Global Urban Studio 2021_Designing Infrastructures of Inclusion by Parsons Graduate Urban Programs

DESIGNING INFRASTRUCTURES OF INCLUSION

DISADVANTAGES: NEW YORK

Undefined Pedestrian Activity

Lack Community Engagement

Global Urban Studio Intensive

Social Gap Between Residents

May 2021

GLOBAL URBAN STUDIO INTENSIVE INTENSIVE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP: MAY 24-JUNE 4, 2021 The New School/Parsons School of Design Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)

In this Intensive International Workshop, students from The New School/Parsons School of Design, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)/Pontifical University of Campinas (PUCC) worked remotely and collaboratively on urban mobility corridors in the cities of New York City, Hong Kong and Rio de Janeiro. The workshop provided an opportunity for the partner universities to further develop existing international educational activities and collaborations remotely for the second time due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Our collaborations so far have focused on bi-city work, whereas this workshop is the first time that faculty, researchers, and students attempt to bring three incredibly different cities into a global, comparative framework. The three universities bring a strong and ongoing commitment to community-centered work, building partnerships and alliances with local civil society sectors, government organizations, and local business communities. We identified three transportation corridors as vehicles for structuring our explorations, then viewed the corridors through four themes across the three cities. The tested methodology employed in this workshop enables us to keep our existing focus in our respective cities while simultaneously developing global comparative perspectives in relation to urgent issues of the day, including equitable urban mobility, housing types and amenities, cultural heritage and public health, and well-being. The interdisciplinary student teams approached the sites through four lenses/themes: mobility, housing, cultural heritage, and well-being. The teams identified urban practices and processes of production that appropriate the transit-related public spaces under study. Then, teams developed scenarios and design strategies to tackle global problems through vibrant, meaningful, and community-centered public spaces, socio-spatial infrastructures, and design and art interventions.

Underlying the workshop were issues of socio-spatial equity, environmental justice, and the right to the city. In the case of New York City, the workshop focused on public spaces and infrastructure along the MTA’s Line 7 corridor, from Hudson Yards to Flushing, Queens. Line 7 has often been called the “Immigrant Express” due to the fact that a high percentage of recent immigrant families from around the world settle in Queens. Many immigrant families work in Manhattan and other boroughs thus using Line 7 to commute to work. Along the 12mile long line, student teams specifically focused on four sites of interest: Queensboro Plaza/Court Square, Diversity Plaza/ Jackson Heights, Corona Plaza, and Flushing Main Street. In Hong Kong, the workshop focused on the 10-mile long MTR Tsuen Wan Red Line corridor from Central on Hong Kong Island to Tsuen Wan in the New Territories. Along the MTR Tsuen Wan Red Line corridor, the international student teams focused on four sites of interest: Tsim Sha Tsui, Sham Shui Po, Mei Foo, and Tsuen Wan. The four selected sites along the MTR Tsuen Wan Line represent strong difference between social and spatial conditions in contemporary Hong Kong. In Rio de Janeiro, the workshop focused on the 14-mile long railway line, from downtown Rio via its northern neighborhoods and terminating in Deodoro neighborhood. This line has historically concentrated the displacement of labor from the working-class suburbs to work in the city center. Along this corridor, the teams focused on four places of interest: Central do Brasil (Central Station)/Campo de Santana Park, São Francisco Xavier Station/Favela da Mangueira (Mangueira Slum and Samba School), Madureira Station/Madureira Viaduct/Park, and Engenho Novo Station/Sampaio District.

The first part of the publication presents the four themes used to explore the three city’s transportation corridors and surrounding public space. Each section provides metrics, insights, and design scenarios. This first part of the publication reflects the international collaboration between the three universities. The second part of the publication features individual project proposals by Parsons students based in New York City, yet the work reflects insights from across the three cities of interest. Their individual project contributions followed the initial first week workshop to further develop design interventions. The integration among students from the institutions involved indicates other affirmative results of the workshop, reemphasized by this publication, which are the growing institutional and personal networks, and the emerging academic and professional exchanges alike. All participants involved in the workshop have to find ways to interact, discuss, negotiate, decide, and co-dvelop proposals by accepting the challenges and overcoming constraints —such as language barriers, time schedules, and background abilities/transciplinary approaches. The integration of ideas and strategies occurs through game playing activities, the development of insights, and the production of design scenarios. We consider our collaboration as an inclusive opportunity for the exchange of cultural approaches, ideas, and environments, as well as different educational methods across the academic institutions. Miodrag Mitrasinovic Hendrik Tieben Vera Regina Tângari

CONTENT 1

MOBILITY AND PUBLIC SPACE

WELL BEING AND PUBLIC SPACE

Tori Gruber Joyce Chan Lara Fjelsted Asgeirsdottir Briana Culbertson Madelaine Bizik Christiana MacGregor Roberta Werthein Victoria Zhang Marley Lopez Riley Elske Lauren Bostick

5- 18

HOUSING AND PUBLIC SPACE

51-69

INDIVIDUAL PROJECT PROPOSALS

19-36

CULTURAL HERITAGE AND PUBLIC SPACE

71-105

Daniel Athias de Almeida Felipe Sacramento Xavier Jonathas Magalhães Pereira da Silva (Professor) Cynthia Oliveira Isabela Bastos Julia Daher Moura Alain Flandes Rogerio Cardeman (Professor) Andressa Miranda Beatriz Amback Letícia Rocha Mylenna Merlo Inês Azevedo Isidoro (Researcher) Bruno R.Mendonça (Researcher) Flora Fernandez Karina Baseggio Gabriel Parreira Patricia Samora (Professor) Alex Lamounier (Professor)

Wang Yuxin Li Yibing Chen Keyi Wan Weiqi Zhao Nan Zuo Xuan Wang Ruosu Song Jing Lin Shuiyang Rao Shuman Wang Haowen Cheng Sifan Lei Danyang Zhang Zhixing Chang Benxian Clement Kamingcheung

37-50

MOBILITY AND PUBLIC SPACE

INTRODUCTION / INTRODUÇÃO Tori Gruber (Parsons) Joyce Chan (Parsons) Lara Fjelsted Asgeirsdottir (Parsons) Chen Keyi (CUHK) Li Yibing (CUHK) Wang Yuxin (CUHK) Daniel Athias de Almeida (UFRJ) Felipe Sacramento Xavier (UFRJ) Jonathas Magalhães Pereira da Silva (PUC Campinas, Professor) Group 1 focused on public space and its relationship to mobility. The group studied three stations in each city, their respective surroundings, and the role they played in the urban transportation systems. In New York, the group studied Flushing Main Street Station on Line 7; in Rio de Janeiro, the selected site was Central do Brasil Station on the railway line connecting it to Deodoro district; and in Hong Kong, Tsuen Wan Station on the MTR Red Line was the chosen area. In New York and in Hong Kong the selected sites were located at the end of the metro line, whereas in Rio de Janeiro the site included a metropolitan hub which integrates five transportation modes. In New York, Flushing Station sits in a very vibrant multicultural community, with a physical layout basically horizontal. Many shops are located at the main street that connects the station to the city library, with large sidewalks and a very intense street life. In Rio de Janeiro, the large boulevard of President Vargas Avenue operates as a strong barrier between the Central Station and Campo de Santana Park, the lively popular market of SAARA and the most recognizable part of Rio Central Business District. In Hong Kong, Tsuen Wan is a very dense, vertical and interconnected area with strong connection between stations and buildings by elevated pedestrian bridges, a direct result of an urban design strategy related to the mega structures created to incorporate and reinforce the presence of commercial activities in Hong Kong.

The group explored issues such as how people interact with and around the stations; how mobility is practiced and limited; and how individuals and groups employed and appropriated the infrastructure. Based on these questions, the team examined two premises common to the three cities: the first considers the public space in the surrounding areas of the stations is a facilitator of movement (transportation) and trade (commerce); and the second considers a lack of congregational, convivial and inclusive socio-spatial infrastructure. The group developed three design scenarios, taking into consideration three key values: (1) holistic integration, (2) multi functionalism and (3) an inclusive transportation system. Thus, the team tried to surpass the mono functionalist concept of a transportation system and transit center, placing people at the core of the design strategies. O Grupo 1 se dedicou a pensar o tema Espaços Públicos, comum aos demais grupos do workshop, em relação à mobilidade nas três cidades estudadas. O grupo estudou três estações - uma em cada cidade - seus respectivos entornos e o papel desempenhado por elas no sistema de transporte urbano. Em Nova York o grupo estudou a estação Flushing Main Street da Linha 7 do Metrô; no Rio de Janeiro, a estação Central do Brasil na linha de trens que a conecta a Deodoro; e em Hong Kong a estação Tsuen Wan da linha vermelha do metrô. E, de imediato, colocou-se a pergunta sobre como comparar (1) três cidades com realidades muito diferentes e (2) linhas e estações que desempenham papéis também muito distintos em seus contextos. Em Nova York e em Hong Kong, tratavase de estações locais na ponta final das linhas. Já no Rio de Janeiro, tratava-se do maior hub de transportes da metrópole, concentrando em si e em seu entorno imediato outros cinco modais. Em Nova York, Flushing Station fica em uma comunidade multicultural muito vibrante, com um layout físico basicamente horizontal. Muitas lojas estão localizadas na rua principal que liga a estação à biblioteca da cidade, com calçadas largas e uma vida urbana muito intensa.

No Rio de Janeiro, a grande avenida da Avenida Presidente Vargas funciona como uma forte barreira entre a Estação Central e o Parque do Campo de Santana, o movimentado mercado popular da SAARA e a parte mais conhecida do Rio Central Business District. Em Hong Kong, Tsuen Wan é uma zona muito densa, vertical e interligada com forte ligação entre estações e edifícios por passarelas elevadas para peões, resultado direto de uma estratégia de desenho urbano relacionada com as mega estruturas criadas para incorporar e reforçar a presença de atividades comerciais em Hong Kong. O grupo, então, optou por trabalhar em torno dos questionamentos sobre como as pessoas interagem com a estação e seu entorno, isto é, como ocorre de fato a mobilidade. Buscava-se entender os limites e a apropriação desta infraestrutura pelas pessoas. A partir destas questões, a equipe chegou a duas premissas comuns às três cidades. A primeira de que o espaço público no entorno das estações é um facilitador de deslocamento (transporte) e de trocas (comércio). E a segunda, de que há uma carência de infraestrutura inclusiva e congregadora. Para embasar essa formulação a equipe agrupou quatro métricas contendo: a) os índices demográficos do usuário do sistema; b) o grau de acessibilidade às estações e ao espaço público em seu entorno; c) um inventário de atividades e d) os indicadores de segurança. Sobre esse conjunto de informações, foram elaborados três cenários de projeto - um para cada cidade - levando em consideração três valores: (1) integração holística, (2) multifuncionalismo e (3) sistema de transporte inclusivo. Dessa forma, o grupo buscou superar a ideia funcionalista de um sistema de transporte ao colocar as pessoas no centro das estratégias de projeto.

TRANSPORTATION HUBS IN GLOBAL CITIES From Passing Through to Lingering Longer Our group focused on the loss of community engagement in major transit stations due to the lack of benches to provide seating, trees to provide shade, or essential services to give community members incentive to linger longer. The loss of community-centered and people-driven design speeds the pace of these transit public spaces and encourages community members to “pass through” rather than providing a space for public engagement. The modes of transportation at these sites include buses, trains, metros, bikes, shuttles, and walking. The pace created by existing transportation infrastructure influences behaviors of engagement, or lack of engagement, and should be discerned as a response to the reason for navigating public spaces. Therefore, in high-functioning spaces, such as major intersections and transportation terminals, the community members are passing through the public spaces quickly rather than gathering communally because spaces prioritize transit efficiency. Walking, too, because a method of transit efficiency rather than a tool and ability to experience a place. Although in some ways community members do populate the sidewalks, such as the informal economies led by vendors on the sidewalks selling produce, the spaces lack benches to provide moments of rest and gathering. This affects both the inclusivity of public space into the day-to-day lives of community members as well as the commercial activity surrounding the transit stops. When community members are able to stay in public spaces longer, there are more opportunities for social permeation, public reclamation of the sidewalks beyond transit and commerce, and economic growth for the local commercial and small-business owners. Slowing down benefits both residential and commercial community members.

Research Questions The first set of research questions include: How are transit stations integrated into the metropolitan transportation system?

Which kinds of modalities and transportation options are available in the surrounding areas? What is the effect of transit effiency on the surrounding environment?

Insights Tsuen Wan Station and Flushing Station are integrated into mixed use areas, which include both residential and commercial spaces. This stands in contrast to the metropolitan hub operating within and surrounding Central do Brasil. Central do Brasil is the main metropolitan hub of Rio de Janeiro, and the surrounding area is predominantly commercial, with some sparse residential clusters in the surrounding area, such as Favela da Providencia, the Port area and Downtown. The large Boulevard of President Vargas Avenue, operates as a strong barrier in between the City Park of Campo de Santana, and the lively popular market of SAARA, also the most recognizable part of Rio Central Business District. Tsuen Wan is a very dense, vertical, and interconnected area with strong connection between stations and buildings by elevated pedestrian bridges, a direct result of an urbanism related to the megastructures, created to incorporate and reinforce the presence of shopping malls in Hong Kong. Flushing Station sits in a very vibrant multicultural community. The physical layout is mostly horizontal, although the entrance to the station is underground. Most of the commercial activity in the public space surrounding the station is located on Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue, a major intersection. These streets connect the station to the city library through large sidewalks, where vendors set up stands. Tseun Wan Station’s formal footbridges are elevated above the commercial spaces along the streets. These footbridges lead into and through malls, which receive more foot-traffic than the commercial spaces along the ground level sidewalks. The separation between the formalized commercial spaces within the malls and the neglected street-level commercial spaces illustrate how the footbridges have redirected pedestrian movement and effectively changed the accessibility between the sidewalks, the footbridges, and the commercial developments.

METRICS

RIO DE JANEIRO

In New York and Rio de Janeiro, most acitivty occurs at the ground level. In Hong Kong, most activity happens along the footbridges that are elevated from the ground level.

In order to investigate these stations we established four metrics: intersubjectivity, accessibility, activities, and safety. Intersubjectivity refers to the perception of other people and the shared space, accessibility refers to how people circulate and interact with the public space as a result of the perception of these areas, activities as a metric presents a way to measure how often and how much people appropriate, interact, and gather in the public spaces, and safety measures the presence of threats to the well-being of community members .

NEW YORK

Wikipedia Commons

Various modalities of transportation pass through these major transit stops. In some cases, such as the “dollar vans” in Flushing, Queens, transit systems are considered informal economies. This contrasts with the highly formalized transit systems in all three cities.

HONG KONG

The User Demographic data shows the predominance of lower middle class riders. Specifically, in Rio de Janeiro, the majority of ridership is comprised of middle aged female users, which contrasts to the more even distribution of gender ridership in New York and Hong Kong. Wikipedia

Central do Brasil/Campo de Santana is a critical transit station and provides high rates of commercial activity in the surrounding public space. Therefore, many vendors set up shops near the terminal. Central do Brasil creates a hub for pedestrian-centered activity, forming a major metropolitan setting for commerical activity and public gathering.

SLOW DOWN

Flushing Main Street is a community hub and last stop along Line 7, otherwise known as the “immigrant express” in New York City. The intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street are highly populated and used by community members for day-to-day shopping. Although the entrance to the train is below-ground, commercial activity is street-level. All three public spaces provide key infrastructure for transportation and commerce.

In the book Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life, Eric Klinenberg presents social infrastructure as an integral manifestation of urbanism that is situated in the built environment and reflects how the built environment can integrate social needs, services, and agency. “Palaces for the people” reframes the built environment, including the existing physical infrastructure and services, such as transportation and commerce, as a benefit for, as well as a response to, community needs. “Palaces for the people” are spaces made for gatherings, for social interaction and to promote social life.

