. We’re also raising funds to bring the community vision to life!

A 12-foot-wide lens with a central heart-shaped window is planned for Times Square in February 2018.

Times Square Arts, the public art program of the Times Square Alliance, invited us to curate the 10th annual Times Square Valentine Heart Design Competition. The Design Trust invited seven architecture and design firms to submit proposals for a public art installation celebrating labor of love in one of the world’s most Instagrammed places.

Window to the Heart by Aranda\Lasch + Marcelo Coelho was selected as the winning design. The team will create a rare optical experience that pushes the boundaries of technology, as well as draws on the hyper-stimulating atmosphere of Times Square. In a time when our love and empathy are tested every day, we’ll now have a special window to share viewpoints and to see one another in a different light at the Crossroads of the World.

FELLOWS SPOTLIGHT

• Diane Cook and Len Jenshel spent over two years traveling the world to photograph its most remarkable trees. The resulting book, Wise Trees, features over 60 trees on five continents.
• Kate Dodd created an installation using the book as an art form for a group exhibition, On A Different Page, at New Jersey City University. It’s on view through December 14, 2017.
• Jane Greengold gathered friends and family for her annual pumpkin impaling event for Halloween in Cobble Hill. Watch News 12’s story on this neighborhood attraction.
• David Hsu, an assistant professor in MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning, co-authored a study, Intersecting Residential and Transportation CO2 Emissions, outlining the best practices for U.S. cities to combat climate change.
• Hayes Slade, AIA, will begin her term as President Elect of the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter on January 1, 2018, and as President starting January 1, 2019. Congratulations!

Oct 27, 2017

Design Trust for Public Space Project in the South Bronx

Apply for two fellowships in community planning and participatory design

WORK WITH US ON A NEW DESIGN TRUST PROJECT IN THE SOUTH BRONX

Design Trust, in partnership with South Bronx Unite, will make the case for community-prioritized use of land and will explore the potential of the Community Land Trust as a model for public space in the Mott Haven-Port Morris area in the South Bronx.

The South Bronx is home to a diverse community of committed residents, activists, artists and thinkers with exceptional resourcefulness and ingenuity who sustained the area through decades of environmental injustice and economic neglect.

Mott Haven-Port Morris in the South Bronx is one of the city’s largest industrial areas, where power plants, waste transfer stations, and truck-intensive businesses have caused a health crisis. They face asthma rates eight times the national average. Recently, this waterfront community has experienced a considerable surge in new development. 12 market rate rentals and six hotels will soon bring thousands of luxury residential units into this community, in which 38% of its residents and 49% of its children live in poverty, with an average median income of $19,454–the lowest in the state—and an unemployment rate more than three times the national rate.

Power in Place will create a mapping framework and a series of maps, develop a community-driven plan for this neighborhood and a communication toolkit to achieve community-desired outcomes. We want to ensure that the area’s residents, business owners and workers have:

• A place to continue to live and work in the area
• A voice in the planning process
• A means to develop financial equity, and
• The tools to realize a healthy and sustainable future for their neighborhoods

The two Fellows described below will be joined by a third Fellow: Mapping Fellow Monxo Lopez from South Bronx Unite.

Community Planning Fellow
The Community Planning Fellow will lead the development of a community-driven plan, building on the project mapping effort and broad stakeholder engagement.

Participatory Design Fellow
The Participatory Design Fellow will lead the stakeholder engagement process, and develop the identity and graphic system for the project to effectively communicate this planning effort with diverse audiences.

How to Apply
See the application guidelines, requirements, and Fellowship benefits:
Design Trust for Public Space South Bronx Fellowships

The deadline to apply is November 30, 2017 at 5 PM.

Design Trust Fellows make a tangible impact on New York City’s public realm. Our projects provide significant engagement with policymakers, community leaders, and professionals from other disciplines.

