Archive

1. Design Sprints: Building Creative Capacity

   September 30, 2024 12:19 pm Comments Off on Design Sprints: Building Creative Capacity

   About

   

   Applications for community partners will be open October 15–November 15, 2024 — check back here for updates!

   In Spring 2025, our Design Sprints program will partner with New York City’s Department of Small Business Services (SBS) to explore the intersection between arts programming and economic development, with a focus on areas with high storefront vacancy.

   Storefront vacancy is an issue impacting many commercial districts’ quality of life, public realm, and small business engagement. While addressing storefront vacancy requires long-term investment and intervention, immediate services are needed to address the perception of vacancy in the short-term. Design Sprints: Building Creative Capacity will provide community-based organizations with capacity building and design support, including project design and strategic planning, to understand and address storefront vacancy in creative ways.

   This initiative is supported by the NYC Department of Small Business Services.

   Info Session

   Design Sprints: Building Creative Capacities Info Session
   Monday, October 21, 3 pm
   Held via Zoom (RSVP link to come)

   Join Van Alen Institute and SBS for a virtual info session hosted on Zoom. The session will be recorded and posted here shortly following the event.

   Timeline

   Oct – Nov 2024

   Community Partner Application Period

   Van Alen Institute and SBS will accept applications from community partners. Partner qualifications will be posted in the coming weeks.

   Dec 2024 – Jan 2025

   Teams Formed

   Van Alen and SBS will connect selected community partners with design professionals.

   Jan – Mar 2025

   Cohort 3 Sprint

   Teams will collaborate for eight weeks, with facilitation provided by Van Alen and SBS.

   Apr 2025

   Storefront Activations

   Teams will fabricate and realize their projects.

   May 2025

   Share Out

   Teams will present their work at Van Alen Institute.

   Partners

   

   People

   NYC Department of Small Business Services

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2. Design Sprints: Fall 2024

   September 19, 2024 12:08 pm Comments Off on Design Sprints: Fall 2024

   About

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Design Sprints is Van Alen Institute’s newest community-led design program. Over eight weeks, a five-team cohort comprising community leaders and design professionals collaborate on short-term solutions and tools to meet immediate neighborhood needs. Working across New York City, each of our Fall 2024 community organizations has a unique approach to using public spaces to create more interconnected neighborhoods. In collaboration with their design partners, they’ll develop visual identities, wayfinding systems, and advocacy campaigns that support their mission and goals.

   34th Ave Open Streets Coalition

   

   

   

   

   

   Operating along Queens’ 34th Avenue between 69th St and Junction Blvd,  34th Street Open Streets Coalition facilitates an outdoor community center and micro mobility corridor along 26 blocks in Jackson Heights. Together with WXY Architecture + Urban Design, they’ll create design interventions that further activate the open street, including gateways at the main entrances and mile-markers for joggers and pedestrians.

   

   Community Partner

   34th Ave Open Streets Coalition

   

   Network

   WXY

   People

   

   People

   Jim Burke

   Co-Founder, 34th Avenue Open Street Coalition

   

   Network

   Rob Daurio

   Senior Associate, WXY

   

   Network

   Annie Peyton

   Associate, WXY

   

   Network

   Clinton Van Arnam

   Creative Director, WXY

   

   Van Alen Board

   Claire Weisz

   Principal-in-Charge, WXY

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   Gotham Park

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Gotham Park is the nonprofit grassroots organization reopening, revitalizing and reactivating the forgotten spaces under the Manhattan side of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. Together with Pentagram and Shawn Scott, they’ll create a comprehensive rebrand of the organization to be applied to its digital presence and merchandise. Pentagram will also conduct preliminary work on a new wayfinding system for the park.