The public space surrounding the stations facilitates transportation and commerce, but they lack of inclusionary and congregational infrastructure. For example, there are very few benches, and in some cases no benches. Community members rest on street blocks and bumpers, library steps, or lean against the walls. The public spaces remain effeciently transitory and fast-paced as well as car and consumption-oriented without regard for how community members can benefit for public spaces that encourage rest and congregation.

The pace of “passing through” these public spaces leads to a loss of engagement experienced by community members. In high functioning spaces, such as major intersections and transportation terminals, the community members are passing through the public spaces quickly rather than gathering communally because there are no benches to provide seating, trees to provide shade, or essential services to give reason to linger longer. Although in some ways community members do populate the sidewalks, such as the informal economies led by

HOW DO PEOPLE TAKE PART IN THE ACTIVITIES SURROUNDING TRANSIT HUBS?

vendors on the sidewalks selling produce, benches that provide spaces to gather are absent. This affects both the inclusion of public space into the day-to-day lives of community members as well as the commercial activity surrounding the transit stops. When community members are able to stay in public spaces longer, there are more opportunities for social permeation, public reclamation of the sidewalks beyond transit and commerce, and economic growth for the local commercial and small-business owners. Slowing down benefits both residential and commercial community members.

We are researching the interaction between people and the expanded public space surrounding the heavily populated transit stations. Our research leads to design scenarios that surpass the functionalist idea of a transportation system and transit center, positioning people instead of transit at the core of our design values.

LEXICON HOLISTIC INTEGRATION

INCLUSIVE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

MULTIFUNCTIONALISM

In all three examples, the existing infrastructure that facilitates transit and fast-pace mobility limits social infrastructure and prioritizes functionality and efficiency over design scenarios that are peoplecentered. We should think of public spaces as places for social life and gathering through activities, games, spaces to rest, and congregational infrastructure. The only way to provide quality spaces for social interaction is through the recognition that the absence of these interactions generates a built environment of passing through rather than engaging with public spaces. Slow places are based on human interaction, safety, activities and intersubjectivity as key elements for social cohesion. Therefore, in Hong Kong, one significant goal is to increase walkability on the street level and acess between the two levels created by the footbridges. Beyond walkability and access, we propose providing places for people to rest, play, and congregate on the footbridges to create a space for the public beyond transit efficiency. One method of increasing engagement is to create play centers that encourage activity on the elevated pedestrian bridges. In New York, the proposed design scenario would increase the amount of surface area shaded by trees and install more benches to create places for interaction and resting. In Rio de Janeiro, the focus is to promote integration between the central station and the city park by reclaiming the surrounding plaza for human-centered activity through the removal of fences and barriers to provide more quality space for social interaction.

PALACES FOR THE PEOPLE

TSUEN WAN Lack of public spaces for foreign domestic helpers Unfriendly walking experience on the street level Exclusionary infrastructure for children Lack of vitality on footbridges

CENTRAL DO BRASIL

Segregation of street-level and footbridges

FLUSHING MAIN STREET

Lack of adequate shading for people

Overlooked opportunities for congregation

Overuse of space for cars and automobiles

Create moments of congregation at underserviced spaces and wait areas

No hub for resting, activities or social interaction

Lack of thermal comfort in public spaces

CENTRAL DO BRASIL/CAMPO DE SANTANA

To create a central plaza in front of the station, a place for resting, for gathering, and for activities. The public space should be socially permeable and facilitate communal activity at a pace that contrasts with the speed of transportation. We can rest in our cities, enjoy our cities, and inhabit our cities. This is the meaning of Palaces for the People.

TSUEN WAN

There are few zebra crossings in Tsuen Wan, which creates an increased likelihood of “jaywalking.” Our strategy is to put a bright-coloured patterns painted on the streets to indicate cross-paths, or zebra-crossing, which will remind drivers to slow down, increase walkability on the street level, and further connect the two levels surrounding hte station. Next Page: Images showing how footbridges can create a “slowing-down” environment by providing opportunities for respite, such as benches and playgrounds for children, in order to create a more inclusive transit system for workers, elderly, and children.

FLUSHING MAIN STREET 1

Community members sit outside of the public library. These steps have become an unofficial community spot for people to rest and wait for the bus.

Community members hand out flyers outside of the library. Their table is set up near a tree. Trees informally create a space to gather and congregate.

Women sit on a steel post barrier near a fire hydrant on the South-East corner of Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street to wait for the MTA bus.

Women wait outside of the public library for the bus while holding umbrellas to create shade and thermal comfort from the sun.

ABDUCTIVE EQUATION

Physical Infrastructure facilitating transit and commerce

Communal Space

Social Integration

Infrastructure that facilitates social and economic movement

Infrastructure that facilitates social mobility

Social Integration

Infrastructure that facilitates social and economic movement

Infrastructure that facilitates social mobility and congregation

Palaces for the People

Dorst, K. (2011). The core of ‘design thinking’ and its application

HOUSING AND PUBLIC SPACE

INTRODUCTION / INTRODUÇÃO Briana Culbertson (Parsons) Madelaine Bizik (Parsons) Christiana MacGregor (Parsons) Wan Weiqi (CUHK) Zhao Nan (CUHK) Zuo Xuan (CUHK) Wang Ruosu (CUHK) Cynthia Oliveira (UFRJ) Isabela Bastos (UFRJ) Julia Daher Moura (UFRJ) Group 2 focused on the relationship of public spaces and housing in the following three areas in New York, Hong Kong and Rio de Janeiro. The cases of Queensboro Plaza in New York, Mangueira District in Rio de Janeiro and Mei Foo Housing Complex in Hong Kong exemplify, though in different intensities, how urban planning could influence our quality of life. In New York, the discussion was led by the importance of the site to the immigration waves, which also conducted to the characteristic of a flux of traffic that turns this site into an unpleasant space to walk, along with the extremely car-oriented strategies applied. Queensboro Plaza became a gentrified area focusing on luxurious housing developments but also offering and commercial pole active enough to bridge a still much gapped community. The site in Mangueira District shows different ways of banning access to its community. Despite the abundance of public space in the nearby neighbourhoods, the distribution of the public spaces is not equally dispersed, leading to a disparity of qualified public spaces access that only intensifies the already informal and, usually, illegal conditions of living and housing inside the dense slum. Accessibility to qualified public space, then, proves to be the key to unite communities, overcoming low quality housings facilities and offering a better quality of life Mei Foo presents itself as a positive example of urban design strategies. Although its many qualities of design and public space use, the complex is implanted as a middle-class island inside of a district characterized by is inequalities and poor

access to sufficient and qualified housing. Mei Foo Complex illustrates how urban design, even when well developed and proposed could ignore important social discussion. Just to name a few: the lack of appropriation of the very urbanized open spaces, causing the sensation of a hiper-controlled and already very consolidate space and preventing the allowance to create deeper connections and appropriating of the public space. In the world’s large cities, land for housing tends to be provided unequally to different social groups causing severe issues of social injustice and erosion of the overall quality of life. While at first the conditions in each city and sites seemed very different, a closer look shows that some of the key issues are very similar, such as the difficulties to find affordable and decent housing near places of employment which commonly causes long commuting and loss of time which otherwise could be used for family and leisure. To improve public health and wellbeing for the poor it is important to reduce geographic distances and time between locations of living and working, and improve access to public spaces for leisure and exercises. In Hong Kong, the need to live closer to work increases the number of people living in subdivided housing units. With their minimal sizes and poor conditions, they severely affect their residents’ well-being. Older private housing developments, like the study area Mei Foo, can offer good living conditions, but remain out of reach for large parts of the population. Particularly under the current health and economic crisis, the number of homeless, who are searching for cover in the spaces under the urban transport infrastructure, increases. Similarly, in Rio de Janeiro, informal construction does not help improve living conditions of the low income residents and communities. In addition, the metro and railway infrastructure in the sites in New York and Rio de Janeiro separate urban spaces and make them less attractive. While Hong Kong offers hi-quality urban parks, they are often too far away from the extremely dense areas in which the poorest residents live. In Rio de Janeiro, in sites with informal occupation such as the “favela” with few public spaces with good infrastructure, the railway line also contributes to fragmentation that creates two “sides” of the urban tissue.

Group 2 developed urban scenarios and strategies involving a variety of urban actors and agents focused on improvements of urban spaces at the micro scale. These interventions on local scale would have the advantage to be implementable step by step and with reassessing their effects on the communities before carrying out the next step.

O Grupo 2 enfocou a relação entre espaços públicos e habitação nas seguintes três áreas em Nova York, Hong Kong e Rio de Janeiro. Os casos do Queensboro Plaza em Nova York, do Distrito da Mangueira no Rio de Janeiro e do Complexo Habitacional Mei Foo em Hong Kong exemplificam, embora em intensidades diferentes, como o planejamento urbano pode influenciar nossa qualidade de vida. Em Nova York, a discussão foi pautada pela importância do local para as ondas de imigração, o que também conduziu à característica de um fluxo de tráfego que torna este local desagradável para passear, além das estratégias aplicadas extremamente focadas em alternativas automobilísticas. Queensboro Plaza se tornou uma área gentrificada com foco em empreendimentos residenciais luxuosos, mas também oferecendo um pólo comercial ativo o suficiente para preencher uma comunidade ainda muito limitada. O sítio no bairro da Mangueira mostra diferentes formas de limitar oportunidades à sua comunidade. Apesar da abundância de espaços públicos nos bairros próximos, a distribuição dos espaços públicos não é igualmente distribuída, levando a uma disparidade de acesso aos espaços públicos qualificados que apenas intensifica as já informais e, geralmente, ilegais condições de vida e habitação no interior da densa favela. Acessibilidade a espaços públicos qualificados, dessa maneira, mostra-se a chave para unir comunidades, superando facilidades de moradias de baixa qualidade e oferecendo uma melhor qualidade de vida a seus moradores. Mei Foo apresenta-se como um exemplo positivo de estratégias de desenho urbano. Entretanto, apesar das suas múltiplas qualidades de desenho e aproveitamento do espaço público, o complexo está implantado como uma ilha de classe média dentro de um bairro caracterizado por suas desigualdades e falta de acesso a moradias suficientes e qualificadas. O Complexo Mei Foo ilustra como o desenho urbano, mesmo quando bem desenvolvido e proposto, pode ignorar importantes discussões sociais. Só para citar algumas: a falta de apropriação dos espaços livres urbanizados, causando a sensação de um espaço hiper-controlado e já muito consolidado e impedindo que se criem conexões e apropriações mais profundas do espaço público. Nas grandes cidades do mundo, os terrenos para habitação tendem a ser fornecidos de forma desigual a diferentes grupos sociais, causando graves problemas de injustiça social e

erosão da qualidade de vida de forma geral. Embora no início as condições em cada cidade e locais parecessem muito diferentes, um olhar mais atento mostra que algumas das questões-chave são muito semelhantes, como as dificuldades de encontrar moradias dignas e acessíveis perto de locais de trabalho, o que comumente causa longos deslocamentos e perda de tempo que de outra forma poderia ser usado para a família e lazer. Para melhorar a saúde pública e o bem-estar dos pobres, é importante reduzir as distâncias geográficas e o tempo entre os locais de moradia e de trabalho e melhorar o acesso aos espaços públicos de lazer e exercícios. Em Hong Kong, a necessidade de morar mais perto do trabalho aumenta o número de pessoas que vivem em unidades habitacionais subdivididas. Com seus tamanhos mínimos e más condições, eles afetam gravemente o bemestar de seus residentes. Conjuntos habitacionais privados mais antigos, como a área de estudo Mei Foo, podem oferecer boas condições de vida, mas permanecem fora do alcance de grande parte da população. Particularmente sob a atual crise econômica e de saúde, aumenta o número de desabrigados, que buscam cobertura nos espaços sob a infraestrutura de transporte urbano. Da mesma forma, no Rio de Janeiro, a construção informal não ajuda a melhorar as condições de vida dos moradores e comunidades de baixa renda. Além disso, a infraestrutura de metrô e ferrovia nos locais em Nova York e no Rio de Janeiro separa os espaços urbanos e os torna menos atraentes. Embora Hong Kong ofereça parques urbanos de alta qualidade, eles costumam estar muito longe das áreas extremamente densas em que vivem os residentes mais pobres. No Rio de Janeiro, em locais com ocupação informal como a “favela” com poucos espaços públicos com boa infraestrutura, a ferrovia também contribui para a fragmentação que cria duas “faces” do tecido urbano. O Grupo 2 desenvolveu cenários e estratégias urbanas envolvendo uma variedade de atores e agentes urbanos com foco na melhoria dos espaços urbanos na microescala. Essas intervenções em escala local teriam a vantagem de ser implantadas passo a passo e com a reavaliação de seus efeitos nas comunidades antes de se realizar a próxima etapa.

PUBLIC SPACE AND HOUSING New York City

Group 2 Students:

SITE IN THE CITY Queensboro Plaza + Court Square

Rio de Janeiro

Hong Kong

Mangueira District

Mei Foo

AREA AND POPULATION AREA AND POPULATION New York City

POPULATION BY AGE

Rio de Janeiro

Hong Kong

Queensboro Plaza + Court Square (NY)

Mangueira District (RJ)

Mei Foo (HK)

Area: 134 ha Built area: Built density: Population: 13.870 Population density: 103 / ha Houses: 8.070

Area: 75 ha Built area: 710.718 m² Built density: 9.415 m²/ha Population: 17.835 Population density: 236 / ha Houses: 5.080

Area: 18.7 ha Built area: Built density: Population: 41.234 Population density: 2.206 / ha Houses: 13.149

Queensboro Plaza + Court Square

nyc.gov/profile/7000/housing | RJ: https://www.data.rio/documents/a7270eda4cf240d7acb181aa54746787/about | /hong-kong/Sham%20Shui%20Po/CHMA/Mei-Foo?field=t_pop&sort=default

Mangueira District

Mei Foo

g | RJ: https://www.data.rio/documents/a7270eda4cf240d7acb181aa54746787/about | %20Po/CHMA/Mei-Foo?field=t_pop&sort=default

REA AND AREA ANDPOPULATION POPULATION

nts/a7270eda4cf240d7acb181aa54746787/about | &sort=default

NY: https://popfactfinder.planning.nyc.gov/profile/7000/housing | RJ: https://www.data.rio/documents/a7270eda4cf240d7acb181aa54746787/about | HK: https://census.centamap.com/hong-kong/Sham%20Shui%20Po/CHMA/Mei-Foo?field=t_pop&sort=default

NY: https://popfactfinder.planning.nyc.gov/profile/7000/housing | RJ: https://www.data.rio/documents/a7270eda4cf240d7acb18 HK: https://census.centamap.com/hong-kong/Sham%20Shui%20Po/CHMA/Mei-Foo?field=t_pop&sort=default

Queensboro Plaza + Court Square (NY)

LAND USE

Mangueira District (RJ)

Mei Foo (HK)

HOUSING TYPE D

Land Use

Queensboro Plaza + Court Square (NY)

HOUSING TYPE DISTRIBUTION Housing Type Distribution Queensboro Plaza

+ Court Square (NY)

Mangueira District (RJ)

FACILITIES Queensboro Plaza

+ Court Square (NY)

Mei Foo (HK)

FACILITIES

Facilities

Queensboro Plaza + Court Square (NY)

Mangueira District (RJ)

Mei Foo (HK) Queensboro Plaza + Court Square (NY)

Queensboro Plaza + Court Square (NY)

Mangueira District (RJ)

Mei Foo (HK)

Mangueira District

HOUSING PATTERNS NEW YORK: Queensboro Plaza + Court Square

RIO DE JANEIRO: Mangueira District

The urban environment is a tool used to bridge the gap between social classes forcing chance interactions and creating a more cohesive and self-sustaining community.

The urban environment seems disconnected from the pedestrian, creating a barrier between what is built and the passerby.

HONG KONG: Mei Foo Mei Foo is all private housing connected to the subway. In a residential area formed by 99 residential buildings, they share public spaces and public facilities.

STREETS AND OPEN SPACE NY: The main public transportation is the subway, which connects the residential and commercial areas. Rio: There is less public transportation mainly around the surrounding area. HK: Public transportation includes mainly buses, and the subway connects the two residential areas.