Power in Place: Building Community Wealth and Well-Being in Mott Haven-Port Morris is made possible with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the NYC Council, and with support from the Design Trust Founder’s Circle, including Hugo Barreca, Agnes Gund, Kitty Hawks, Sophia W. Healy, Camila Pastor and Stephen Maharam, Claire Weisz, and Andrea Woodner.

Sep 12, 2017

Design Trust for Public Space Exhibitions in Staten Island

Two “Future Culture” exhibitions will open on Sept. 14 and 16, at Staten Island Arts and Alice Austen House in Staten Island

TWO EXHIBITIONS WILL OPEN AS PART OF THE FUTURE CULTURE PROJECT:

AT STATEN ISLAND ARTS: FUTURE CULTURE: CONNECTING PEOPLE AND PLACE ON STATEN ISLAND’S NORTH SHORE

Public art pilot projects, community initiatives, and new ideas from visitors for inclusive development

Opening reception: Thursday, September 14, 7 to 9 pm, at ArtSpace @ Staten Island Arts, 23 Navy Pier Court, Staten Island

AT ALICE AUSTEN HOUSE: NORTH SHORE

Photographer Gareth Smit, noted for Eric Garner photo series, portrays Staten Islanders in a time of transition

Opening reception: Saturday, September 16, 3 to 5 pm, at Alice Austen House, 2 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island

Future Culture: Connecting People and Place on Staten Island’s North Shore:

image : John Schettino. Courtesy of Design Trust for Public Space and Staten Island Arts

Future Culture: Connecting People and Place on Staten Island’s North Shore surveys six interdisciplinary public art projects, including renderings, concepts and interviews. These proposals were submitted as part of the recent Future Culture call for pilot projects to activate public space in Staten Island’s North Shore. Two of those six proposals were selected for piloting in the area. Visitors are asked to post their projects and events on a map and to add a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #connectingcultureSI. These contributions will identify additional opportunities for the public realm and foster connections between community initiatives.

Finalists, many of them local artists, will be available for interviews. They include visual and new media artists, sculptors, composers, touring performers, graphic designers, architects, educators, and community organizers. This exhibition is part of Future Culture: Connecting Staten Island’s Waterfront, a project of Design Trust for Public Space in partnership with Staten Island Arts.

A photo of Victory Boulevard, featured in North Shore:

photograph : Gareth Smit. Courtesy of Staten Island Arts, Design Trust for Public Space, and Staten Island Arts

North Shore is photographer Gareth Smit’s first solo museum exhibition at Alice Austen House, which was designated a national LGBTQ historic site in June. Smit has been visually documenting the changes and community responses during rapid growth on the North Shore of Staten Island. One of the stories that Smit follows for North Shore is of Dominic Anderson, a twenty one year old trans man who has been struggling through gender transition in New York’s most conservative borough. Another story focuses on the Caceres family who, as first time homeowners, came to the North Shore as a last resort to being priced out of Brooklyn.

Portraits in Tompkinsville Park trace the contradictory narratives that arise when public space is overwhelmed by drug-use and homelessness. Gareth Smit will be available for interviews. North Shore is the culmination of Smit’s work completed as the Future Culture Photo Urbanism Fellow. The Future Culture Photo Urbanism Fellowship is a program of Design Trust for Public Space in collaboration with Alice Austen House, and is part of the Future Culture: Connecting Staten Island’s Waterfront project.

Future Culture: Connecting People and Place on Staten Island’s North Shore

Opening reception: Thursday, September 14, 7 to 9 pm, at ArtSpace @ Staten Island Arts, 23 Navy Staten Island, NY, USA

Design Trust for Public Exhibition on view through December 9, 2017

North Shore

http://designtrust.org/events/north-shore/

Exhibition on view through December 23, 2017

Jul 28, 2017

Design Trust 2017 Call for Project Ideas Winners

Unlocking the potential of NYC’s public spaces

Two new Design Trust projects will tackle equity in public space in NYC

Winners of 2017 Call for Project Ideas:

Community Land Trust as a Model for Public Space
Mott Haven and Port Morris in the Bronx don’t have access to the waterfront occupied by power plants and waste transfer stations for decades. These industries, which were meant to provide jobs for the community, have caused asthma rates eight times the national average.