   

   Community Partner

   Gotham Park

   

   Network

   Pentagram

   People

   

   Network

   Shigeto Akiyama

   Associate, Pentagram

   

   Network

   Sewon Bae

   Project Manager, Pentagram

   

   Community Partner

   Megan Brosterman

   Chief Operating Officer, Gotham Park

   

   Community Partner

   Rosa Chang

   Co-Founder & President, Gotham Park

   

   Network

   Luke Hayman

   Partner, Pentagram

   

   Network

   Anna LaGrone

   Photo Editor, Pentagram

   

   People

   Shawn Scott

   Emerging designer

   ---

   James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center‘s mission is to strive for inquiry and project-based solutions at the juncture of food, environmental justice, and social justice. Together with BD Feliz, they’ll build upon their existing branding and website to better reflect the organization’s rich history and advance its programs, such as its market, garden, and edible forest.

   

   Network

   BD Feliz

   BD FELIZ, Principal

   

   Community Partner

   James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center

   People

   

   Community Partner

   Sung Kim

   Assistant to the Director, James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center

   

   Network

   Linda Pollak

   Principal, Marpillero Pollak Architects

   

   Community Partner

   Ray Pultinas

   Director, James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center

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   Red Hook Farms

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Red Hook Farms is a youth-centered urban agriculture and food justice program operating one of Brooklyn’s largest farms. Together with Studio Loutsis, they’ll design a comprehensive wayfinding and signage system for their two farms, allowing local residents and volunteers alike to more easily engage with and navigate the farms.

   

   Community Partner

   Red Hook Farms

   

   Network

   Studio Loutsis

   People

   

   Community Partner

   Brendan Parker

   Associate Director, Red Hook Farms

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   Street Vendor Project

   Street Vendor Project (SVP) at the Urban Justice Center is a membership-based organization of over 2,900 members who are working together to create a vendors’ movement for permanent change. Together with ThoughtMatter, they’ll develop their design identity and drive public awareness of their mission, visions, and goals. Starting with a unified brand toolkit for the organization, they will apply the branding across a set of strategic communication touchpoints that uplift street vendors in New York City.

   

   Community Partner

   Street Vendor Project

   

   Network

   ThoughtMatter

   People

   

   Network

   Mari Andreatta

   Business Development Lead, ThoughtMatter

   

   Community Partner

   Mohamed Attia

   Managing Director, Street Vendor Project

   

   People

   Sam Barbagiovanni

   Design Director, ThoughtMatter

   

   People

   Shanti Basu

   Creative Strategist, ThoughtMatter

   

   Network

   D’Angelo Heyward

   Designer, ThoughtMatter

   

   Community Partner

   Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez

   Deputy Director, Street Vendor Project

   

   Network

   Jessie McGuire

   Managing Partner, ThoughtMatter

   

   Network

   Diana Ross-Gotta

   Account Director, ThoughtMatter

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   Institutional Partners

   

   Network

   Buro Happold

   

   Network

   Pentagram

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   Timeline

   Sep 2024

   Discovery

   Teams define their projects and metrics for success.

   Sep – Oct 2024

   Design

   Teams engage in a collaborative co-design process.

   Oct – Nov 2024

   Fabrication and Application

   Teams fabricate their designs and create a final suite of products for community partners’ use.

   Supporter

   

   Supporter

   New York State Council on the Arts

   The New York State Council on the Arts is dedicated to preserving and expanding the rich and diverse cultural resources that are and will become the heritage of New…

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3. Design Sprints

   September 9, 2024 11:07 am Comments Off on Design Sprints

   About

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   “Design is powerful. Let’s use it for good. Let’s use it to be inclusive. Let’s use it to empower communities to make decisions about our own built environment.”
   — Yin Kong, Executive Director, Think!Chinatown and Design Sprints partner

   Design Sprints is Van Alen Institute’s newest community-led design program. Over eight weeks, a five-team cohort comprising community leaders and design professionals collaborate on short-term solutions and tools to meet immediate neighborhood needs.

   Design Sprints follows the lead of people already working towards equity and justice in their neighborhoods. Community partners identify an immediate, pressing challenge facing their area, and Van Alen shapes multidisciplinary design teams uniquely suited to those challenges. We facilitate these collaborations through end-to-end project management and provide each team with $5000 in seed funding to implement their plans.