Open Space

Green Space

Transportation Systems

27 Street Activites pre-pandemic

Street Activites post-pandemic

a more

CRITICAL INSIGHT

CRITICAL INSIGHTS

ses unique urban strategies to create a blic spaces.

Social groups and the accessibility to inviting public space

TENTIALITIESAND AND POSSIBILITIES TENTIALITIES POSSIBILITIES CRITICAL INSIGHT

POTENTIALITIES AND POSSIBILITIES

gies to create a

hong kong Queensboro Plaza + Court hong kong green publicSquare areas/belt (NY) hongtransport kong lines isolating en public areas/belt The urban _bring more greenenvironment areas is a tool usedcomplex to bridge en public areas/belt ating transport lines inside the housing the gap between social ng more green areas classes forcing chance ating transport lines interactions to create a de housing complex ingthe more green areas more cohesive and selfsustaining community.

de the housing complex

Social groups and the accessibility to inviting public space

The urban environment is a tool used to bridge the gap between social groups forcing unexpected interactions which hopefully creates a more cohesive and self sustaining community.

CRITICAL INSIGHT rio de janeiro rio de janeiro(RIO) Mangueira

The urban is a too bridge the social gro unexp interacti hopefully more cohesi sustaining

new york

new Mei Fooyork (HK) -

de janeiro _occupy parking places The new urban york environment Emphasizing the _create greenrio areas The public transit Similar to Queensboro is a tool used to mutual effects _turn the tissuesystem less dense with more Plaza, public Mei open and isolates Foo uses bridge the gap between between housing and _create _occupy parking places unique urban strategies Social groups and the _connectgreen theMangueira, slumareas to thecreating city commercial places social groups forcing public spaces and a metaphorical social/ to create a self-sufficient accessibility to unexpected taking advantages _turn the tissue less dense with more public open and _create green areas _occupy parking places class border inviting that area. public spacepublic space interactions which of the urban defines who to is allowed hopefully creates a environment as an _connect the slum the city commercial places _turn the tissue less dense with more public open and more cohesive and self to access public extended home in sustaining community. spaces. the city. _connect the slum to the city commercial places

Empha mutu between public taking of enviro exten th

s are l s to ed in ign s in the ies.

VALUES Mission

Values

New York, Rio, and Hong Kong are all large and diverse metropolitan cities that experience varying levels of socioeconomic disparity throughout their social groups. Our scenarios aim to bridge the gap between social groups in all three neighborhoods by providing high-quality living environments that are safe and active to ensure diversity and inclusivity for all members of the community.

EQUITY

INCLUSION

DIVERSITY

ACCESSIBILITY

Strategy

Identify segregated areas (socio-economic disparities in the communities).

Use open spaces to create social connections.

Bridge the social gap between the different social groups

Identify stakeholders and community members (Participatory Design) to implement the proposal.

Find out the potential of each community to improve it and come up with the design principles.

Identify the resources: What institutions are we mobilizing to make it work? (Public funding, private investors).

QUEENSBORO PLAZA, NY

ADVANTAGES: NEW YORK ADVANTAGES: NEW YORK

DISADVANTAGES: DISADVANTAGES: NEWNEW YORKYORK Advantages

Disadvantages

Vacant Lots: Vacant Lots: Allows for Allows for adaptive reuse adaptive reuse

UndefinedUndefined Pedestrian Pedestrian Activity Activity

Lack Community Lack Community Engagement Engagement

Timeline

Social Gap Social Between Gap Residents Between Residents

Elevated Train: Elevated Train: allows for porosity allows on forstreet porosity level on street level

Efficient Transportation: Efficient Bike Transportation: Lanes, Subways + Buses Bike Lanes, Subways + Buses

SCENARIO 02 : TEMPORARY CLOSURES

SCENARIOS: QUEENSBORO PLAZA (NY) Inclusive, active and walkable environment

CENARIO 01 : PARKING LOT OCCUPATION SCENARIO 03 : UNDERBRIDGE ATTACHMENT

Porosity and accessibility

TIMELINE

Access to open areas

Real Estate Municipa

Adaptive reuse

Real Estate Municipa

Possibility of appropriation

Extending home to street: urban environment as place

Community engagement Stage 01

SCENARIO 01

SCENARIO 02

parking lots occupation:

temporary closure of streets:

Reinforcing community engagement through adaptive reuse allowing for various modes of activity.

weekends and holidays for pedestrian-exclusive use furnitures and temporary stands

Safe & inclusive public spaces

SCENARIO 03 underbridge attachments: construct new commercial stands and public use space at vacant space under the trainline

Stage 02

Freedom to cultural and social expression

Municipa

Commu

Active street life

Commu

Generating revenue

Offering space for new entrepreneurs

Local economy

01 : PARKING LOT OCCUPATION Scenario 01

SCENARIO 01 : PARKING LOT OCCUPATION

Stakeholders STAKEHOLDERS ANALYSIS:

Residential I would love to spend my free time around if there was less cars, less noise and more qualified open areas to meet and chill.

Other possible areas: parking lots in Queens

I hope I could walk around more safely and that the neighbourhood had areas to play and meet with my friends.

It would be interesting to have open areas to express my culture and feel included in the community.

I feel like I don't have the opportunity to offer my products and service in this neighbourhood

Planting Food Services Seating

Vacant Parking Lots

Residents and workers

IO 02 : TEMPORARY CLOSURES

SCENARIO 02 : TEMPORARY CLOSURES

Children

Foreign Residents

Entrepreneurs

SCENARIO 02 : TEMPORARY CLOSURES

Scenario 02

pedestrian exclusive lanes allowing commercial stands

pedestrian exclusive lanes

flexible furniture: turning the occupation possible

detours streets to be activated

ARIO 03 : UNDERBRIDGE ATTACHMENT Scenario 03

tactile urbanism floor painting activating streets

SCENARIO 03: UNDERBRIDGE ATTACHMENTS SCENARIO 03: UNDERBRIDGE ATTACHMENTS

Commercial Area Underbridge R=500m

Sport Area Underbridge

Commercial Area Underbridge: activate the detour

MANGUEIRA, RJ ADVANTAGES: MANGUEIRA DISTRICT (RJ)

DISADVANTAGES: Disadvantages

Advantages

MANGUEIRA DISTRICT (RJ)

Topographic challenge

Community entrepreneurship

High density and precarious structure

Proximity to local activity

Transportation as a barrier

TIMELINE

Vibrant culture and people: Samba culture dating back to the first decade of the 20th century

Lack of infrastructure for vendors

ENARIOS: Scenarios MANGUEIRA DISTRICT (RJ) Participatory design Housing Policy Public-private partnerships Diversify amenities Safe & inclusive public spaces

Creating accessible public spaces Active street life Providing job opportunities

Local economy Form a self suﬃcient community

Timeline STAGE 01 Identify policy - laws that support our proposal and protect residents from being displaced as the area starts to develop

STAGE 02 Connections between the built spaces - housing, commerce, and open spaces

STAGE 03 Temporary housing subsidized by the government - until the social housing areas are done

LONG TERM ACTION PLAN- MANGUEIRA DISTRICT (RJ) Long Term Action Plan Construction of a new train station stop closer to the slum to facilitate their urban mobility Plaza and first permanent social housing location in which ground floor has daycare service, commerce and social assistance. Proposed alive street connections: commerce, busking... Most precarious situations to be developed first: infrastructure, relocating the population into the social housing complex Develop a Cultural Center in order to harbor the Samba and the Carnaval community - it will be named after Nelson Sargento, a huge Samba name of the community that has passed recently, may 27th 2021.

Stage 01: Identifying Policy

Stage 02: 02 Establishing Public Connections STAGE : ESTABLISHING PUBLIC CONNECTIONS

STAGE 01 : IDENTIFYING POLICY

PEDESTRIAN EXCLUSIVE LANES ESTATUTO DA CIDADE/THE CITY STATUTE/FEDERAL LAW Nº 10.257 1.

Guaranteeing the right to sustainable cities - right to urban land, housing, environmental sanitation, urban infrastructure, transportation and public services, work and leisure;

Democratic

management

through

the

participation

the

population

and

associations

representing the various segments of the community in projects; 3.

Cooperation between governments, the private sector and other sectors of society in the urbanization process, in response to social interests.

PLANO DIRETOR 1999/MASTER PLAN 1999 1.

Determines that the area in which Mangueira - and the intervention chosen area - is AEIS (Área Especial para Interesse Social),

Special Area for Social Interest.

Current Site Conditions

Example in Mangueira

Stakeholders

STAKEHOLDERS

Public-private partnerships

Community participation

STAGE 02 : ESTABLISHING PUBLIC CONNECTIONS

Children

Residents

Government

The Homeless

Connections between the built spaces housing, commerce, and open spaces - build a bridge that connects the top of the hill in which Mangueira Slum is located with the new train station, accessed by the hill, the housing buildings and the ground floor.

IAPI LAGOINHA

Private enterprises

SOURCE: BONDUKI, 2012.

FINANCIAL PLAN Financial Plan

Stage 03: the Favelas STAGE 03Rebuilding : REBUILDING THE FAVELAS

PRJ

CAIXA & COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION FUND

TECHNICAL RESOURCES

FGTS

AGENTS SuperVia FIRJAN GAFISA

FINANCIAL RESOURCES

RJ’S PROPOSAL

2018 Brazilian Geography and Statistics building was imploded - it housed an occupation.

CEPACs* - Certificados de Potencial Adicional de construção Additional Construction Potential Certificates - must be used in this proposal in case the private investor chooses to build more stories than proposed in project - they buy the CEPACs and they have to use 40% of the additional area for social housing in the very same building.

REAL ESTATE FUND

● ●

CEPACs* PROPERTIES

PRJ - City Hall

PRIVATE INVESTORS

SulAmérica FioCruz

● ● ●

There was a proposal to build a Minha Casa Minha Vida (My House, My Life) housing area, but it hasn’t started since the building was imploded.

OBLIGATIONS OF THE PPP CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

So instead…

PUC Rio PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP (PPP) PAYMENT

Community Organization Fund of Mangueira

Activity

ACTIVITIES STAGE 03 : REBUILDING THE FAVELAS Street Picnic

Social housing: Ground floor: Commerce 2nd-3rd floor: Living

Public spaces on the ground floor Picnic, vegetable garden, Busking, Exercising and socializing. Connections between the built spaces housing, commerce, and open spaces - build a bridge that connects the top of the hill in which Mangueira Slum is located with the new train station, accessed by the hill, the housing buildings and the ground floor.

activities:

Picnic area the public spaces with vegetable gardens, Busking, exercising

Culture activities: Carnival, Samba

Local commerce activities: Street market

MEI FOO, HK Advantages

Stakeholder Analysis

Disadvantages

Stakeholder vs spaical needs analysis

Community Based Multucultral Space

a. Informal Playspace

b. Community Designed Murals

c. Community tended green spaces

e. Flexible homeless infrasturcture: Public furniture + Temporary retractable shelter

d. Street Furniture

b a e

CONCLUSION Multiple metrics make up the threshold for housing in all three cities,. Quality of life provisions are intimately affected by the urban tissue and the public spaces. Urban design is one of the most relevant The discussion around housing can threshold many varying contributors to a successful housing development and should be a metrics. In all 3 cities, though, it is analysed how the key response and focus to demands across the world. quality of life provided is intimately affected by the urban tissue and its public spaces. Urban design is one of the most relevant contributors to a successful housing development and should be the key to respond to demands across the world.

CONCLUSION

Queensboro Plaza Queensboro, NY

Mangueira Favela Mangueira, RJ

Mei Foo

Mei Foo, HK

CULTURAL HERITAGE AND PUBLIC SPACE

INTRODUCTION / INTRODUÇÃO Roberta Werthein (Parsons) Victoria Zhang (Parsons) Marley Lopez (Parsons) Song Jing (CUHK) Lin Shuiyang (CUHK) Rao Shuman (CUHK) Wang Haowen (CUHK) Andressa Miranda (UFRJ) Beatriz Amback (UFRJ) Letícia Rocha (UFRJ) Mylenna Merlo (UFRJ) Flora Fernandez (UFRJ) Inês Isidoro (Dinâmia’CET-IUL/University Institute of Lisbon, researcher Group 3 focused on public space and cultural heritage and proposed strategies to improve their inclusiveness. While considering both material and immaterial aspects of cultural heritage, group 3 identified spatial configurations and cultural manifestations for their proposals. Each of the study areas embodies both concrete and subjective cultural resources near or around the three railway lines. In Honk Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui Station at Victoria Harbour leads into a large neighborhood of commercial and cultural centers around a charismatic waterfront, which includes historic landmarks from the British colonial era; in New York, Diversity Plaza, a pedestrian plaza in Queens originally implemented as the result of a neighborhood-wide transportation study, stands out as a place for intercultural meetings; in Rio de Janeiro, Madureira district is, since the construction of the railway, an important economic and cultural centrality to the northern side of Rio de Janeiro. Presently, big-scale investments for public space contrast with the afro-Brazilian popular culture manifestations. Thus, each case study recalls specific approaches to understand the relationship between built environment, public spaces, cultural heritage, and cultural manifestations. Prior to the definition of appropriate metrics, the group establishes common lexicons and three sub-themes: commodities, entertainment, and the arts. Defining metrics for all the cities that

could simultaneously address tangible and intangible aspects of cultural heritage was a challenging task and led to a discussion on such aspects as the relationship between public space and cultural expression, multiculturality and inclusion, and loss of meaning of the tangible heritage. The metrics are defined by three questions: What is the cultural heritage in the areas of focus? How does public space influence their culture(s)? And, how did the pandemic affect local cultures?

Rio de Janeiro, o bairro de Madureira é, desde a construção da ferrovia, uma importante centralidade econômica e cultural da zona norte do Rio de Janeiro, e, atualmente, grandes investimentos no espaço público contrastam com manifestações culturais populares afro-brasileiras. Assim, cada estudo de caso evocou abordagens específicas para compreender a relação entre ambiente construído, espaços públicos, patrimônio cultural e manifestações culturais.

The New York group working at Diversity Plaza addresses the issue of diversity and inclusion, namely, the coexistence of different ethnicities, language and genders and a real barrier in the public space because women do not participate in the plaza’s daily life. In Rio de Janeiro, Madureira Park was chosen to discuss the implemented processes of a top-down project, which, despite providing a diversity of cultural activities, made preexisting local, cultural manifestations invisible. From a similar perspective, the Hong Kong group develops strategies for Tsim Sha Tsui, a historic area, which had been the center of tourism before the pandemic. The current economic crisis for the tourism industry offers opportunities to increase the areas role for the local residents and extending inclusivity to the less represented South-east Asian communities into cultural heritage projects at the site.

Antes da definição das métricas apropriadas, o grupo estabeleceu léxicos comuns e três subtemas: commodities, entretenimento e artes. Definir métricas para todas as cidades que pudessem abordar simultaneamente aspectos tangíveis e intangíveis do patrimônio cultural foi uma tarefa desafiadora e levou a discutir aspectos como a relação entre espaço público e expressão cultural, multiculturalidade e inclusão ou perda de sentido do patrimônio tangível. As métricas foram definidas por três questões: Qual é o patrimônio cultural nas áreas de enfoque? Como o espaço público influencia sua(s) cultura(s)? E como a pandemia afetou as culturas locais?