Long-time residents also face the threat of displacement. 12 market rate rentals and six hotel developments will soon bring thousands of luxury residential units into this community, in which 38% of its residents live in poverty, with an average median income of $19,454—the lowest in the state—and an unemployment rate more than three times the national rate.

A group of residents are determined to take the future of their neighborhood in their hands through forming a community land trust, which would allow them to own and manage real estate for the perpetual public benefit. We’re partnering with South Bronx Unite, New York City Community Land Initiative, and the Mott Haven-Port Morris Community Land Stewards to create a comprehensive development plan for the creation of public space in Mott Haven and Port Morris. We’ll map physical assets, identify social and cultural capital, and establish an advocacy platform for presenting those results to the public.

When the Going Gets Tough…Addressing Equity & Quality of Life in Community-Managed Public Spaces
The NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) Plaza Program delivers public realm improvements across the five boroughs. The City invests capital to build plazas; community-based partners bring them to life. By many measures, the program is a success—improving public safety, community events, and civic engagement.

Close to half of NYC’s 70 pedestrian plazas are in under-served communities. Many challenges of plaza management at these spaces include public intoxication, human waste, discarded drug needles, emotionally disturbed patrons, vermin infestations, illegal dumping, furniture and plant vandalism.

We’re partnering with the Neighborhood Plaza Program of the Horticultural Society of New York and Uptown Grand Central to create innovative strategies for addressing the challenge of operating and programming public space in neighborhoods where resources are scarce, organizational capacity is low, and quality of life infractions are frequent. This project will dedicate significant resources to 125th Street Plaza to address these challengers, while exploring solutions for the network of 14 other plazas in urgent need of assistance across the five boroughs.

Learn more about these two winning projects, the finalists and semi-finalists of Public for All: Rethinking Shared Space in NYC

Public for All winners and jurors in conversation. Clockwise from top left: José Serrano-McClain, NYC Mayor’s Office of Tech + Innovation; Patti S. Lubin, Office of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand; Kitty Hawks, Kitty Hawks Interiors, Design Trust Founder’s Circle; Kerry A. McLean, Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation; Justin Garrett Moore, NYC Public Design Commission; Mychal Johnson and Monxo Lopez, South Bronx Unite; Carey King, Uptown Grand Central; Laura Hansen, Neighborhood Plaza Program, the Horticultural Society of New York; Walter Hood, Hood Design Studio; Andrea Woodner, Design Trust Founder and President Emeritus; Zack McKown, Tsao & McKown Architects, Design Trust Board. Photos: Sam Lahoz

upcoming event

Public Space Potluck at Concrete Plant Park

Join us and the Bronx River Alliance for a Public Space Potluck on August 9, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm, at Concrete Plant Park, at Westchester Avenue in the Bronx.

Gather with like-minded urbanists as we tour and share a meal at Concrete Plant Park along the Bronx River. This post-industrial park demonstrates how histories marred with neglect can be reimagined to promote new possibilities for the community. Public Space Potluck at Concrete Plant Park RSVP

Photo: Nathan Kensinger

Sound installations and free concerts are coming soon to Staten Island’s North Shore

The Design Trust and Staten Island Arts announced two public art pilots as part of our Future Culture: Connecting Staten Island’s Waterfront project; each embraces the rich local culture in public spaces along the North Shore.

For Sonic Gates, a team led by Staten Island-based composer, touring performer and media artist Volker Goetze will construct a series of sound sculptures at various sites along the waterfront on Bay Street and in Tappen Park from St. George to Stapleton.

For Court Yard Fridays, Kevin Washington, a Staten Island native, retired NYC Firefighter, and community organizer; Homer Jackson, Director of the Philadelphia Jazz Project; and graphic designer Lynn Washington will host a series of weekend concerts in the courtyard between Borough Hall and the old Supreme Court building featuring world-class performers with connections to Staten Island alongside local arts groups.

