Design Trust For Public Space Inc

THE DESIGN TRUST FOR PUBLIC SPACE IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC SPACE IN NYC. 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.

PHOTO URBANISMTHE PHOTO URBANISM PROGRAM OFFERS FELLOWSHIPS TO LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHERS TO CREATE A NEW BODY OF WORK ILLUMINATING THE PUBLIC SPACES OF NYC. ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD COMMONS PROJECT TEAM, OUR PHOTO URBANISM FELLOW BARNABAS CROSBY TURNED A HANDBALL COURT IN A PUBLIC PARK INTO A PHOTO STUDIO AND PHOTOGRAPHED BLACK BUSINESS OWNERS IN A SERIES OF COMPELLING PORTRAITS. LIMITED BY COSTS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS, COVID-19 PROPOSED A CHALLENGE TO BARNABAS AND FELLOW BUSINESS OWNERS. IN RESPONSE TO THIS CHALLENGE, MANY ENTREPRENEURS CREATED INNOVATIVE USES OF PUBLIC SPACE TO CONTINUE OPERATING THEIR BUSINESSES AND SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE FINAL EXHIBITION, HOLDING COURT IS A DEPICTION OF THE RESILIENCE AND INGENUITY OF ENTREPRENEURS AND THE POWER OF PUBLIC SPACE. THE SERIES WAS SHOWCASED IN TIMES SQUARE AT 1500 BROADWAY, STARTING ON CHRISTMAS DAY THROUGH NEW YEAR'S EVE. ON OCTOBER 16, 2021, DESIGN TRUST ORGANIZED OUR FIRST-EVER YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP IN COLLABORATION WITH NEON PHOTOGRAPHY AND HOSTED BY THE MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK (MCNY). 17 YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHERS RECEIVED IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION FROM PUF BARNABAS CROSBY AND PHOTOGRAPHERS LAYLAH AMATULLAH BARRAYN, ANTHONY ARTIS, VONECIA CARSWELL, EURILA CAVE, NATIAH JONES, COLLIS TORRINGTON, AND ZAKIYYAH WOODS, AND PARTICIPATED IN A NEIGHBORHOOD PHOTO WALK AND COLLABORATIVE SHARING SESSIONS TO HONE THEIR PERSONAL STORYTELLING. THE WORKSHOP CONCLUDED WITH A TOUR OF THE MCNY EXHIBITION SPACE AND A VISIT TO THE KENTE ROYAL GALLERY IN HARLEM.ALFRESCO NYCDESIGN TRUST, REGIONAL PLAN ASSOCIATION, AND TRI-STATE TRANSPORTATION CAMPAIGN ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT OPEN RESTAURANTS AND OPEN STREETS PROGRAMS ARE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL NEW YORKERS, BENEFICIAL FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES, AND SUSTAINABLE IN THE LONG TERM. OUR GROUPS ARE CELEBRATING STREET LIFE IN NEW YORK CITY, PROVIDING INFORMATION TO BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY GROUPS, AND WORKING TO EXPAND THESE PROGRAMS TO MORE NEIGHBORHOODS. IN AUGUST 2021, ALFRESCO NYC LAUNCHED THE ALFRESCO AWARDS TO RECOGNIZE THE CITYS BEST OUTDOOR DINING SPACES AND OPEN STREETS, AND CELEBRATE STREET LIFE ACROSS THE FIVE BOROUGHS. WE AWARDED 13 $500 PRIZES TO NYC ESTABLISHMENTS THAT INNOVATE IN DESIGN, SAFELY REIMAGINE OUR STREETS, AND BUILD PARTNERSHIPS WITH THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE 2021 ALFRESCO AWARD WINNERS DEMONSTRATE THE GREAT POTENTIAL OF THE CITYS OPEN RESTAURANTS & OPEN STREETS PROGRAMS WHILE HIGHLIGHTING EQUITABLE, SUSTAINABLE, AND SAFE DESIGNS MOVING FORWARD. TURNOUT NYCTURNOUT NYC IS A COMMUNITY-ORIENTED INITIATIVE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SITU THAT WILL PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT FOR NEW YORK CITY-BASED ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS WHILE EXPANDING ACCESS TO THE ARTS ACROSS THE CITY. SUPPORTED BY A $2 MILLION GRANT FROM THE MELLON FOUNDATION, THE VENTURE WILL CREATE FLEXIBLE AND SEMI-PERMANENT OUTDOOR VENUES ONE IN EACH BOROUGH IN COLLABORATION WITH CULTURAL PARTNERS FROM WITHIN EACH COMMUNITY. BY HOSTING 150-200 EVENTS AND FEATURING UP TO 1,500 ARTISTS FROM THROUGHOUT THE CITY UPON THE COMPLETION OF ITS 2022 SEASON, TURNOUT NYC WILL AFFECT LONG-TERM CHANGE AND ADVANCE A NEW MODEL OF COMMUNITY-DRIVEN CULTURAL PRODUCTION. BEYOND HOSTING A SUMMER OF CREATIVE EVENTS FOR NEW YORKERS, THE FIVE SITES WILL SUPPORT EQUITABLE ACCESS TO THE ARTS AND PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ARTISTS, ESPECIALLY BLACK, LATINX, ASIAN, INDIGENOUS, AND OTHER HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED PEOPLES. THE INITIATIVE WILL PURPOSEFULLY SEEK TO ADVANCE THESE VENUES AS PART OF A LARGER EFFORT TO DISTRIBUTE OPEN-SOURCE DESIGN KNOWLEDGE, ADVOCATE FOR STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN THE CITYS CULTURAL POLICIES, AND TO BUILD A CONNECTED COHORT OF EMERGING ARTS AND DESIGN PROFESSIONALS.IN JULY 2021, TURNOUT NYC KICKED OFF ITS FIRST YEAR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH QUEENS THEATRE, PRESENTING A SEASON OF FREE PERFORMANCES AND CULTURAL PROGRAMMING ON A NEW, PURPOSE-BUILT OUTDOOR STAGE CREATED BY SITU IN FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA PARK. PROGRAMMING WILL RESUME IN SUMMER 2022, EXPANDING AND TRAVELING ACROSS ALL FIVE BOROUGHS AND BRINGING ON PROJECT FELLOWS TO SUPPORT THE INITIATIVE.