O Grupo 3 centrou-se na relação entre espaço público e patrimônio cultural, enfrentou o desafio de identificar configurações espaciais e manifestações culturais, e propor estratégias para melhorar a sua inclusão, considerando os aspectos materiais e imateriais do patrimônio cultural. Cada uma das áreas de estudo incorpora recursos e especificidades concretas ou subjetivas relacionadas às três linhas ferroviárias: em Honk Kong, ao longo da Linha Tsuan Wan no Porto Victoria, a Estação Tsim Sha Tsui combina centros comerciais e culturais em torno de uma orla carismática que também coleta dados históricos e recursos da era colonial britânica; em Nova York, a Diversity Plaza, uma praça para pedestres no Queens originalmente implementada como resultado de um estudo de transporte em todo o bairro, se destaca como um local para encontros interculturais; no

O grupo de Nova York, que trabalhou na Diversity Plaza, abordou a questão da diversidade e inclusão: a saber, apesar da coexistência de diferentes etnias, a língua e o gênero representam uma barreira real, uma vez que as mulheres não participam do cotidiano da praça. No Rio de Janeiro, o Parque Madureira foi escolhido para discutir os processos de implantação de um projeto top-down que, apesar de proporcionar uma diversidade de atividades culturais, invisibilizou as manifestações culturais locais preexistentes. A partir de uma perspectiva semelhante, o grupo de Hong Kong desenvolveu estratégias para Tsim Sha Tsui, uma área histórica, que foi o centro do turismo antes da pandemia. A crise atual da indústria do turismo, apesar de suas dificuldades econômicas, oferece oportunidades para aumentar o papel das áreas estudadas para os residentes locais dos bairros próximos, ao mesmo tempo que inclui as contribuições das comunidades menos representadas do sudeste asiático nos projetos de patrimônio cultural local.

1 CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THREE REGIONS Introduction The three sites in the three cities have different scales. Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong is a proper City Cultural Center, and the government enforces strict management regulations of the public space. Madureira in Rio is a cultural gathering place between neighbourhoods, mostly where residents gather and use the public spaces spontaneously. New York's Diversity Plaza is a small corner and is managed by multiple private operators. Although they have differences in scale and use, they attract public use for cultural expression of heritage for a diverse range of people in the community and provide examples of the possibility of using cultural heritage to create a diverse and inclusive social environment.

Definitions UNESCO defines cultural heritage as follows: Cultural Heritage: a) Monuments: architectural works, works of monumental sculpture and painting, elements or structures of an archaeological nature, inscriptions, cave dwellings and combinations of features which are of outstanding value from the point of view of history, art or science. b) Groups of buildings: groups of separate or connected buildings, which because of their architecture, their homogeneity, or their place in the landscape, are of outstanding value from the point of view of history, art, or science. c) Sites: works of [people] or the combined works of nature adman, and areas including archaeological sites, which are of outstanding value from the historical, aesthetic, ethnological, or anthropological point of view. UNESCO classifies cultural heritage as follows: Tangible cultural heritage: a) Movable cultural heritage: paintings, sculptures, coins,

manuscripts b) Immovable cultural heritage: monuments, archaeological sites, and so on c) Underwater cultural heritage: shipwrecks, underwater ruins and cities Intangible cultural heritage: a) oral traditions, performing arts, rituals Intangible cultural heritage is called "living human wealth", which is the embodiment of human civilization and the embodiment of the cultural diversity of the world. Intangible cultural heritage refers to those practices representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. These are manifested in the following domains: a. oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage b. performing arts c. social practices,rituals and festive events d. knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe e. traditional craftsmanship

Samba Intangible Cultural Heritage Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Scales of the Three Sites: The three sites in the three cities have different scales. Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong is a district in the city and also an urban hub around the subway station with multiple urban functions and different types of spaces. Madureira in Rio de Janeiro is a junction for community groups in the city. Most of the activities are cultural activities within the region, which can attract residents from several surrounding communities. Diveristy Plaza in New York is a small corner of the block, surrounded by people of different ethnic groups and rich historical heritage. Therefore, Diversity Plaza is the cultural center of the community and a venue for different cultural activities.

Distribution of Cultural Heritage in Tsim Sha Tsu:

Tsim Sha Tsui's intangible cultural heritage: Chungking Mansion is a diverse building with residents of more than 120 nationalities. A multitude of identities co-inhabit this space. The Hong Kong Cultural Centre regularly organizes the Hong Kong Cultural Festivals to showcase the intangible cultural heritage of Hong Kong, including dragon and lion dance, traditional lion drum dance, hand-held puppets, Cantonese opera, and Hakka Kung Fu.

Cultural Heritage of the Three Sites: The three sites of cultural heritage are different from the point of form. In Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui has both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, Madureira in Rio de Janeiro provides venues for intangible cultural heritage activities like dance and music, and Diversity Plaza in New York is surrounded by historical and cultural blocks and other forms of tangible culture heritage. The sites themselves create space for cultural activities of different ethnic groups that have rich spiritual and cultural meaning.

tangible cultural heritage

water

public space

buildings

Cultural Heritage of Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong Hong Kong is a city with a long history and has attracted a lot of people who have settled in Hong Kong. There is a rich heritage of tangible cultural and intangible cultural in the city. Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong is an earlier site of development in Hong Kong and has a long history, which can be seen by its typical architectural legacy and intangible cultural heritage activities. It is also a famous tourist attraction in Hong Kong, attracting tourists from all over the world. Tsim Sha Tsui's tangible cultural heritage includes:

Intangible cultural heritage activities in Tsim Sha Tsui

1881 Heritage: The former Hong Kong Marine Police Headquarters. The main building has been retained and renovated, and the internal functions have been updated to be used as a commercial complex. Kowloon Park: Formerly military barracks in Hong Kong, Kowloon Park has been transformed into a museum, and the rest of the barracks have been transformed into a public park. Kowloon Mosque And Islamic Centre: A historic religious building that has been renovated and is still used as a religious temple.

Star Ferry Pier: The pier has been partially updated but is still used as a ferry terminal Hong Kong Clock Tower: The original clock tower of Kowloon railway station. The train station has been relocated to Hung Hom, but the old clock tower has been retained as a tourist attraction

The cultural heritage of Tsim Sha Tsui brings together cultural elements from different periods of Hong Kong's development, showcasing the distinctive cultural characteristics of Hong Kong and the diverse cultural environment of Hong Kong as a world metropolis.

Cultural heritage of Madureira in Rio de Janeiro Madureira in Rio is a cultural hub between neighborhoods and one of the largest hubs of African and Afro-Brazilian religions. Inside Madureira the most prominent cultural heritages sites are the religious buildings. Madureira is also the birthplace of the Brazilian traditional samba, therefore, it is also the site that showcases Brazilian dance groups, such as Samba School. Samba is an important transmission of intangible culture heritage. In addition, the street market is an important place for the inheritance of cultural heritage in Madureira. In the traditional market, traditional decorations and religious ornaments will be sold, which is an important channel for the dissemination of cultural heritage among the people. The cultural heritage in Madureira, which is carried forward spontaneously by residents, could be strengthened by professional cultural management organizations to enable cultural expression to continue for a long period of time.

Diversity Plaza. Diversity Plaza needs an inclusive and diverse space for residents with different cultural backgrounds to coexist. At the same time, the diverse religious and cultural backgrounds also make Diversity Plaza a religious architectural legacy for cultural heritage activities.

Diversity plaza Public Spaces Historic District

Distribution of cultural heritage in Madureira in Rio

Cultural heritage of Diversity Plaza in New York City Diversity Plaza is a corner of the 37th Street block in New York City. It is the multicultural centre inside the neighborhood where more than 167 languages are spoken and more than half of the residents have religious beliefs. The diverse backgrounds of residents lead to the convergence of different cultures in

Madureira market, Rio

Jackson Heights Greenmarket, NYC

Similar Activities at Three Sites

Role: A Bridge of Tolerance

The public spaces in the three cities all have in common large parks, religious buildings and festivals. The parks in the three locations all have the function of cultural inheritance and exchange. For example, the historical and cultural heritage of Kowloon Park is inherited. Madureira is the place where diverse cultures of the society collide and gather, and Diversity Plaza is the centre of community culture and activities. The celebrations at all three sites are different expressions of the cultural connotation of the city. Hong Kong's festival lion dance is a traditional cultural activity to celebrate traditional festivals. Madureira's dance assembly, with high participation of residents, is a carnival of the whole nation. The use of body language to express personal feelings is the embodiment of the character characteristics of the whole nation. The Art Festival of Diversity Plaza is a place where different cultures blend into each other. It represents the modern and advanced social environment of New York. Meanwhile, it also shows that the expression form of cultural activities is also a reflection of the development of social and economic level.

Cultural heritage as the inheritance of social history and culture, as well as social thought, affects people’s daily values and life. In a diverse society, the communication between different social groups brings together different cultural backgrounds. The three sites of this project are all places of multi-ethnic integration and tension, so it is inevitable that there will be friction between different cultural backgrounds. Providing an inclusive and diverse cultural environment is conducive to the long-term development of these spaces of social collision; cultural festivals that include music and dance, folklore, etc. where everyone can participate on equal footing, creates the platform of and for integration by producing the site of public appearance, i.e. public space.

Dragon Dance at Chinese New Years, Hong Kong

Kowloon Park Tsim Sha Tsui, HK

Madureira Park Madureira, Rio de Janeiro

Rehearsal of Império Serrano, Rio

Travers Park Diversity Plaza, NYC

Hibridos Collective Art Festival, NYC

Assembléia de Deus, Rio

2 PUBLIC SPACE & CULTURAL HERITAGE Introduction Protecting the inheritance and longevity of cultural heritage requires the allowance for people to interact with cultural heritage. The public space is a center piece for this interaction. Public spaces in Hong Kong often times serve tourists, public spaces in Brazil mainly serve major urban events, and public spaces in New York are multicultural displays. Tsim Sha Tsui, HK As the carrier of public space, cultural heritage has its own historical and cultural value and unique emotional memory. Cultural heritage will continue to attract various fashion and commercial activities, and at the same time, can inject new vitality into historical sites and drive community renewal. The combination of cultural heritage and public space forms a complementary relationship in economy and culture, creating a space that integrates nostalgia, history, and culture. There are three main ways to protect the cultural heritage sites in Tsim Sha Tsui. One is to retain the original building’s function. Some updates and repairs have been made, such as the Star Ferry Pier. The other is to retain the original building but abandon the original function and create new functional spaces for cultural expression and congregation, such as the 1881 Heritage. The third is to retain the original architectural functions, though they are not practical and are only useful as tourist attractions, such as the clock tower of West Kowloon Railway Station. These three cultural heritage protection methods will produce different areas of public space; however, since the Tsim Sha Tsui area provides public spaces for tourists, many spaces are mostly large squares. Although such spaces are suitable for gathering and providing sites for tourists, they are not suitable for daily use by residents. Madureira in Rio de Janeiro Brazil’s public spaces are mostly used by residents spontaneously for dancing and other activities, however, many large parks and public spaces were built for the Olympic

Games without considering the residents’ intentions and were abandoned after the Olympics. Diversity Plaza, NYC The variety of events held at Diversity Plaza reinforce its namesake as a true multicultural hub. World film festivals, concerts, food fairs, and religious ceremonies from many local congregations have utilized the public space.

Diversity Plaza, NYC Queens’ official unemployment rate in October was 13.1 percent, according to the New York State Department of Labor. But the real number was likely higher given the large number of undocumented immigrants working informal or gig-economy jobs not reflected in state data. New York City reported at least 75 percent of their immigrant clients had lost jobs because of the pandemic.

“[Diversity Plaza] is the town square of our neighbourhood: here, we have celebrated the cultures of our world; rallied and protested for the civil rights of the most vulnerable in our city; enjoyed music and art from across our community and around the globe; and engaged in civic activism or sipped a cup of chai with our neighbours. Diversity Plaza represents a powerful message of solidarity at a time when we need it most. It showcases the very best of Jackson Heights." - Shekar Krishnan and Eirik Davey-Gislason, CoChairs, Friends of Diversity Observation Public spaces need to be adaptable for informal, impromptu use. Community members should inform the design, so the space can be multi-functional. Notably, informal markets appear across all sites, despite different organization strategies.

Influence of the Pandemic Tsim Sha Tsui, HK The epidemic has reduced the use of public space around cultural heritage, thus affecting the dissemination of cultural heritage.The impact of the epidemic on cultural heritage has been mitigated by the emergence of new ways of communicating cultural heritage, such as online exhibitions.In the future, new and old modes of communication can be combined to find a more sustainable way to protect cultural heritage.

Diversity Plaza, NYC

Madureira in Rio de Janeiro New operation rules for the Madureira Park and viaduct. The shutdown of Madureira Park and decrease of public use meant people were using the surrounding area to exercise. This temporarily led to the disappearance of the baile charme and sambas in the public space, and the decrease of public presence in bars in the area. Observation The pandemic didn’t affect the street vendors in Madureira, where informal markets have few restrictions, but local activists fought for public safety. Queens suffered many deaths and rising levels of inequity when the creation of “streeteries” came to promote small businesses. Hong Kong addressed the pandemic quickly, with enforced lockdowns. This aligns with key stakeholders who maintain cultural space.

INSIGHTS 1.

Madureira Park; RJ

Diversity Plaza; NY

Adaptable and multi-functional public spaces to better serve diverse user groups.

The different scale of the three sites correlates to the relationship between the community and the space.

The three key stakeholders of cultural stewardship in public space showcase New York’s economic focus, Rio’s creative influence, and Hong Kong’s strong regulations. We saw these roles playing out in Covidrelief..

Tsim Sha Tsui; HK

VALUES & THEMES Our common theme is including ‘public minorities’ in local cultural expression. By thinking critically on who defines and preserves heritage, we can avoid letting institutions or exclusivity dictate what is meant by main ‘culture,’ offering an opportunity to redefine these URBAN IDENTITIES.

CULTURAL EXPRESSION

INCLUSION

RESILIENCE

JACKSON HEIGHTS, NYC Context Overview Diversity Plaza is a multicultural hub that hosts festivals, concerts, food, and religious ceremonies in the public space. Residents in the Jackson Heights neighborhood celebrate multiple cultures while also engage in rallies and protests. The plaza stretches two blocks in a busy, heavily trafficked area. It is designed for pedestrians to explore the diverse neighborhood and create a peaceful place with greenery to appreciate the outdoor space.

Background of Diversity Plaza

Public Space and Cultural Heritage

Diversity Plaza Community Meeting Feedback from October 18 -More permanent seating -Trees and vegetation -Shade structures -Better paving options -Access to garbage cans -Space for play/events -Jackson Heights signage -Space for art -Fire truck access -Stormwater drainage -Loading -Easy access to and from retail

Feedback from May 9

-Keep plaza open for events -More stable seating and tables -Umbrellas need to be durable -Keep noise away from 73rd st -More trees -More plaza lighting -More color in planted areas -Provide space for notices to be posted -Keep space open -Temporary art

Design Reflecting Public Opinion Educatinal Background, Gender, and Occupation Men statistically receive slightly more education than women in Jackson Heights; however, women are significantly more likely be to be stay at home moms than men are to be stay at home dads.

Problems of Exclusion 1. Language barrier for immigrant families. Immigrant small business owners in Jackson Heights face the challenge of a language barrier. 42% of survey respondents said they did not think Jackson Heights provided enough language resources for families. 2. Gender inequality reinforced by the design of some public spaces for cultural use

Values

Motivation

Strategy

Inclusivity Skill Development Gender Role Empowerment

We want to transform Diversity Plaza into an inclusive, equal, and safe place for all genders, ages, and ethnicities. We have found data showing that the immigrant population, which is significant in the neighborhood, has some difficulties with communication due to the language difference. In addition, we understand that the most extensive community that uses the open space are men. While the women are at home taking care of kids or working in the background areas of the local business, men are enjoying the Plaza or working in the front line of that same business.

We plan to continue working with the government agencies and NGOs as well as creating new partnerships with women’s movement organizations to promote literacy, gender equality, and community building for all.

Our design proposal seeks to change that reality, bringing women and children out into the open spaces and promoting local events that increase literacy and other skills to the immigrant (especially immigrant women) demographic, which will bring improvement and more wellbeing to more residents in the area. We should transform Diversity Plaza, which is already known for the cultural community events, into an inclusive place to make the Diversity Plaza a more desirable place to go for more people.

Actions

Vision

Stakeholders

Diversity & Inclusivity The objects of urban design should be diversified.

-Low and Medium Income Groups, NGOs, and Community Members -City, State, and Federal government -Department of Transportation and Cultural Affairs -Women’s Movement Organizations -Parks and Recreation -Art Organizations and Art Museums

Gender Equality Pay attention to gender issues and respect gender equality. Susainable plaza Different people can use the public space safely and fully.