These public art pilots will advance Future Culture’s recommendations to promote exploration of the Staten Island North Shore, and re-imagine and activate underused public spaces. Learn more about the pilots >

See the media coverage

Read the latest edition of the Future Culture Newspaper to learn more about our other activities in the North Shore

2017 Art+Design Benefit Auction

This year, the Benefit returns to the stunning Dune Studios on Wednesday, November 1 from 6 to 9 PM. Nearly 500 guests, including civic leaders, urbanists, policy makers, and designers, will participate in a spirited silent auction showcasing the phenomenal talents of emerging and established artists and designers in NYC.

Join as a 2017 Leadership Supporter to show support for NYC’s shared spaces

Meet our new Equitable Public Space Fellows

Luisa Santos has lived the immigrant experience and has a background in organizing for social justice, particularly in the environmental, anti-displacement, and labor movements. Luisa has worked as a union organizer with the Communications Workers of America on Staten Island, as a policy research assistant at the progressive Institute for Policy Studies in D.C., and as a coordinator of environmental and civic engagement programs for community college students in Miami.

Carlos Mandeville is interested in using multidisciplinary methods to analyze the challenges to equitable access in urban space. His work for Environment Defense Fund in which he researched how cities were discussing environmental justice and inclusive models for clean energy generation reflects this inquisitive approach. His research was published in Forbes Energy in 2016.

Jul 8, 2017

Design Trust for Public Space New York Competition News

Design Trust for Public Space selects five finalists for the 2017 Call for Project Ideas, ‘Public for All: Rethinking Shared Space in NYC’

On July 11, an independent jury will choose the next Design Trust projects to shape the future of New York City with and for the community.

NEW YORK, NY (Friday, July 7, 2017) – The Design Trust for Public Space is excited to reveal the five finalists for 017 Call for Project Ideas, entitled Public for All: Rethinking Shared Space in NYC. The finalists, in alphabetical order, include: Community Land Trust as a Model for Public Space; Return of the Stanton Building; StalledNYC!; When the Going Gets Tough…Addressing Equity & Quality of Life in Community-Managed Public Spaces; and Yes Loitering.

The winners, selected by an independent jury as the next Design Trust projects, will be announced at a public program on Tuesday, July 11, from 7 to 8 pm at the J.M. Kaplan Fund, 71 West 23rd Street #903, New York, NY 10010. Design Trust executive director Susan Chin, FAIA, Hon. ASLA, will moderate a conversation with the winners and the jurors.

Out of 105 initial responses from community groups, city agencies, and individuals across the five boroughs, Design Trust invited 30 proposers to submit full citywide research, design, and planning proposals. Major themes emerging from the Call to ensure that the city’s public spaces remain democratic and welcoming for all New Yorkers include:

Advancing community strategies to mitigate gentrification;
Reframing stewardship practices in non-traditional public space;
Affirming the right of youth, especially youth of color, to congregate in public space;
Desegregating the gendered space of public restrooms;
Adapting underutilized buildings as community space for all, including homeless people;
Designing safe and resilient places for vending, play, and integrated aging.

An independent jury will choose up to two winners from the five finalist project proposals during a private deliberation session on July 11. Jurors include: Kitty Hawks, Kitty Hawks Interiors, Design Trust Founder’s Circle; Walter Hood, Hood Design Studio; Patti S. Lubin, Office of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand; Kerry A. McLean, Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation; Zack McKown, Tsao & McKown Architects, Design Trust Board [non-voting]; Justin Garrett Moore, NYC Public Design Commission; José Serrano-McClain, NYC Mayor’s Office of Tech + Innovation; Claire Weisz, WXY Architecture + Urban Design, Design Trust Founder’s Circle; and Andrea Woodner, Design Trust Founder and President Emeritus.

The Design Trust will develop and implement the winning project ideas in partnership with their proposers, engaging community stakeholders from the get-go. Design Trust projects create tangible impact by changing the system, by producing replicable models or tools, by creating a catalyst, and by building a well-informed constituency.