NEIGHBORHOOD COMMONSNEIGHBORHOOD COMMONS IS A TIMELY INITIATIVE SUPPORTED BY A GRANT FROM NYC SBS THAT WILL PROVIDE SMALL BUSINESS AND PLACE-BASED ORGANIZATIONS WITH TOOLS AND STRATEGIES TO RECOVER AS COMMUNITY ANCHORS THAT SUPPORT OUR MAIN STREETS. WORKING WITH BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS (BIDS), COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOS), AND LOCAL BUSINESSES, NEIGHBORHOOD COMMONS IS LEVERAGING PUBLIC SPACE INITIATIVES SURROUNDING COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS TO SUPPORT LOCAL ECONOMIES, DEVELOP REPRESENTATIVE PLACE-BASED GOVERNANCE MODELS FOR NYC STREETS AS PUBLIC SPACE, AND PRODUCE A GUIDE OF BETTER PRACTICES FOR BOTH THE CITYS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS STEWARDSHIP OF PUBLIC SPACES.THIS YEAR, OUR TEAM CONDUCTED A COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH PROCESS THAT ENCOMPASSED A REVIEW OF CITYWIDE POLICIES IMPACTING PUBLIC SPACE USE AND MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT WITH BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS AND OTHER PLACE-BASED ORGANIZATION LEADERS ACROSS 12 NEIGHBORHOODS. IN 2022, DESIGN TRUST WILL RELEASE A TOOLKIT OF POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS AND PILOT PROJECTS TO TEST OUT THESE PROPOSALS FOR BEST PUBLIC SPACE GOVERNANCE PRACTICES.

RFP: THE RESTORATIVE CITYOUR 2021 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) BEGAN A MAJOR INITIATIVE DEDICATED TO CONNECTING HEALTH EQUITY WITH DESIGN AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT THROUGHOUT NEW YORK CITY AN URGENT ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN EXACERBATED BY THE ONGOING PANDEMIC AND DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTS MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. AS PART OF THE DESIGN TRUSTS MISSION TO ADVANCE COLLABORATIVE PUBLIC SPACE INITIATIVES, THE RESTORATIVE CITY: BUILDING COMMUNITY WELLNESS THROUGH PUBLIC SPACE SOLICITED NEW IDEAS THAT WILL EMPOWER COMMUNITY ACTION ACROSS THE FIVE BOROUGHS AND ELEVATE PUBLIC HEALTH TO A CENTRAL PRECEPT OF PUBLIC POLICY AND URBAN DESIGN. DRAWN FROM AN INITIAL GROUP OF MORE THAN 90 PROPOSALS, THE WINNING PROJECTS WERE SELECTED BY A JURY OF CITY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND INDUSTRY LEADERS FROM A SHORT-LIST OF EIGHT FINALISTS.THE NEURODIVERSE CITY IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN VERONA CARPENTER ARCHITECTS AND WIP COLLABORATIVE WITH THE SUPPORT OF CENTER FOR INDEPENDENCE OF THE DISABLED-NY, BRONX INDEPENDENT LIVING SERVICES, INCLUDENYC, AND P.S. 42. THE INITIATIVE ADVOCATES FOR PUBLIC SPACES IN OUR CITY THAT OFFER INCLUSIVE ZONES WHERE ALL OF US, INCLUDING THOSE WITH INVISIBLE DISABILITIES AND SENSORY SENSITIVITIES CAN COME TOGETHER AND FIND COMMON GROUND.HEALING HOSTILE ARCHITECTURE: DESIGN AS CARE, LED BY DESIGN AS PROTEST, A COLLECTIVE OF BIPOC DESIGNERS AND ADVOCATES. THE INITIATIVE SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DESIGN POLICIES AND NEW REGENERATIVE, DESIGN MODELS TO REPLACE HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS AND PROVIDE CARE FOR UNHOUSED POPULATIONS. HONORABLE MENTION WAS GIVEN TO FOREST AVENUE COMEUNITY FRIDGE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL YOUTH TO SUPPORT A MUTUAL AID NETWORK TARGETING FOOD INSECURITY THROUGH THE TRANSFORMATION OF AN UNDERUTILIZED SPACE IN STATEN ISLAND. THE WINNING PROJECTS WERE RECOGNIZED AT A SPECIAL CEREMONY HELD SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 IN PROSPECT PARK. DESIGN TRUST ALSO LED A VIRTUAL SPEAKER SERIES FOR A DEEP DIVE INTO THIS YEAR'S RFP THEME FOR A DISCUSSION ON HOW HEALTH EQUITY IS SHAPED BY THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. ALONGSIDE THE RFP SELECTION PROCESS, THE DESIGN TRUST ORGANIZED CONVERSATIONS THAT PAIRED DESIGNERS AND PLANNERS WITH HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. THESE CONVERSATIONS EXPLORED THE INTERSECTION OF HEALTH EQUITY AND PUBLIC SPACE.