-Local Schools

Through these collaborations, women can learn English together in an environment that has signs in native languages to support different language speakers.

-Work with the neighborhood children to create new signage that allows everybody to communicate with each other and understand the information about the plaza and the events -Work cooperatively with the district schools -Change all the urban sign plates from Diversity Plaza and the surrounding area in order to make them with the new signage that reflects other spoken languages in Queens. -Place informative billboards on current and upcoming women’s empowerment, children’s activity, and skill learning events to also invite immigrant women from other New York neighborhoods. -Find women’s movement organizations that would work with Diversity Plaza to promote educational community events in the Diversity Plaza (and other public spaces in Jackson Heights) that promote literacy and other skills for women that would want more opportunities to learn English. -Redesign a cohesive identity for Diversity Plaza to attract women and children into the public area. -Develop billboards, posters, flyers, and an app (to bring the community into both a virtual and physical space).

TSIM SHA TSUI, HK

Figure 4: Public space and cultural heritage in Tsim Sha Tsui

Context overview Tsim Sha Tsui is located at the southern end of the Kowloon Peninsula, opposite Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island. It is a place for entertainment, arts, tourism, and shopping. There are a number of exhibition halls with different themes and a number of high-end hotels. There are also many cultural heritage sites, such as Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower, 1881 Heritage (former Marine Police Headquarters) and Star Ferry Pier (Figure 1, 2, 3). At the same time, Tsim Sha Tsui is part of the oldest center of trade in Hong Kong. Global markets brought immigrants from around the world that remain in Tsim Sha Tsui today. Since banking moved economic activity across the harbor in the ‘80s, the district has catered mostly to tourists -- a different type of global interest.

Figure 1: Location of Tsim Sha Tsui

Figure 2: Clock Tower

Figure 3: 1881 Heritage

Figure 5: Intangible cultural heritage in Tsim Sha Tsui Tangible cultural heritage

Buildings

Public spaces

Water

Tsuen Wan Line

West Rail Line

Cultural Heritage in Tsim Sha Tsui The changes of Tsim Sha Tsui’s cultural heritage demonstrations reflect the wider changes of contemporary demonstrations and interpretations of culture, reflecting major social and political transformations. This is evident in the re-shaping of public spaces, which are becoming more inclusive to allow for diverse histories and experiences. For example, the site of the former Marine Police Headquarters was gradually replaced for public use and cultural functions, though the building itself contains important historical value. Therefore, through functional replacement, together with the public space, led to 1881 Heritage, a commercial shopping center and tourist attraction. Now, more people engage with and use the historical building. The former Tsim Sha Tsui Railway Station was partially preserved and partially demolished, both renewing and inheriting culture meaning. The Tsim Sha Tsui Tower has been retained as a symbol of collective memory, while other sites have been built with new cultural centers, which have become new carriers for the spread and development of traditional culture and world culture (Figure 4). Intangible cultural heritage, such as food, films, dramas and songs, are also part of Tsim Sha Tsui's valuable site. As a place for people to socialize, public space provides a space for the dissemination of intangible cultural heritage. For example, the traditional food in the streets and the promotion of film culture in the Avenue of Stars. (Figure 5).

Issue 1: While the pandemic was a health crisis for all countries, it was also an economic crisis for Hong Kong, TST in particular. Travel restrictions have reduced the number of visitors and the city’s economic revenue. (Figure 14, 15, 16) By looking at the problems caused by the pandemic, we find that the local identity of Tsim Sha Tsui's public space is fragile. The public space based on the formation of cultural heritage is mostly to meet the visiting needs of non-local tourists while ignoring the daily needs of local people.

Issue 2: Tsim Sha Tsui is luxurious, and the public space has become a space to accommodate visitors, lacking something related to its local community. Comparitavely, the public space of West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) focuses more on urban life and attracts local residents with convenient facilities, green space, and affordable markets (Figure 17~20). Therefore, the public space in Tsim Sha Tsui needs to become more integral to the local community, affordable, inclusive, and diverse to meet the life and social needs of the surrounding community in order to enhance the identity of the city.

Stakeholders

Vision

Strategy

Tourists (Figure 31)

Currently, developers design commercial heritage sites with strong government presence and financing. Tourist spending has been prioritized over local living, weakening the urban identity of Hong Kong. As a result, Tsim Sha Tsui's public space has become more tourist-oriented, and in the face of the threat of a pandemic, Tsim Sha Tsui's public space is not resilient enough to cope with the sudden drop in visitors.

The strategy we offer is to work with the community and provide public space for residents by incorporating tactical urbanism. Resilient public spaces can respond to the changing social environment of the future and can also adapt to the needs of people of different cultures, ethnicities, incomes, and ages. Especially in a multicultural area like Tsim Sha Tsui, the flexibility makes the public space more diverse and vibrant.

Based on the questions mentioned above, we envision a future where private and public partnerships continue to finance and develop these sites, but in collaboration with local communities. Strong communities with inclusive cultures will prove more resilient to crises than the current tourist economy (Figure 41~42).

Movable and changeable street furniture has been designed to improve the current problems of the public space in Tsim Sha Tsui.The furniture is made up of unit modules, each of which can be combined into different shapes and formations according to the needs of its users, including local residents, NGOs, and vendors to achieve different scenarios in the public space, which are created by the users themselves. The public space is changing every day, reflecting the needs of its users. Similarly, elements of cultural heritage can also be incorporated into the flexible furniture desgins, which can be combined into a temporary outdoor cinema, a stage, or used around carts selling food. Culture can be integrated into the local life rather than just an economic growth point to be sold to tourists.

Locals

- Residents - Venders - Workers - Merchants (Figure 32) Developers

- New World Development Company Limited Government Sector

- Harbourfront Commission - Home Affairs Bureau - Leisure and Cultural Services Department - Planning Department - Town Planning Board Community

- Yau Tsim Mong District Council - Victoria Waterfront Concern Group - Action Group on Protection of the Harbour

Figure 41~42: Vision (Change before and after).

Surface

Basic module

Figure 32: Locals in Tsin Sha Tsui

Neighborhood demand

Figure 31: Tourists in Tsin Sha Tsui

Frame

Mobility

Figure 43: How does movable and changeable street furniture work.

This kind of movable street furniture has been practiced in many countries and regions. For example, in Seattle, Washington in the United States, "interactive street furniture" has become an all-age playground. The combination of eight movable modules can create an infinite variety of spaces for more than a dozen people to rest or play. The space becomes vivid, and lively to attract many participants.

NGOs/ Artists/Mechants/ Cultural heritage

Flea

Figure 44: Possible scenarios with movable and changeable street furniture.

market

MADUREIRA PARK -RJ Context Overview Madureira park was opened in June, 2012 during Rio+20 and was part of the “Olympic City” project for Rio de Janeiro. It’s area is 109,000 m², and it covers the districts of Madureira, Turiaçu, Rocha Miranda, and Guadalupe. The project was developed through a partnership between the municipality and a private company. The park intends to provide quality public spaces in the suburb of Rio. The area strikes out in comparison to the precarious neighborhood, attracting not only residents of Madureira but also people from all over the city.

Religious afro-brazilian celebration

It has also an environmental approach, including sustainability strategies to promote environmental education. The project of the park was a starting point for an urban requalification of Madureira’s landscape. On the other hand, the execution of the project expropriated 897 residences and affected the farmers that worked in the community garden that existed in the area that is now the park.

Madureira cultural activities source: author based on SELRJ 2021

Existing Challenges

Potentials

-Top to bottom cultural management only -The parks construction expropriated people (from Vila das Torres community) and eliminated activities that happened there (community garden of Vila das Torres) -Low quality productions in some theaters -No free access to all the parts of the park (due to the partially private management) -Ticket pricing for some shows above income of local population -Excessive increase in the value of proprieties and the real estate verticalizing the buildings, changing the typology of the local architecture and negatively affecting the dynamics of the neighborhood -Violence, criminalization of poverty, and the stigmatization of the favelas -Stereotyped image as an african-brazilian culture that selected frames to change this image to value the land and make possible the plan of reurbanization

-Multiple time slots for public space use (multifunctionality) -Infrastructure suited and available for cultural expression -Subsidized public theaters -Local culture more widely displayed -Sense of belonging through the intangible heritage that is a part of the neighborhood’s identity -Madureira is an economical and cultural center (centrality) -Dance classes infrastructure already available for use -Festivity space and infrastructure -Tourists visits and guides -Exhibitions that connect the whole territory

Free party to celebrate 40 years of “Baile Charme”

Stakeholders Involved PUBLIC ENTITIES:

National Government Local Government - North Zone (Municipality) Ministry of Communications Municipal Guard Religious groups PRIVATE ENTITIES:

Supervisors Management Energy Company: Light CIVIC ORGANISATIONS:

“Bicheiros” Samba school Food-market vendors Madureira Sport Club Bicuda Ecologica Tourists guide agencies

VISIBLE COMMUNITIES:

Tourists Families Children Youth / Students Elderly Skaters

INVISIBLE COMMUNITIES:

Farmers Homeless Northeastern

Design Principles: -Empower communities to stand and express their needs to the sometimes discouraging system. -Inclusive decision-making, including the community. Design with them not for them. -Help communities speak up, to be heard by the system. Be recognized and able to express. -Universal and inclusive language. -Community centeredness. Designers as facilitators between communities and the system, sharing design tools. -Holistic involvement and commitment through unity and support.

Strategy to Cultural Inclusivity: CURRENT SITUATION: MANAGEMENT • Top to bottom

• Tickets above local income level

• Distribution of investments

• No free access to all the park

• Strict rules and regulations

Vision Incentivize cultural expression through Participatory Action Research to increase access and inclusion to all communities, to recognize a cultural diversity gathering, and to stimulate audience interaction with the culture festivities.

Motivation We want to democratize access to culture. We want to create a fluid communication between the private and public sector, to be able to provide access to culture to all the local communities. We will empower communities in decision making and emphasize the importance of culture through a pedagogy of inclusive language.

Goal We will present a tool system guide: (workflow) of participatory action research to detect the exact flaws of the already existing system with the help of the community and detect where there are ways to emphasize cultural expression.

• Subsidies

• Grant programs and private funding

in cultural equipaments

ACESS

PAR - Process

}

RESOURCES:

• Vacancy • Big community

PROPOSITION:

ACCESSIBILITY FOR

PAR RESULTS EXHIBITED IN THE

COMMUNITIES

“Collaborative art research exhibition”

TO EMERGE

create a ludic map to connect

INTO CULTURE,

the territory by sectors of

REDUCING INEQUALITIES.

1) Launching:

-Define roles of stakeholders, community organizations and community members -Create teams -Work plan 2) Engagement:

-Identify existing community projects -Recognizing stakeholders involved (internal or external) -Engagement summit 3) Data collection:

STRATEGIES:

-Identify research needs -Exchange and learning environments -Research methods (surveys, data collection, mapping) -LUDIC MAP creation to connect territory 4) Strategy: -Define goals (create vision statement tool) -Strategy development (all visual for universal understanding) 5) mplementation: -Roles and responsibilities definition (create responsibility framework tool) -Implementation plan (create mapping model tool) -Evaluation (create evaluation guide tool)

cultural diversity

“Universal language signaling system” for cultural expression

OUTCOME: Distribute the cultural

investments made in the park with others cultural expressions

Cultural diversity expression and inclusion.

Connect visually the park and the cultural territory

Strategy I We propose to utilize the PAR results presented as an “COLLABORATIVE ART RESEARCH EXHIBITION” in the Madureira park, to promote inclusion and create a sense of cultural membership with the park. The exhibition of the ludic map will connect the territory by sectors of cultural diversity. Outcome: distribute the cultural investments made in the park with others cultural expressions.

Strategy II We will create a universal language signaling system and include cultural expressions for dance moves such as: “samba”, “charme”, “jongo” based on Portela. This will be provided to the public space for cultural inclusion.

WELL BEING AND PUBLIC SPACE

INTRODUCTION / INTRODUÇÃO Riley Elske (Parsons) Lauren Bostick (Parsons) Cheng Sifan (CUHK) Lei Danyang (CUHK) Zhang Zhixing (CUHK) Chang Benxian (CUHK) Clement Kamingcheung (CUHK) Karina Baseggio (UFRJ) Gabriel Parreira (UFRJ) Patricia Samora (PUC Campinas, Professor) Group 4 focused on developing design scenarios for public spaces that promote health and well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic. The areas of study include Corona Plaza (Line 7 in New York City), Sham Shui Po (Tsuen Wan Line in Hong Kong) and Engenho Novo Station (Ramal Deodoro in Rio de Janeiro). The three areas have high building density and lack rainwater permeability, and its users are primarily elderly or young people, many of them experiencing economic and social vulnerabilities. Challenges such as the co-habitation of diverse immigrant communities (New York), housing precariousness and slums (Rio de Janeiro), and lack of open public spaces (Hong Kong) led to design scenarios which adopted the theme of urban community gardens. Community gardens can revitalize public spaces at a low cost and boost local economy by reducing food insecurity while enhancing social interactions and exchanges. Community gardens also create new urban dynamics: they help to alleviate the heat-island effects and foster ecological management of urban waters while increasing the presence of greenery and bringing the citizens closer to the hydrological cycle present in rainwater storage and irrigation. In New York, the outbreak of Covid-19 has significantly transformed Corona Plaza in Queens. What was a vibrant space before the pandemic marked by ongoing public programs organized for and by the neighborhood together with the Queens Museum is now a service space occupied by the street vendors who offer food as well as other essentials. Creating new urban farms and community gardens in schools and public open spaces could re-integrate the varied communities through farming and gardening workshops. Proposed apps and social platforms co-designed with the community will promote the re-emergence of these integral social networks. This initiative will

produce food for the community at lower prices and could also foster mutual aid, solidarity, and sweat equity schemes through which lowincome families can gain access to healthier food. Sham Shui Po in Hong Kong was known for its street market and local restaurants. The reclusion and further reopening of commercial spots brought to light the lack of open and public spaces to support highpopulation density in tune with social distancing. Using the building’s rooftops and community gardens for food production and selling raises job opportunities for the neighborhood and enhances school community integration through farming workshops. New wet markets can occupy the residual space beneath urban structures like viaducts to sell the local production, which can be advertised daily on mobile apps. In Rio de Janeiro, the suburban region of Engenho Novo and Sampaio is arid and insecure, has few quality public open spaces, and informal commercial activities at the station’s exit and access to the Céu Azul slum. The proposal converted an empty lot near the railway edge into an urban garden, of which the administration and management unites local primary schools, religious, and higher education institutions. The space can host events like popular festivals, which are essential for the integration of the community. Maintaining and cultivating the garden creates job opportunities and professional training for the neighbors, who can sell produce on access roads to the slum, a practice that already exists in the neighborhood. Desenvolver cenários de desenho urbano para espaços Desenvolver cenários de desenho urbano para espaços públicos que promovam saúde e bem-estar em tempos de Covid-19 foi o propósito deste grupo. As áreas de estudo localizam-se nas imediações da Corona Plaza (Linha 7 em Nova York), Sham Shui Po (Linha Tsuen Wan em Hong Kong) e Estação Engenho Novo (Ramal Deodoro no Rio de Janeiro). Em comum, as áreas possuem alta densidade construtiva e impermeabilização, sendo utilizadas por público majoritariamente idoso ou jovem e com parcela significativa de pessoas em vulnerabilidade financeira e social. Desafios como presença de imigrantes (Nova York), precariedade habitacional e favelas (Rio de Janeiro) e carência de áreas livres (Hong Kong) foram ganchos para a proposta de adoção do tema das hortas urbanas comunitárias, que revitalizam espaços públicos com baixo custo e impulsionam a economia local, diminuindo a insegurança alimentar enquanto ampliam as interações sociais. A

nova dinâmica que se origina também contribui para amenizar as ilhas de calor e permite o manejo ecológico das águas urbanas, aumentando a presença do verde e aproximando o cidadão do ciclo hidrológico presente no armazenamento de água de chuva e irrigação. Em Nova York, o conjunto da estação com a praça Corona, no Queens, apresentou transformações significativas. O espaço que antes da pandemia era vibrante, com atividades organizadas pela e para coletividade, foi ocupado por vendedores ambulantes demitidos de seus antigos empregos. Implantar hortas e jardins em escolas e espaços livres públicos poderia agregar novamente a população local com oficinas sobre agricultura urbana, em eventos divulgados por aplicativos de celular, por exemplo. A produção tem preços mais acessíveis no mercado local, facilitando o acesso à comida saudável e de qualidade, ou trocada por horas de trabalho na horta local. A região de Sham Shui Po (Hong Kong) era reconhecida pelo comércio de rua e restaurantes locais. A reclusão e posterior reabertura revelaram a insuficiência de espaços livres públicos que atendam à alta densidade populacional com distanciamento social. Utilizar cobertura de edifícios e os jardins comunitários para produção e venda de alimentos agrega oportunidades de emprego aos residentes e envolvimento da comunidade escolar, por meio de oficinas de plantio e colheita. O espaço residual sob estruturas urbanas como viadutos ganham novos usos como mercados para a venda da produção, divulgada diariamente no aplicativo desenvolvido. No Rio de Janeiro, a região suburbana do Engenho Novo e Sampaio é árida e insegura, possui poucos espaços livres públicos de qualidade, comércio local escasso junto à saída da estação e ao acesso à favela Céu Azul. A preexistência de um terreno vazio na orla ferroviária foi reconvertido em horta urbana, cuja administração e gerenciamento une as escolas primárias locais, instituições de ensino superior, e religiosas. O local pode abrigar eventos como festas populares, importantes para a integração da comunidade. A manutenção e cultivo da horta cria oportunidades de emprego e qualificação profissional dos vizinhos, que já vendem hoje frutas e verduras nos acessos à favela, prática já existente no local.