The top five proposals include (in alphabetical order):

Title: Community Land Trust as a Model for Public Space

Proposer: South Bronx Unite, in collaboration with New York City Community Land Initiative and the Mott Haven-Port Morris Community Land Stewards including Birthing Project, Community Connections for Youth, Friends of Brook Park, Rollin Together, Radical Health, and South Bronx Farmers Market, and UpBeat NYC:

This project would create a comprehensive urban development plan for the Mott Haven-Port Morris area in the Bronx and advance the community land trust as a sustainable community-owned development model citywide.

“Over the last two years, my office has supported the efforts of South Bronx Unite in examining the feasibility of converting a vacant, 25,000 square foot, city-owned building located at 349 East 140th Street in the Bronx into a community center. The H.E.ARTS Center could house a dozen local organizations focusing on health, education and the arts. Having the Design Trust lend its weight to this project would be an important step toward bringing this project across the finish line. I support the idea of Community Land Trusts (CLT) as a way to strengthen local capacity and ensure local oversight over land. As South Bronx Unite continues working to expand community input into local design and developments processes, I fully support their efforts to build a platform for greater community understanding and stewardship of local assets,” said Melissa Mark-Viverito, NYC Council Speaker and the Council representative for District 8.

Title: Return of the Stanton Building

Proposer: The Stanton Task Force including Green Map System, Sara Roosevelt Park Community Coalition, and University Settlement

The Stanton Building of Sara Roosevelt Park in the Lower East Side of Manhattan was one of the many NYC Park Houses (40 in Manhattan alone), which were community centers until the 1970s, when the City almost went bankrupt and could no longer maintain them. Today the Stanton Building is used as storage for the NYC Parks. This project would redesign the Stanton Building as a multi-use community hub assisting homeless people, serving as a climate emergency education and response center, or a flexible meeting space for a myriad of neighborhood needs, while envisioning a citywide model for reclaiming underutilized public space.

“Planning for the future use of the Stanton Street Park Building will allow the community to play an active role in the building’s design and future use and maximize public space while integrating community members who often do not see the interconnectedness of their lives. Designing the Stanton Street building to serve as a resource for our homeless neighbors, while also providing programming to the larger community, can serve as a future model for how to use public space to foster greater community integration and understanding,” said Laura Timme, Associate Executive Director, University Settlement.

Title: StalledNYC!

Proposer: Joel Sanders, Principal of Joel Sanders Architect and Professor of Architecture at the Yale School of Architecture, in collaboration with the American Institute of Architects New York

The need for inclusive public restrooms irrespective of age, gender, religion and disability is a pressing civil rights issue of our times. Often overlooked, it is equally a spatial design challenge that this project addresses by aiming to prototype an equal-access, sustainable, safe, and city-vetted public restroom that can be adopted and deployed across the five boroughs, and become a national model.

“StalledNYC! is one of the most potentially transformative social justice projects I have encountered in the past three decades. It uses design to address—and actually resolve—the contentious debates now roiling out culture over equitable access to public toilets. The current debate over ‘transgender toilets’ is merely the latest iteration of a persistent struggle by working women, people of color, religious minorities, and people with disabilities to be equitably accommodated in the public sphere. [This project proposal] abolishes the notion of the public toilet as a sex-segregated cul-de-sac behind closed doors, and radically transforms the toilet’s relation to public space,” said trans activist theoretician Susan Stryker.

Title: When the Going Gets Tough…Addressing Equity & Quality of Life in Community-Managed Public Spaces

Proposer: Neighborhood Plaza Program of the Horticultural Society of New York in collaboration with Uptown Grand Central

Close to half of NYC’s 70 pedestrian plazas are in under-served communities. New Yorkers love these plazas, so even struggling organizations are willing to invest the time, money and sweat equity to privately manage them. This project will explore innovative strategies for addressing the challenge of operating and programming public space in neighborhoods where resources are scarce, organizational capacity is low, and quality of life infractions are frequent.

