CITATION NEIGHBORHOODS NOW – BEDFORD STUYVESANT RESTORATION CORPORATION BROOKLYN, NEW YORK VAN ALEN INSTITUTE l URBAN DESIGN FORUM l KOHN PEDERSEN FOX ASSOCIATES l JAMES CORNER FIELD OPERATIONS l JAROS, BAUM & BOLLES CONSULTING ENGINEERS l AE SUPERLAB FARZANA GANDHI DESIGN STUDIO PARTNER & PARTNERS l FRIED, FRANK, HARRIS, SHRIVER & JACOBSON
“Notable for its community engagement process. The jury appreciated the diverse responses to the pandemic— from proposals for tactical urbanism at a small scale to implementation of community-led projects. The graphic communication pamphlets were especially appealing. These projects identify small, concrete steps that architects can make to improve their community and are replicable in many other cities.” Jury Comment
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Posters communicating Covid-19 related protocols
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Pamphlets relaying vital information and federal, state, and city recommendations; and
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A Digital toolkit containing proposals and strategies to create meaningful public spaces with longer-term solutions promoting principles of wellbeing
Photo Credit: ©James Corner Field Operations
They also implemented: The partnership with the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation helped address Covid relief in a neighborhood already dealing with social inequity by empowering the community to respond to their immediate needs while contributing to city-wide pandemic response strategies. Under the Neighborhoods Now initiative, developed by the Van Alen Institute and Urban Design Forum, the multi-firm team established an open and continual communication process with Restoration, stakeholders, and the community-at-large to address community concerns and identify challenges and opportunities. They created a series of proposals tailored to the needs of Bedford-Stuyvesant and the community-at-large in the hopes that some solutions could extend beyond the pandemic. This resulted in design recommendations, prototypes, and installations that contribute to a safe, equitable, healthy, and vibrant neighborhood. The effort culminated in a series of user-friendly materials that were distributed to the wider population:
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Virtual workshops for educating small businesses
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The “Be a Good Neighbor” program to encourage cooperation among businesses; and
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The idea of “land swaps” for repurposing underutilized spaces to benefit the neighborhood, and a support system that can emerge from sharing resources.
They established community build days to implement graphic wayfinding, greening efforts, and the first phase of the Adopt-a-Square murals. Partnering with RestorationArt and local artists, these “living decals” use greening and planting for de-densification, beautification, and as graphic cues and physical barriers for navigation and encouraging social distancing and provide a sense of vibrancy and life. The partnership with Restoration continues today, and the team continues to offer support in finding additional resources, including legal, graphic design, public health, and other services.