DEMOGRAPHICS

New York, Hong Kong, and Rio de Janeiro each have a unique urban identity, and the selected neighborhoods of Corona, Sham Shui Po, and Sampaio have their own distinct characteristics as well.

CORONA

SHAM SHUI PO

SAMPAIO

41, 758 pp / sq mi

110,893 pp / sq mi

42,000 pp / sq mi

0.65 sq mi $49,078

19.3% (15.6% citywide)

0.85 sq mi

26,880 HKD (US $3,463) 16.6% (15.8% citywide)

0.35 sq mi

1,328 BRL (US $248) 18.6% citywide

Though each region is geographically distant and culturally different, they share many similarities that can inform a collective approach to improving well-being.

POPULATION DENSITY STUDY AREA MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME POVERTY RATE ETHNICITY

53.5% Latino 33.4% Asian

99.2% Asian

51.9% White

For all three neighborhoods, ethnicity is a key component of their demogrpahic makeup. Corona and Sampaio are primarily Latino populations but still quite diverse. Although Sham Shui Po is over 99% Asian, much of this population are immigrants from South Asian countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam. Brazil is a mixing pot of ethnicities and cultures due to its colonial history. AGE DISTRIBUTION

We have identified children and elderly as vulnerable members of the community, and Sham Shui Po has a rapidly aging population.

ANALYSING COMMUNITY HEALTH A list of the three metrics from the City of New York’s Building Healthy Communities campaign:

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LOCATING NEIGHBORHOOD SPORTS FACILITIES “Lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating are major contributors to obesity and chronic diseases.”

ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS AND AFFORDABLE FOOD NEARBY GROCERY STORES AND WET MARKETS “In some high-poverty neighborhoods, only 1 in 10 residents eat the nationally recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables daily – half the rate of the highest-income neighborhoods.”

SAFE PUBLIC SPACES LOCAL PARKS AND GREEN SPACE “Children of parents who report anxiety about neighborhood safety get less exercise. Studies have shown that adolescent girls living near high-crime areas participate in less outdoor physical activity.”

CORONA

SHAM SHUI PO

SAMPAIO

ISSUES OF GEOGRAPHIC INACCESSIBILITY TRANSPORT MODE DISTRIBUTION Upper Queens is pedestrian-focused despite high car ownership and usage, and there are city efforts to improve bicycle infrastructure. In Hong Kong, residents make use of a comprehensive public transit system, but there is a lack of bike infrastructure, especially in Sham Shui Po. Meanwhile, in Sampaio a program for free bus entry to children and elderly encourages ridership.

MEGA-INFRASTRUCTURAL BARRIERS Corona is bounded by two major highways on the east and south borders, and the LIRR tracks cut across the northern half of the neighborhood. Sampaio also has a railway line that creates a concrete boundary with few opportunities to get across. There are also insufficient street lights and poor pavement quality. It is car dominant with narrow sidewalks. And in Sham Shui Po, inadequately designed public spaces are neither welcoming nor functional.

STREET LEVEL EXPERIENCE Street interface is highly related to pedestrian experience and thus influences walkability. Both Sham Shui Po and the commerical strips of Corona have mixed-use structures and ground floor shops that create a more vibrant streetscape. Compared with Corona, Sham Shui Po and Sampaio ignore a cycling system, which is an energy efficient transportation method and a healthy way to commute; however, the layout and lower density of Queens and Rio compared to Hong Kong necessitates car ownership, and streets typically cater to vehicular transportation.

CORONA

SHAM SHUI PO

SAMPAIO

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DISADVANTAGES POVERTY All of these three are among the poorest regions in their cities. Many Corona residents rely on food assistance programs, but mass unemployment due to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic required them to wait for hours in lines at food pantries when their resources ran out. Food insecurity is just one issue of poverty that affects health and well-being. Lack of social resources and financial capital also prevent access to quality healthcare and housing.

HOUSING INSTABILITY Poverty leads to housing instability and homelessness. All three neighbourhoods have a high population density respective to their surrounding areas. New York, Hong Kong, and Rio de Janeiro are all cities with large wealth gaps. An unaffordable housing market leads to overcrowding in order to reduce living costs. Low-cost housing is typically unkept and unsafe, and these conditions endanger the health of its residents.

MIGRANT STATUS Immigrants are erroneously regarded as unskilled laborers, yet they work multiple jobs to cover living costs. The Covid-19 pandemic led to mass unemployment, and the percentage of low-income households increased. Especially in Corona Plaza, many members of the community are Spanish-speaking immigrants who have needed to take up at least two jobs in order to make ends meet. Utilizing resources in their native language due to immigration status as well is needed for members of the community. Sham Shui Po hosts many female domestic helpers from the Philippines, while refugees from various countries have taken up residence in Brazilian favelas such as Sampaio.

CORONA

SHAM SHUI PO

SAMPAIO

EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON PUBLIC SPACE BEFORE

Corona Plaza is a vibrant space that serves as a central site for public art projects and community festivals.

Sham Shui Po’s iconic street markets draw large crowds, while in Sampaio, there is a ‘cotidian’ street market, with a fair amount of people gathering in designated areas. In all three cities, insight can come from community gatherings around vendors, which is essential to the liveliness of the public space’s wellbeing.

DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC In Corona Plaza, a church offers Covid-19 testing and vaccines. Members of the community lost their jobs, and are pushed to stand in long lines at food pantries. The Cvid-19 death rate is the highest in the city. The street markets in Sham Shui Po are closed and people are not allowed to eat in the restaurants. In Sampaio, there is some level of social distance and house reclusion due to the pandemic.

CURRENT CONDITION

The streets surrounding Corona Plaza are starting to crowd again but mostly with vendors selling what they can to survive. Nearly 90 vendors rotate in and out of the area, many of whom lost their jobs. Before Covid, there was a rotation of only 12 vendors. In Sham Shui Po, the flow of local people goes up and there is not enough space to maintain social distance and continue safe practices.

CORONA

SHAM SHUI PO

SAMPAIO

CRITICAL INSIGHTS AND GOALS INACCESSIBILITY TO QUALITY HEALTHCARE

INCOME IMMOBILITY AND ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

UNDERUSED PUBLIC SPACE AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEFICITS

SUPPORT COMMUNITY-BASED AID ORGANIZATIONS

STIMULATE THE LOCAL ECONOMY

REVIVE PUBLIC PARKS AND PLAZAS WITH COMMUNITYCENTERED PROGRAMMING

STRENGTHENS SOCIAL RESILIENCE

ENHANCES SELFORGANISATION

ENCOURAGES SOCIAL INTERACTION

ADDRESSING WELL-BEING THROUGH URBAN FARMING AND COMMUNITY GARDENS

“

URBAN FARMING

SOCIAL, RATHER THAN FOOD PRODUCTION, INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATIONS AND STATE INTERESTS COULD BE ALIGNED AND THE AVAILABLE ROOF SPACE ACTIVATED TO ACHIEVE A MORE SUSTAINABLE CITY. COULD BE CONCEIVED AS BEING

. . . THE STRONG DEMAND FOR PARTICIPATION IS MOTIVATED BY THE OPPORTUNITIES

SOCIAL INTERACTION, PASSIVE RECREATION, HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND SELF-ACHIEVEMENT. IT PROVIDES FOR

Social Value of Urban Rooftop Farming: A Hong Kong Case Study Ting Wang and Mathew Pryor

PROJECTED OUTCOMES Through the proposed design scenarios, this project focuses on both reviving public space to create a network in this new urban-agricultural system and developing different types of engagement activities to encourage participation amongst several social classes. These three neighbourhoods have many similarities. In the physical layer, they all have poor accessibility to public space as well as healthy food, and in the social layer, under the pandemic, their common lack of social resilience due to increasing unemployment extremely harms vulnerable groups, whose physical and mental health needs particular attention. The difficulties of the Covid-19 pandemic highlight the importance of a robust local economy and self-organisation among communities. Ample outdoor space for gathering and recreations has become much more important in the ‘new normal.’ Implementing a new system of urban agriculture could not only strengthen food security and the health of the local economy but also contribute to increased social interaction and cooperation between many stakeholders.

”

STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTICIPATORY ROLES FOOD PRODUCTION & PRESERVATION

The communities in each of the neighborhoods are primarily composed of immigrants in low-income households. Marginalized groups in particular can benefit from government assistance programs, as well as aid from private organizations. Due to their immigrant status and general lack of resources, it may be difficult for community members to find out what options are available and navigate the application processes. With the combined partnership of multiple agencies and organizations, resident participation in an urban farming program can bring communities closer to these outside aid resources.

FOOD PRODUCTION & PRESERVATION Farmers offer a CSA model to receive steady income, and residents receive a regular supply of produce. Community centers organize gardening events to draw interest and advertise the garden’s benefits. Elderly share their knowledge as they work with children in gardens and assist with food canning, fermenting, and other preservations.

TRANSPORTATION & DELIVERY Unemployed able-bodied residents are hired to transport goods to grocery stores. They may also deliver groceries and other necessities to home-bound neighbors and other vulnerable members.

SALES & MARKETPLACE ACTIVITIES Farmers sell produce to the public and supply food vendors who have stalls at those same markets. Social workers and agency coordinators have stalls at greenmarkets to advertise aid programs such as rental assistance and subsidized child care.

SYSTEMIC BENEFITS ASSISTANCE with accessing government and private aid through agency and multi-organization partnerships

EDUCATION

about urban agriculture and healthy-eating habits

INCOME from sales of surplus produce

EMPLOYMENT for city farmers and logistical operators

SOCIAL CONNECTIONS

via a mutual aid network and a cooperative community structure

HEALTH by way of nutrition, physical activity, and self-empowerment

FOR BOTH MARGINALIZED GROUPS AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE

PROPOSAL FOR SHAM SHUI PO To respond to this urgent issue, this project aims to transform and develop urban farming and gardening, to give local communities an opportunity to create new circulation among different stakeholders, which could stimulate local economy, enhance social resilience, and integration. A Hong Kong case study suggests that if the products of rooftop farming could be conceived as being social, rather than food production, individual motivations and state interests could be aligned and the available roof space activated to achieve a more sustainable city. Farm owners have suggested that the strong demand for participation is motivated by the opportunities it provides for social interaction, passive recreation, health, education, and self-achievement.

CURRENT

FUTURE

EXAMPLE COMMUNITY EVENTS POTENTIAL SITES FOR GARDENS AND MARKETS

SCENARIO STUDENT PARTICIPATION

SMARTPHONE APP Local residents can receive daily notifications on what is currently available to purchase at the market

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ROOFTOP FARMING

Tong Lau (tenement buildings) have unused space on their rooftops that can be made available for vegetable gardens

ACTIVATED PUBLIC SPACE The empty space under the bridge is activated by establishing a new location for an outdoor greenmarket

PROPOSAL FOR SAMPAIO Unoccupied rooftops in the favela could be transformed to gardens, and this program could provide more jobs for homeless and unemployed people to deliver goods or sell. In Sampaio, once a week, many small streets close their traffic for a market where vendors sell fruits and vegetables, fresh fish, and pastel (a fried snack made of cheese or meat). These markets are suitable for selling produce grown by local gardeners as well. The public spaces in the neighborhood may also hold a Junine Party to bring the community together and celebrate the gardening program. The festival has origins in the northeastern and inner part of Brazil and consists of typical music and dance (quadrilha junina), fake fire pits, flag decorations, and many types of street food such as cooked corn, varieties of cake, peanut candy (pacoca), traditional beverages, popcorn, among other. Participants enjoy dressing up in fake mustaches, patched denim trousers, and big festive dresses. Many schools and churches also host their own Junine festivals for children and families in the community.

CURRENT

FUTURE

EXAMPLE COMMUNITY EVENTS POTENTIAL SITES FOR GARDENS AND MARKETS

SCENARIO SOCIAL MEDIA Online social media platforms strengthen connectionection within the local community and provide information to the public

UPDATED STREET MARKET

GARDENING WORKSHOP

FAVELA GARDENS Vegetable gardens add greenery to the favela landscape and provide a source of sustenance for the local community

EDUCATION & OUTREACH The existing town square provides a gathering space to host events that highlight the benefits of urban agriculture

EMPLOYMENT The need for regular garden maintenance, logistics coordinators for sales, and operators for food transport provides employment

The existing market at the favela’s entrance is renewed and enlivened to attract the larger community and increase sales

PROPOSAL FOR CORONA The proposal for establishing a strong network of community gardens in Corona is the development of a strategic partnership between government agencies, private organizations, schools, and churches to bridge the community together and learn about various food systems. Suggested programming includes an event Access NYC, which would allow members of the community to speak with representatives who may be able to help translate and provide understanding of assistance programs that individuals may be qualified for. Another is after-school program for students to learn about food, and their participation contributes to the growth and beautification of community gardens. This program is also beneficial for families and parents who work long hours and require extra child care. This proposal emphasizes strengthening intracommunity support, bringing families together while also providing resources for food and job security to boost social resilience and self-organisation amongst Corona residents.