“The sociological, anthropological, policy and design aspects of what goes on in the blocks surrounding our community plaza are complex, multilayered, and most definitely worthy of study. What core factors are we and our neighborhood partners missing in all the work that we do? Are there lessons we can learn from pulling back and observing the systems and factors as a whole? Having worked closely with the Neighborhood Plaza Program of the Horticultural Society of New York in years past, we are excited and would be grateful to deepen our work together—to begin to find answers that can apply not only to our 125th Street Plaza, but also for plazas across the city, especially those in other high-need areas,” said Carey King, Director, Uptown Grand Central

Title: Yes Loitering

Proposer: Chat Travieso, artist, designer, and educator, in collaboration with Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco)

If young people, especially people of color, congregate in parks, fast food restaurants, streets, train stations, shopping malls, and parking lots, they regularly run into conflict with police, business owners, and other groups. Whether they are viewed as criminal threats or a nuisance, young people are often the victims of legal, spatial, and social restriction through such means as anti-loitering laws, curfews, park closing times, surveillance, lack of seating, skate deterrents, spikes on ledges, restaurant time limits, and cost. This project would create and advocate for a comprehensive and actionable set of policy and design recommendations that the city could adopt to make public spaces more youth-affirming and youth-powered.

“The aim of Yes Loitering is the perfect intersection of the work that WHEDco strives to do every day; pushes our students to see themselves as agents of change in their communities, fosters a pride of place, and advocates for access for all community members, regardless of age, to the best and most beautiful spaces city has to offer. It has been truly magical watching the students build their own awareness surrounding this issue, as well as the awareness of their peers,” said Katie Aylwin, Senior Director of Educations and Youth Development, Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco)

“We were looking for project ideas that have the potential to really change the way public spaces are created and managed citywide. The five finalists creatively strive to include our city’s ever more diverse population in the public realm and the related decision-making processes. At the same time, they also consider increasing the civic capacity to better manage and sustain the shared urban spaces in the face of climate change, aging infrastructure, growing population, and dwindling public resources,” said Susan Chin, FAIA, Hon. ASLA, Executive Director, Design Trust for Public Space.

Design Trust for Public Space

The Design Trust for Public Space is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the future of public space in New York City. Our projects bring together city agencies, community groups and private sector experts to make a lasting impact—through design—on how New Yorkers live, work and play. Our work can be seen, felt and experienced throughout all five boroughs—from parks and plazas to streets and public buildings. The Design Trust saved the High Line structure, jumpstarted NYC’s first custom-built Taxi of Tomorrow, developed the Community Design School for Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and created the city’s first comprehensive sustainability guidelines that became the precursor to Local Law 86 and PlaNYC, now OneNYC.

Public for All: Rethinking Shared Space in NYC is made possible by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and with support from the Design Trust Founder’s Circle, including Hugo Barreca, Agnes Gund, Kitty Hawks, Sophia W. Healy, Camila Pastor and Stephen Maharam, Claire Weisz, and Andrea Woodner.

Additional support for the Design Trust is provided in part by the New York State Council on the Arts and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

Jun 23, 2017

Design Trust for Public Space New York Event

Design Trust Public Space Potluck – Lower Manhattan

Join the Design Trust’s first Public Space Potluck of the summer at Freeman Plaza East, July 13, 6:00-7:30 pm

Unlocking the potential of NYC’s public spaces

July 13, 2017, 6:00 to 7:30 pm

Public Space Potluck at Freeman Plaza East

Gather with city enthusiasts as we share a meal on Thursday, July 13, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm, at Freeman Plaza East (Varick St. between Watts and Broome) in Lower Manhattan.

photo courtesy of the Hudson Square Connection

The area around the Holland Tunnel used to be a tangle of traffic practically devoid of places to gather. But in recent years, Hudson Square Connection has transformed the neighborhood by making traffic triangles into a number of unusual new public spaces. Freeman Plaza, located directly adjacent to the Holland Tunnel entrance, is a particularly creative example of public space reclamation.

