Surfacing the work of emerging designers and testing new strategies to bring people together in public space.
About
Who we are as a society is defined by how we interact in our public spaces. We must reinvigorate our public spaces in ways that bring people together and strengthen the bonds and networks that help our communities heal and thrive.
61% of Americans — approximately 200 million people — report that they are lonely. Social disconnection and isolation are linked to a host of health ailments, ranging from high blood pressure and heart disease to increased anxiety and depression. As isolation grows, social cohesion declines, causing levels of trust to fall and public life to erode. Americans who are more trusting and civically-engaged are more likely to help improve their neighborhood and offer assistance to neighbors in need. Restoring social cohesion is essential to unite, mobilize and rebuild communities in times of crisis.
Van Alen Institute’s Common Build initiatives transform public spaces into social infrastructure. From community parks to public plazas, social infrastructure refers to the places and spaces that foster trust and social cohesion in communities. Working with the communities we serve, and some of the most innovative practitioners in design, we create spaces that unite neighborhoods by bringing joy to those who live and work there, and give people hope for the future. These spaces may provide new places to play, give support to local businesses, encourage the use of sustainable transportation, provide space for meaningful public discourse, or inspire a shared sense of civic purpose. While the possibilities are vast for each place we work, the desired outcome is the same.
Ugly Beauties
With Your Voice
COMMON GROUND
An interactive public pavilion by artist Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong, with lighting design by Arup.
Drive-Thru
A reconfigurable outdoor theater, Drive-Thru by Soft-Firm features videos and performances by Brooklyn artists, filmmakers, and cultural organizations.
Interwoven
Inspired by New York’s tapestry of cultures and people, Interwoven by Atelier Cho Thompson celebrates the joys of reconnecting…
Breathing Pavilion
Breathing Pavilion by Ekene Ijeoma created a public space of reprieve during this time of intense hardship and loss.
Point of Action
Point of Action by Studio Cooke John considers how public space can develop bonds and networks that help our…
Ziggy
Ziggy is a kaleidoscopic beacon for the people of New York. Ziggy celebrated the holiday season with vibrant…
Happy
Happy is both a figure and a place. A series of softly shaped and richly colored screens drape…
Flatiron Reflection
Flatiron Reflection , by architecture and design firm Future Expansion, opened to the public on Monday, November 20,…
Flatiron Sky-Line
For the third year, Van Alen Institute and the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership called for proposals for the annual Flatiron…
Nova
SOFTlab’s winning proposal, Nova, was unveiled on November 18th, 2015 as the centerpiece of the Partnership’s annual holiday programming and…
New York Light
Van Alen Institute and the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership called for proposals for a temporary installation at the Flatiron Public…