CURRENT

FUTURE

EXAMPLE COMMUNITY EVENTS POTENTIAL SITES FOR GARDENS AND MARKETS

SCENARIO PRODUCE SALES & DISTRIBUTION EMPLOYMENT

MOBILE APP Provides information on home gardening and a digital calendar with upcoming events

The need for regular garden maintenance, logistics coordinators for sales, and operators for food transport provides employment opportunities

Residents can partake in the neighborhood CSA program to receive a steady supply of fresh, seasonal produce, and surplus is sold at greenmarkets

EDUCATION Schools establish their own gardens and for students’ regular participation, and community gardens host public workshops on urban agriculture

MUTUAL AID Home-bound residents are included in the community social network and receive deliveries from able-bodied neighbors

INDIVIDUAL PROJECT PROPOSALS

PARSONS STUDENTS Madeline Bizik Lauren Bostick Briana Culbertson Riley Elske Tori Gruber Marley Lopez Roberta Werthein Victoria Zhang Joyce Chan Lara Fjeldsted Asgeirsdottir Christiana MacGregor

JOYCE CHAN

Joyce Chan

EXPANDING PUBLIC SIDEWALKS Focused on the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street in Flushing, Queens, this proposal responds to the underutilized street spaces that are often present in highly regulated urban cities. The proposal expands the pedestrian walkways of the northeast and southeast corners of Roosevelt and Main to create parklets. The proposed extension responds to the metrics developed during the first week of the global intensive studio course and intends to increase accessibility, safety, actitivies, and intersubjectivitiy in the surrounding neighborhood. The expansion would slow down automobile traffic through the narrowing of the thoroughfare, which would increase pedestrian comfort by providing a shorter distance to cross and more sidewalk space to move. Not only does the expanded sidewalks improve pedestrian conditions but also creates an opportunity for more productive activities to take place at the busy intersection. The success of this proposal is heavily reliant on NYC Department of Transportation’s (DOT) ability to communiticate and collaborate with community advocates and organizations, as well as the proposal’s ability to serve the community. Local organizations are critical to understanding what the unmet needs of a non-English speaking residential and commerical district are. Local organizers along with DOT should create programs to maintain the expanded public space. The proposal must: - Increase commercial revenue - Decrease traffic accidents - Not generate significant traffic slowdown - Increase community satisfaction with street condition - Increase community engagement with public spaces

PHASE ONE

Outreach

Plan view of proposal at the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street, Flushing.

PHASE TWO

PHASE THREE

Pilot

Permanace

Joyce Chan

1 At the Northwest corner of intersection.

At the Southwest corner of intersection.

CHRISTINA MCGREGOR

Christina McGregor

RESEARCH: SITE ANALYSIS AND HOMELESS DATA

Causes of Homelessness

MEI FOO, HONG KONG

Homeless resources around Mei Foo

Duration of Homelessness

Age Distribution

Welfare Benifits - Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA)

Mental Illness Diagnosis

Contact with Social Services

Christina McGregor

RESEARCH: NGO AND THE CYCLE OF HOMELESNESS Non-Governmental Organizations or NGOs have the main impact on the homeless problem in Hong Kong. They provide services such as job recommendations, temporary housing, mental and physical health support, food and clothing. NGOs can be sponsored by the government, charitable organizations, individuals or commercial corporations. They also partner with universities to publish homeless reports and statistics to keep track of the ongoing homelessness issue

Current Cycle of Homeleness: Continous and provides no long term action, i.e. the service gap.

Alternative route: Leads to permanet housing and stability. This project focuses on the street outreach poriton of this action plan.

AWARENESS: “IS THIS HOME?” “IS THIS HOME?” CAMPAIGN The “Is this home?” campaign is a series of provacative viral ads on interactive billboards across the city of Mei Foo. The ads are meant to raise awareness around the issue of homelessness in the city. Each ad asks the public the question “Is this home?” while images of places or objects that people experiencing homelessness use for shelter. The question act rhetorically to facilitate public discussion about homelesness and to create awareness of the conditions that homeless individuals live in. There is also a prompt for the view to learn more and access statistics, facts, and myths about homelessness to reduce the stigma surrounding the public issue and the homeless population. FEATURES: Touch screen for interactice use, outlets for the public as well as the homeless to use. LED Light box to be used at night to provide lighting in the underpass. A button to switch the screen to the “Homeless survival guide.”

Christina McGregor

OUTREACH : HOMELESS SURVIVAL GUIDE HOMELESS SURVIVAL GUIDE: An interactive platform that provides information to the homeless about essential local resoures. The interactive map shows the location of the nearby restrooms, shelters, clothing facilites, food resoucres and local community organizations and their availability. Lastly, the platform also provides information on potential employment opportunites in the area to facilitate and encourage financial gain . There is also a messaging system and a call button to allow a direct connection between the homeless and social workers at various community organizations in the area The resources are update regularly by the local community organizations who specialize in providing support for homeless. This platfrom is meant to be used by them to create a sense of security and support to this vulnerable and marganalized group.

LAUREN BOSTICK

Lauren Bostick

ESTABLISHING A MODEL COMMUNITY GARDEN AS A CATALYST FOR GROWTH New York has a long-standing history of community gardening dating back to the 1970’s. The city’s GreenThumb program is the largest urban gardening program in the United States; however, the share of community gardens in Queens is severely lacking. Given that the borough is comprised primarily of immigrants and low-income households, these residents and populations are in particular need of the benefits that community gardens provide. In order to bolster the development of additional gardens throughout Queens, I am proposing the establishment of a model community garden that operates on a larger scale and takes advantage of the institutional resources provided by the New York Hall of Science. NYC PARKS GREENTHUMB GARDEN LOCATIONS

Though there are over 550 gardens across the five boroughs of New York in the NYC Parks Greenthumb program, only 41 of these exist in Queens. This amounts to less than 8% of the total number of gardens. PROPOSED MACRO COMMUNITY GARDEN

EXISTING COMMUNITY GARDENS: CORONA CASE STUDY

Despite the lack of community gardens in Queens, there are two located in the Corona neighborhood. Both by Louise Simeone Park, as shown above as the region bordered by a solid line. The dashed lines surround nearby communal facilities such as schools and churches that may encourage participation in gardening activities.

The site is advantageous because of the adjacency of educational, recreational, and institutional facilities. Each provides valuable resources that in combination can ensure the garden’s success. The scale of the garden may inspire and serve as a reference for other neighborhoods in Queens to develop gardens for their local communities.

Zooming in to Queens, the sparseness of green dots stands in great contrast to the large clusters throughout the rest of the city, particularly in North Brooklyn and Upper Manhattan.

Lauren Bostick

82 CATALYST FOR GROWTH

RESOURCE AND STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS

In addition to the numerous educational and institutional resources the NY Hall of Science provides, its location in Corona Park serves an important role in catalyzing the growth of a community garden network in Queens. Corona Park hosts a large complex of recreational attractions that increases the opportunity and accessibility of both locals and the general public to learn about urban farming practices.

The primary site-specific entities for my proposed model garden in Corona are NYC Parks GreenThumb, GrowNYC, the NYC Dept. of Education, and the NY Hall of Science.

GrowNYC connects the garden to their network and provides agricultural know-how. They also provide employment opportunties with their need for logistics operators.

Schools draw children to the garden and consequently their parents and other family members. Parks provide a public gathering space. The NY Hall of Science offers technical knowledge and institutional resources, as well as the garden site on otherwise unused lawns surrounding its parking lot.

Together, they form a synergized organizational structure that provides a platform for multi-dimensional stewardship and increases outreach to the various demographic populations within the local community through joint programming.

SOCIAL NEXUS

The key to a community garden’s success lies in the confluence and partnership of educational and recreational facilities. Further partnership with private organizations and government agencies increases the efficacy of stewardship and in turn builds trust and enthusiasm for community participation.

Maps sourced from Google and NYC Parks GreenThumb Icon illustrations from Noun Project by Llisole, priyanka, Victoruler, Fahmi, Shashank Singh, Sumit Saengthong, Bestdesignmarket, Eucalyp, agus reharjo, Megan Chown, ArmOkay, Adrian Coquet

MADELINE BIZIK

Topographic Conditions of Mangueira

● High density precarious structures ●84 According to the Ministry of Cities, 30% of the population in Rio de Janeiro is not connected to a formal sanitation system ●BRINGING The women often wait in alleyways to fill buckets of water AND PEOPLE TO WATER ●INNeighbours rely on one another to get by MAGUEIRA Neighborhood Conditions

ClimateinConditions a Conditions Mangueiraof Rio a Conditions in Mangueira

density precarious structures density rding to precarious the Ministrystructures of Cities, 30% of the population in Rio rding to of Cities, 30% sanitation of the population aneiro is the not Ministry connected to a formal system in Rio aneiro not connected to a formal system womenisoften wait in alleyways to fillsanitation buckets of water women often wait in alleyways to fill buckets of water hbours rely on one another to get by hbours rely on one another to get by

nezes of Transition Granja Viana created a system lters and stores rainwater straight from the roof

WATER TO PEOPLE Mangueira is a high density favela neighborhood in Rio de Janerio where many residents live in precarious situations without proper infastructure. According to the Ministry of Cities, 30% of the population in Rio de Janeiro is not connected to a formal sanitation system. There is not much clarity on who is responsible for maintaining the sewage and water systems. This confusion between whether it is the responsibility of the State Water and Sewerage Utility or Rio de Janeiro’s Municipal Agency for Water Management leaves many of the systems poorly maintained. As a result, Mangueira’s water supply is often compromised by the unaccounted for sanitation system and many people are left without access to clean water.

Dense housing on steep topography

Strategy Exisiting pipe conditions

Access to water safe from sanitation system

Project Objectives

Rainwater harvesting and ﬁltration

Bring water to people

Multiple points of collection

Simple affordable assembly

Residents waiting to fill buckets

Community stewardship Bring people to water

Public water centric plaza

Necessary Resources

Harvesting in Sao Paulo

w of the homes have water storage facilities. People get he pipes so if no water is flowing through the pipes then As a result, many people in Brasilândia took matters into ding their own water collection systems but these did not tank properly and as a result many people were getting gue fever and other illnesses.”

Madeline Bizik

Rainwater stewardship in Sao Paulo

2 2

Relief from summer heat Recreation for children

Stage 1: Bringing Water to People

Madeline Bizik

STAGE 01: Bringing water to people Highest Point

Highest point

-Organize workshops that provide people skills to assemble and maintain simple harvesting systems. -Spread knowledge of the importance of clean water supply. -Create multiple smaller locations for people to access clean water throughout the neighborhood. -Take advantage of topographic conditions to use gravity to Bringing Water to People convey water without power.

workshops people skills ble and simple g systems nowledge of rtance of ter supply

Lowest Lowest Point point & Plaza ●

Create multiple smaller lo people to access clean w throughout the neighborh ● Take advantage of topogr Collection Loaction conditions to use gravity t Plaza water without power Loaction

Stage 2: Bringing People to Water

8 STAGE 02: Bringing people to water

Stage 2: Bringing People to Water

-Utilize an existing open lot at a low elevation to bring the community together in an inclusive public space -Create a stewardship program that generates excitement and involvement in community well-being

Stage 2: Bringing People to Water

Community interaction Place to cool down

More catchment Creation of microclimate Solar power for ﬁltration

& plaza

Children at play Opportunities to learn

Stage 2: Bringing People to Water

Plaza Activity

RILEY ELSKE

Riley Elske

DESIGN INTERVENTION Upon completing the Global Urban Studio Intensive, my design intervention for desiging infrastructures of inclusion along the MTA’s Line 7 Corrider is an After School program for students at Corona Community Gardens. This design intervention was researched through the lens of public space and well-being, particulary surrounding the Covid-19 Pandemic. The Corona Neighborhood in Queens, NYC has a population density of 41,768 / sq mi. Corona Plaza is located under the 103rd Street-Corona Plaza subway station. It was designed as a public space to hold events with organizations such as the Queens Museum and offers a place for individuals to eat lunch and take breaks. The median household income in the Corona neighborhood is $49, 078, and 22.8% of the neighborhood’s population fall under the poverty line. Corona is predominatley a Latino community, with 53.5% of the population falling under the LatinX category, as well as is 33.4% Asian, 6% Black, 5.5% White, and 2% other. It is a heavility Spanish-speaking neighborhood, and many residents are immigrants and long time community members of Queens. Corona Plaza during the pandemic was much more solemn than the park had seen in the past. In the early lockdown days, events had to be postpone to coincide with social distancing protocols. Many individuals in the neighborhood had lost jobs due to places of business closing down. Focus shifted to how to enhance social resilence in the community during the lockdown. Families ensued waiting in long lines at food pantries and other community organized events just to receive basic essential resources. Testing sites became available in the plaza, as well as at neighboring churches to provide for those who otherwise didn’t have the means to travel long distances to get tested. Now that the vaccinations are becoming more readily available the plaza is beginning to see foot traffic again with new intentions. Prior to the pandemic, there were only about 12 vendors who would rotate selling food in the plaza. After the lockdown, nearly 90 vendors rotate in and out of selling in the park just to make ends meeet and provide a living wage for their families. Many have also had to take up two jobs to fulfull the heartbreak of losing their income.

With all of this in mind, my design proposal is to utilize the community garden spaces in the Corona neighborhood and partner with plaza vendors to create an after school program for students in the neighborhood. The goals of this intervention are to enhance social resilience and support working familes as well as encourage social interaction and self-organizing. Furthermore, an after school program at Corona community gardens aims to increase accessibility and affordability to healthy food and education revolving around food systems. This program aims to revive public green spaces in the area and beauitfy community gardens. Although marketed towards students, the program also proposes a “bring your grandparent to garden day” and field trips. Gardens may host public events only with prior written approval from NYC GreenThumb and may not exceed 50 people. Funding would come from New York Restoration Act, Urban Agriculture Resilience Program, and Herb Society of America Grants for Educators to support resources pertaining to educators, volunteers, plaza vendors, transportation, curriculum and accessibility. Furthermore, the monthly focus will be publicized on community bulletin boards and community apps such as Next Door and other forums for community social media. The purpose of utilizing spaces that already have community gardens such as schools, churches, and other parks in the Corona neighborhood is to allow for families who are working long hours the opportunity to receive child care, while also giving the opportunity to learn and access healthy food systems. After School at Corona Community Gardens aims to support the well-being of the Corona neighborhood, and support residents as the new normal of life under the pandemic unfolds.

ROBERTA WERTHEIN

Roberta Werthein

RESEARCH Starting from our common theme: This includes ‘public minorities’ in local cultural expression. By thinking critically on who defines and preserves heritage, we can avoid letting institutions or exclusion dictate main ‘culture’ – offering an opportunity to redefine these URBAN IDENTITIES.

STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED 4 3

Our common values are: - Cultural expression - Inclusion - Resilience

Focusing on Diversity Plaza, Jackson heights:

4) Public entities: NYC Mayor’s Office DOT - Department of Transportation Department of Cultural Affairs New York City Parks 3) Private entities: Green Banner Connect Point

VISION Incentivize culture inclusivity and accessibility to create a sustainable plaza where different people use the public space safely and fully. Recognize a cultural diversity gathering and stimulate inclusion through the community interaction with cultural events.

MISSION I want to create a fluid interaction between the people and the space. I want to provide access to culture to all the local communities and emphasize the importance of culture through a universal language signaling system using inclusive language and the creation of a digital platform to increase cultural accessibility.

RESOURCES

2) City civic Organizations: Horticultural Society of New York Queens EDC

Potential partnerships:

1) Neighborhood Civic organizations: Sukhi New York Community Board 9 The Friends of Diversity Plaza Women’s Movement Organizations Art Organizations Art Museums Local Schools

Regarding their NYC plaza program: - In the section of “Posting of notices and signs on pedestrian plazas ” where they set rules and regulations called “DOT traffic rules” for me to comply with the plaza rules regarding signaling. The pedestrian plaza program will evaluate any request to display signs if the request is sent 7 days before the displaying.

DOT: FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROJECT

Roberta Werthein

90 Regarding their WalkNYC program: - They provide maps and signs where text use is limited, a clear layout, universal icons and different applications regarding views/perspectives. It provides wayfinding display screens for pedestrians and bus stops, so I will provide similar interactive screens to display an app. - Visit the “general guidelines and sign specifications” of the program to see different types of structures, forms and the specific guidelines for these types of signs. Regarding their OneNYC Plaza Equity Program: - Addresses the needs of NYC plazas in under-resourced neighborhoods where community-based partner organizations struggle to maintain a high-quality public space. Highneed plazas receive a full suite of maintenance services. Diversity plaza is considered in high-need, and the partner for maintenance with DOT is Queens EDC. NYC Parks: FOR THE FUNDING OF THE PROJECT NYC Capital projects provides additional resources as part of the NYC Parks capital projects dashboard. NYC Parks funds many projects that focus on interventions pertaining to parks and plazas. I will partner with them for the funding of the signs. Green Banners: FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THE SIGNS They print high resolution, full-color photo-quality graphics and text on a wide variety of materials using ecologically-sound renewable, recycled / recyclable and biodegradable materials. NYC Mayor’s Office: FOR INTERNET ACCESS IN PUBLIC SPACE Regarding the NYC Internet Master Plan: Digital redlining and providing high-speed internet, I will reference the Internet Master Plan to create a hotspot in Diversity Plaza for quick access to the app through the physical interactive platform function. ConnectPoint: FOR THE INTERACTIVE SCREEN DISPLAY Connectpoint provides solar and battery powered ePaper displays.