Join the Design Trust for a communal meal at Freeman Plaza East and a conversation about the transformation of the tunnel entry area. Hudson Square Connection President Ellen Baer and Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects Principal Signe Nielsen, RLA, FASLA, will share how they re-envisioned this forlorn space and the design strategies used to create an oasis in such an unlikely place.

All you have to bring is a small dish to share! We’ll provide drinks, plates, napkins, and all other picnic needs. The event is free and open to the public.

Design Trust Public Space Potluck – RSVP here

Public Space Potlucks

Previously on e-architect:

May 9, 2017

Design Trust for Public Space Event

How can Staten Islanders have a strong role in shaping the North Shore’s future?

MAY 17, 5:30 TO 7:00 PM

Event on Wednesday, May 17, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm, at the St. George Library Center (5 Central Avenue, Staten Island), for a conversation about creative placemaking and placekeeping on Staten Island’s North Shore. RSVP required.

photo : Gareth Smit, Future Culture Photo Urbanism Fellow

How can we strengthen the North Shore’s cultural community and connect its neighborhoods to the waterfront, the rest of Staten Island, and New York City? The Design Trust and Staten Island Arts recently issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) seeking applicants for creative placemaking projects that give a prominent role to local artists and communities, enhance livability in the community, and test the Future Culture recommendations.

The panel, moderated by Design Trust executive director Susan Chin, will include:

• Lisa Dahl, Future Culture Participatory Art Fellow
• Munro Johnson, NYC Economic Development Corporation Vice President of Development
• Rashida Ladner-Seward, Future Culture Community Working Group Member and Universal Temple of the Arts Director
• Monica Valenzuela, Deputy Director of Staten Island Arts—Design Trust Partner for Future Culture: Connecting Staten Island’s Waterfront
#FutureCulture

This event is part of the NYCxDESIGN, New York City’s official citywide celebration of design, May 3 – 24, 2017. #NYCxDESIGN

Photo: Gareth Smit, Future Culture Photo Urbanism Fellow. Future Culture: Connecting Staten Island’s Waterfront is a project of the Design Trust for Public Space in partnership with Staten Island Arts.

May 6, 2017

Design Trust for Public Space News in 2017

2017 National Design Awards: Design Trust for Public Space Receives the Corporate & Institutional Achievement Award

DESIGN TRUST FOR PUBLIC SPACE RECEIVES

THE CORPORATE & INSTITUTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD IN

THE 2017 NATIONAL DESIGN AWARDS

NEW YORK, NY (Friday, May 5, 2017) – The Design Trust for Public Space is honored to receive the Corporate & Institutional Achievement Award of the 2017 National Design Awards from the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. The Corporate & Institutional Achievement Award is given in recognition of a corporation or institution that uses design as a strategic tool as part of its mission, and has consistently exhibited ingenuity and insight in the relationship between design and quality of life.

The Design Trust for Public Space, the nonprofit organization that unlocks the potential of New York City’s public space, was founded in 1995 by sculptor and philanthropist Andrea Woodner to bring design expertise and big-picture systems thinking into the public realm. The Design Trust is at the forefront of shaping New York City’s shared civic spaces—streets, plazas and parks, transportation and housing developments. The Design Trust has brought forth 30 multi-year projects, working with over 40 city agencies and community groups and over 90 fellows to transform places where New Yorkers live, work, and play. The organization’s projects saved the High Line structure and the Garment District, jump-started New York City’s first custom-built Taxi of Tomorrow, pioneered a model Community Design School in Queens, and created the city’s Design Manual for 21st Century Parks that was a precursor to OneNYC.

“We get things done! The Design Trust facilitates collaboration between city agencies, designers, artists and outside experts and knowledgeable community members to create change for a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable city. We challenge and transform the system, produce replicable models, and build a caring and dedicated constituency. We solve problems from the bottom up AND the top down to spark unexpected and lasting institutional change,” said Susan Chin, FAIA, Hon. ASLA, Executive Director, Design Trust for Public Space. “We’re thrilled and deeply grateful to Cooper Hewitt and the Awards jury for this prestigious recognition, and thank our founder and board members for making us pioneers of great design. There couldn’t be a more meaningful time than now, when we’ve just unveiled the Design Trust’s 2017 Call for Project Ideas —Public for All: Rethinking Shared Space in NYC.”

The Design Trust values state:

The cultural and democratic life of the city depends on viable public space;
Design excellence is the minimum requirement for all public space;
Social justice and environmental sustainability must guide public space design;
Rigorous engagement with all stakeholders plays a determining role in the quality of public space;
Cross-sector partnership is vital to achieving and sustaining long-term change.

The award recipients will be honored at a gala dinner and ceremony Thursday, October 19, 2017, at the Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden at Cooper Hewitt. The National Design Awards are accompanied each year by National Design Week, which takes place this year October 14–22. Related Design Trust programs will be posted at designtrust.org/events.

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Founded in 1897, Cooper Hewitt is the only museum in the United States devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design. Housed in the renovated and restored Carnegie Mansion, Cooper Hewitt showcases one of the most diverse and comprehensive collections of design works in existence.

The museum’s restoration, modernization and expansion has won numerous awards and honors, including a Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award from the New York Landmarks Conservancy, a Gold Pencil Award for Best in Responsive Environments and LEED Silver certification. Cooper Hewitt offers a full range of interactive capabilities and immersive creative experiences, including the Cooper Hewitt Pen that allows visitors to “collect” and “save” objects from around the galleries, the opportunity to explore the collection digitally on ultra-high-definition touch-screen tables, and draw and project their own wallpaper designs in the Immersion Room.

Cooper Hewitt is located at 2 East 91st Street at Fifth Avenue in New York City. Hours are Sunday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden and Tarallucci e Vino cafe open at 8 a.m., Monday through Friday, and are accessible without an admissions ticket through the East 90th Street entrance. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Public transit routes include the Lexington Avenue 4, 5 and 6 subways (86th or 96th Street stations), the Second Avenue Q subway (96th Street station), and the Fifth and Madison Avenue buses. Adult admission, $16 in advance via tickets.cooperhewitt.org, $18 at door; seniors, $10 in advance via tickets.cooperhewitt.org, $12 at door; students, $7 in advance via tickets.cooperhewitt.org, $9 at door. Cooper Hewitt members and children younger than age 18 are admitted free. Pay What You Wish every Saturday, 6 to 9 p.m. The museum is fully accessible.

For further information, call (212) 849-8400, visit Cooper Hewitt’s website at www.cooperhewitt.org and follow the museum on twitter.com/cooperhewitt, facebook.com/cooperhewitt, and instagram.com/cooperhewitt.

#NationalDesignAwards

Design Trust for Public Space

The Design Trust saved the High Line structure, jumpstarted NYC’s first custom-built Taxi of Tomorrow, developed the Community Design School for Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and created the city’s first comprehensive sustainability guidelines that became the precursor to Local Law 86 and PlaNYC, now OneNYC.

For further information on the Design Trust and our projects, visit our National Design Awards Gallery at ndagallery.cooperhewitt.org/designtrust, the Design Trust Channel at vimeo.com/channels/designtrust, Design Trust’s website at www.designtrust.org, and follow us on twitter/designtrustnyc, facebook.com/designtrustnyc, and instagram/designtrustnyc.

#PublicForAll

Design Trust For Public Space
Address: 40 Worth St, New York, NY 10018, USA
Phone: +1 212-695-2432

American Architecture

American Institute of Architects News

American Architecture Awards Winners in 2017

American Architecture Awards Winners in 2017

photo courtesy of architects

Sea Song House in Big Sur, California
Design: Form4 Architecture, architects

image courtesy of architects
Sea Song House in Big Sur, California