STRATEGY I have found data showing that the immigrant population, which is significant in the neighborhood, has communication difficulties due to the language difference. I will develop an inclusive signaling system language and a digital and physical platform for culture accessibility in Diversity Plaza. This will be done with pictogram design and through the development of an app with a physical interactive touch screen display to include minorities with no internet access.

OBJECTIVE I will create the universal signaling system for Diversity Plaza to overcome the language barriers that are constantly interrupting the communication between the different cultures that inhabit the area. I will create an office to provide a digital and physical platform for cultural integration, called the DPIA app. This will stimulate cultural interaction and create a better relationship between the people and the space.

USE AND MANTENANCE This inclusive signaling system will be displayed and used mainly when any event, festival, or gathering takes place. The purpose is to facilitate the order and mantenance of the event and to create an inclusive environment where many cultures interact with each other and the surrounding space. Of

course it can also be displayed anytime that signage is useful for the community, and allow for community use and flexible participation. This means we will have custom movable signs, and this will be stored and displayed by the plaza maintenance organization. In this case it is Queens EDC that can be aided by The Friends of Diversity Plaza, as they have a more specific view and narrower scope of action to only focus on Diversity Plaza.

MATERIALITY

Water-Resistant 100% Recycled/Recyclable Polypropylene, provided by Green Banner. -Made from 100% recycled base material -Recyclable (Including curbside in some areas - PP5) -Base material is non-toxic and does not contain chlorine or halogens -Extremely strong ~ can’t tear it (unless you cut and then pull apart) -Extremely lightweight and easy to hang with minimal support -Less expensive than many other materials -Water Resistant so it can be used indoors and outside even in rainy or wet conditions. Green banner will be in charge of printing the signs in sustainable materials to avoid the use of plastic contaminants.

MORPHOLOGY Movable signs: totem stands, standard portable sign, sandwich board sign, hanging banner, standing banner.

Roberta Werthein

ICONOGRAPHY

This represents the number of different ethnic and religious groups, so I will create a platform to synchronise all these organisations’ calendars. We will be able to visualize the whole annual cycle of events clearly, and then potentially see how they can relate and cross-polinate. When we visualize this joint calendar we can analyze what events overlap and may coexist together at the same time, using the same resources, and therefore create an important cultural exchange. The DPIA will work with the NYC Mayor’s office to create a wifi hotspot in Diversity Plaza through the NYC Internet Master Plan Project to provide full access to the cultural app.

1) FOR GENERAL UNIVERSAL PLAZA USE: Restrooms Food trucks Food restaurants Mark spot where movable chairs and tables are stored Mark trash can spots Donations money collection Dance area Art area Main exits for the plaza Main entrances for the plaza (for the flow of people) Unload and loading areas Hotspots area and wifi access 2) FOR SPECIFIC CUSTOM SIGNS FOR EACH CULTURE: I will create an office called “Diversity Plaza Intercultural Affairs (DPIA)” managed by The Friends of Diversity Plaza to be in charge of: 1) Developing research of the future upcoming events, past events, all divided into the different culture groups. Denoting what each event offers to the public, to see what specific signs are needed for each different culture that expresses itself in the plaza. 2) It will be open to receive requests from the different cultural organizations in the neighborhood to develop new customized and specific signage when needed for an event. For example: a sign to show a specific food that will be offered in that event.

PURPOSE: It will create opportunities for integration, cross-pollination, cultural accessibility and cultural submersion.

DPIA:

- COMMUNICATION - SYNCHRONIZATION - INTEGRATION

Logo:

It is in charge of the event organisation and signage to bring diverse cultures together into the plaza. There is no formal schedule for the plaza, but each organisation has its own schedule in different places. I propose to create a platform where all these individual organisations with their individual calendars of events can be brought together in an annual cycle of events.

Creates a sense of membership for the community no matter the cultural differences. All part of the same platform. This will be developed in two ways: as a digital platform and a physical interactive platform.

Roberta Werthein

DIGITAL PLATFORM: 1) LOGIN -Log in: as a community member or as an organisation -Profiles: rich user profiles with social integration, for organisations, and for individuals community members. Two types of profiles. -Full Name, Social Profile, Photograph, Designation, Email, Phone Number, Birth Date, Gender, Interest areas. 2) HOME FEED -Visualization of the Annual Cycle Calendar with annual cycle of events for the whole plaza. -Activate notifications 3) CHATS: With location tracker optionally activated -Personal inbox -Creation of private group chats -Integrated chat for all app members 4) CALENDAR -Of private events in each organization’s profile -Users follow the profiles of the organizations they are interested in. -Feature only available for organization profiles, not individual community profiles. Individual profiles can just visualize these calendars. 5) PHOTO GALLERY -Photo and video sharing of events -With post and hashtags and labels 6) INFORMATION -Diversity Plaza information, restaurants, activities etc. and community newsletter. Map of plaza. 7) FORUM -Portal for ideas, community members can propose ideas for cultural events.

DPIA app interfaces:

Inrerfaces details: HOME FEED: Annual cycle calendar: The calendar appears in the home page of the app (in the feed). It has the design of the default calendar in most of the phone models for the user to navigate easily. -It has year, month and week views, so the user can choose the view they prefer. In the week view there is more information and detail of the events shown in each day. So to see the general view of just the names of the events the user will use the month view, same with the year view. It goes from detail (week) to general view (month or year). -Each organization has its own profile in the app, users follow each organization that they are interested in. Each organization uploads their calendar to their profiles, in there, users can visualize only the calendar for that specific organization’s profile. -When each organization registered in the app, uploads its own dates of events to its respective profile calendar, that calendar information automatically appears in the big joint calendar of the home page (feed) of the app. -The app is the platform that brings all the dates of the private calendars of each organization’s profile together, to visualize it all in one interface in the home feed. FORUM: -It is a section of the app called forum (like a type of twitter interface) where people can express new proposals for cultural events for the plaza, and people can respond to the comments, creating community discussions and opinions. These proposals have a liking function, similar to all the social networks apps, so when one proposal reaches a certain number of likes it is analyzed by the DPIA to make it possible and create the proposed event or function at Diversity Plaza.

Roberta Werthein

PHYSICAL INTERACTIVE PLATFORM: Regarding my research in the area, minority groups such as women, Latinos, Asians, elderly, and mostly undocumented immigrants inhabit Jackson Heights. Moreover, some community members don’t have access to the internet because their low income doesn’t afford it, or because as illegal immigrants their information can’t be exposed publicly. That is why I will create a physical interactive touch display to include and provide access to culture to all underrepresented populations. This will be done through the DPIA working in collaboration with the NYC Mayor’s Office’s NYC Internet Master Plan Project to create a hotspot area in the plaza where there will be an interactive touch screen displaying the app. It will be like a digital wayfinder where people can interact directly with the app, regardless if they are registered or if they have access to the internet. DPIA will partner with Connect Point company to provide ePapers displays that are battery and solar powered, and suited for outdoors. THIS EPAPER DISPLAY IS: -Energy efficient -Has wireless connectivity -Suited for all weather conditions -Easy installation -Eco friendly -Updated remotely -Cloud management system

VICTORIA ZHANG

Victoria Zhang

DIVERSITY PLAZA DESIGN, LUNA LITERACY Diversity Plaza is a multicultural public space that hosts festivals, food, and religious ceremonies in the public space. It stretches two blocks in a busy, heavily trafficked area populated by mostly immigrants. The plaza was designed for pedestrians to explore the diverse neighborhood and create a peaceful place with greenery to appreciate the outdoor space. Despite being a diverse area, there are more men occupying the plaza than women and children. Gender equality is an issue, and so is the literacy rates for many residents. Vision This is a non-profit organization dedicated to immigrant women in Queens, New York, but specifically for the Jackson Heights neighborhood near Diversity Plaza. Luna Literacy is composed of a variety of female professionals wishing to empower women and provide free education to those with limited access. They also aim to reconstruct Diversity Plaza into a safe and inclusive space for all age, gender, and origin to enjoy.

Design Concept Luna Literacy creates promotional posters, billboard advertisements, and a mobile app to develop support, awareness, and participation in their cause. Working with its partners and local groups, Luna Literacy acts as a platform to bring different events from these organizations to Diversity Plaza. They hold weekly meetings with organizations such as SUKHI NY that help fund Diversity Plaza and its partners for planning upcoming events. Mission Luna Literacy gathers women from across New York City neighborhoods to join the women in Jackson Heights at Diversity Plaza for educational and career events. In collaboration with governmental agencies, educational and women’s non-profit organizations, museums, and community groups, Luna Literacy brings awareness to women on social, political, and personal issues to inspire them to make change for themselves and society.

Logo

Mobile App and Icon

Victoria Zhang

Special Assistance To allow busy women tending children to participate in events, Luna Literacy provides a children’s play area. Active volunteers will help care for children while their mothers can attend workshops and lectures nearby.

Social Media Page Billboard Posters

TORI GRUBER

ACUPUNCTURE URBANISM

Tori Gruber

FLUSHING MAIN STREET: PIVOTAL INTERSECTION OF HEALTH, TRASIT, AND SLOWING DOWN

At the intersection of two major streets, Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street, the Line 7 stop at Flushing Main creates an incredible speed and pace that flows into the public space surrounding the station. This pace pushes people through quickly and passes over pivotal engagement points where the public space can provide community members with services that are otherwise kept at a farther distance at the inconvenience to community members. By shifting the perspective from “transit space” to “palace for the people” and identifying people as a critical source of infrastructure, Flushing Main presents a chance to respond to community needs through the intervention of a mobile health hub as a methodology to slow-down the flow of mobility, increase access to necessary services, and create a people-centered environment at a major intersection that would benefit specific community needs. This mobile health hub would benefit both residential and commercial communities, as it would encourage residents to stay in the commercial areas longer before heading home. Thousands of residents pass through this intersection every day for functional reasons: to go to work, come home from work, go to the market, to do some shopping. The purpose of acupuncture urbanism is to insert necessary elements of life into key places. At the core, the public space surrounding the terminal is heavily navigated for basic needs of commerce and transportation; however, the pace is quick and people’s limited engagement with the space reproduces an environment that is transit-centered. Nevertheless, this major urban intersection functions as an energetic point for Flushing, Queens and the primarily Asian immigrant population that utilizes Line 7, otherwise known as “Immigrant Express.” This is a key place, and health services are a necessary element to activate new community-centered infrastructure.

Tori Gruber

SLOW-DOWN & BE WELL Punctuating energy flow People-centered service Responsivity to environment Health CARE Infrastructure to provide essential humancentered services on the sidewalks and spaces of pedestrian circuitry can “slowdown” the speed of mobility, adjusting and punctuating infrastructure in both a functional, caring and playful way to benefit commercial and residential communities.

Tori Gruber

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VOLUME

SERVICES COVID Vaccine COVID Testing Flu Shot Electrolytes STD Testing Blood Pressure

Eye Exam Dental Cleaning Dental Examination Acupuncture Hair Cuts Shoe Insoles

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MARLEY LOPEZ

NIGHT OF THE LITTLE WONDERS

Marley Lopez

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RESEARCH This proposal takes place in Jackson Heights, one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in New York. In the heart of this community is Diversity Plaza. The Plaza was funded by a mix of city initiatives, local non-profits, and government offices. More specifically, Neighborhood Plaza Partnership (NPP) helped advocate for the site, Friends of Diversity Plaza manages the site, alongside the Department of Transportation (ostensibly for its proximity to the Queens transit hub), SUKHI NYC coordinates events. While the plaza has created the ideal common ground for one of the country’s most diverse neighborhoods, it fails to address the needs of two key groups: women of color and essential workers. The area is “home to a substantial numbers of Colombians (the largest and most visible single group), Ecuadorians, Peruvians, Argentines, Mexicans, and Salvadorans,” states Cityscape magazine -- a publication by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “In contrast, Puerto Ricans and Dominicans (New York City’s largest Latino populations) are present in smaller numbers. “The Asian population includes a significant number of Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis,” the publication continues. “There is also a growing east Asian population, probably an overflow from New York’s second Chinatown, Flushing, to the east”. As is established above, Jackson Heights is exceptionally diverse and home to many immigrants, but the cultures being brought together share conservative ideals about women in public space. When visting the plaza in person last year, project advisors noted that women were never seen gathering in the plaza. While they might freqent the businesses around the space, or even attend certain events that cater to childcare, the plaza is predominately occupied by men sitting together. Women qualify as a ‘public minority.’ Although women make up roughly half the local population, they are disproportionately removed from open space, weakening their connection to local support networks and sense of community. I hope to intervene with an event that invites women to participate in public cultural affairs while doubling as a celebratory community watch party.

By putting eyes and female bodies on the street at night, we can consciously improve women’s’ safety and create a new landscape for a public space dominated by women. While the backgrounds of Jackson Heights’ population are quite mixed, they are unified in their service to the city. Over 1 in 3 Queens residents work in Manhattan, and between 10,00015,000 frontline workers live in Jackson Heights -- careers known for their overwhelming work schedules and public service. Sadly, there are 15,000 non-citizens living at or below twice the poverty line in the neighborhood. This statistic matches the frontline workers by no mistake; the most integral jobs to the cities infrastructure are some of the poorest paid. Current public events cater to the schedules of the traditional 40-hour work week. Planning events from 10-4pm on weekends overlooks the uniquely burdened schedules of the neighborhood’s residents and many work multiple jobs that could require an hour-long commute on average. As long as New York is ‘the city that never sleeps’, Jackson Heights will require safe, engaging cultural affairs around the clock. This will advance the local connection and move Jackson Heights from disparate commuters to a resilient community. In conclusion, Diversity Plaza has created a common site for cultural engagement, but there is still opportunity to further develop a sense of community. I hope to identify strategies to meet the needs of women of color and essential works in Jackson Heights.

Marley Lopez

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This intervention is heavily inspired by Shadow Traffic’s Lost Horizon Night Market, which takes place every summer at an undisclosed location in Brooklyn. Participants plan installations for U-Haul trucks, then find out the location at noon the day of the Market. Attendees are only notified of the location an hour before the fair begins. This theme of anticipation and surprise is key to events planned by Shadow Traffic. For this project to better address the site-specific needs of Jackson Heights, trucks should be equally social- and servicedriven. One service the event could provide is educating the women in the community on centralized banking and to help inform the women of how to open a bank account. As there is a large immigrant presence in the neighborhood, opening a bank account could be difficult and confusing — but necessary to building credit and wealth in America. There is also a huge overlap where women have far fewer bank accounts than men in South America, and only like 11% have savings accounts. Since there is a bank in the Plaza, I think educating locals on the value of centralized banking could be a great lesson. It just adds another dimension to the overall social uplift of women and immigrants in Jackson Heights. Social Service examples:

Social Network examples:

Community bulletin board Female-only talk circles Banking info sessions Clothing donations Childcare

Local theatre productions Gallery space for artists Cooking lessons Dance lessons Games

In terms of funding, this event could be sponsored by Friends of Diversity Plaza, SUKHI grants, Queens Arts Fund Grants, and small budgets from featured private companies (dance and acting troupes, restaurants). As it promises to introduce new audiences to the public space, and keep them engaged for hours, it is to the economic benefit -- and cultural virtue -- of these businesses and organizations to subsidize the festival. By integrating women into open space, while reclaiming the streets at night, we can uplift and unite women of color in Jackson

Heights. In turn, this establishes support networks for commuters and the community, as the realization of this women-run vision creates inclusive opportunities for a variety of schedules. Together, inclusivity and trust will build resilience -- which will be necessary to overthrow the maledominated daytime plaza.

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DESIGNING INFRASTRUCTURES OF INCLUSION Global Urban Studio Intensive May 2021 - New York