   Why a sprint? Time-bound projects — with an attainable “definition of done” and rapid learning — help build trust between people who are often siloed from each other. Each challenge also feeds into neighborhood-scale efforts led by our community partners, and work completed through Design Sprints supports their long-term goals.

   Cohorts

   Institutional Partners

   

   Network

   Buro Happold

   

   Network

   Pentagram

   ---

   Supporter

   

   Supporter

   New York State Council on the Arts

   The New York State Council on the Arts is dedicated to preserving and expanding the rich and diverse cultural resources that are and will become the heritage of New…

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4. Dear Neighbor,

   July 16, 2024 2:09 pm Comments Off on Dear Neighbor,

   About

   

   Coming in Spring 2025!

   Launched by Van Alen Institute in 2023, Points of Promise is a multiyear initiative to create public art and design tools that support civic engagement and foster connection among Gowanus residents in the midst of significant neighborhood redevelopment.

   The next Points of Promise installation, on view in Spring 2025, will increase public awareness of the evolving risk and impact of flooding in Gowanus. The project seeks fresh ideas for community engagement in order to provide Gowanus residents with new, enriching ways to stay informed about issues shaping the neighborhood.

   An artist open call held in Spring 2024 received more than 100 responses, and approximately half of the applicants had close ties to Gowanus or personal experience of flooding in New York City. Three artists were invited to submit a proposal, and the winning proposal will be announced in Fall 2024. The winning artist will be awarded $50,000 to complete the project, with low bono engineering review services provided by Silman.

   Finalists were asked to consider the following:

   • How do residents currently deal with living in the flood zone? What are their stories? Is it possible to make their experiences, along with the physical impacts of flooding, more visible?
   • Looking ahead, how might the threat of flooding evolve over time in Gowanus? How might the neighborhood’s communities be impacted in the future? How might your piece inform the public of efforts led by community groups and/or city leaders to help Gowanus manage water and bounce back from flooding?
   • There’s a lot of new construction in Gowanus’ flood zone – how might you reach potential future residents about flooding in Gowanus, in addition to long-time residents?

   Winning Proposal

   Dear Neighbor,

   Created by Tiffany Baker, Dear Neighbor, is a multi-site campaign and art showcase spotlighting the experiences of Gowanus residents impacted by flooding, depicted through experiential murals, audio recordings and abstracted portraits. The project aims to reflect how neighbors across the community care and support each other through a public, visual display of their stories.

   

   Network

   Tiffany Baker

   

   

   

   Finalist Proposals

   Futures Without Flooding

   Created by artist Ali Rufrano-Ruffner, Futures Without Flooding proposes a series of vibrant mural panels that vividly depict stories of flooding — and futures without flooding — in Gowanus. During community activations and pop-up events, youth participants contribute their own ideas and visions to interactive mural panels. The project’s journey is compiled into a coloring book that prompts young people to continue envisioning their own futures for Gowanus.

   

   Network

   Ali Rufrano-Ruffner

   

   

   

   Tidal Shift

   Created by Leah Harper, Tidal Shift proposes a collection of public art interventions to raises awareness of flooding in Gowanus. At the canal’s edge, colorful, phosphorescent asphalt murals — painted with local residents — draw attention to flooding threats. In the water, sails installed on flotation devices rise and fall with the tides, bringing the sea level to eye level. Additionally, Van Alen Institute’s storefront windows serve as an information hub about the future of flooding in Gowanus and solutions for mitigating floodwaters.

   

   Network

   Leah Harper

   

   

   

   Selection Committee

   

   Network

   Andrea Parker

   Executive Director, Gowanus Canal Conservancy

   

   Network

   Andreas Tyre

   Community Activist

   

   People

   Elisa Smilovitz

   Gowanus Mutual Aid

   

   Network

   Karen Blondel

   Executive Director, Public Housing Civic Association

   

   Network

   Sebastian Mendez

   Co-Founder, Tankhouse

   

   People

   Steven Koller

   Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies

   

   People

   Tony Ruiz

   Communications Committee Co-Chair, Gowanus Oversight Task Force

   

   People

   Tracey L. Pinkard

   Community Liaison

   Former Vice President, Gowanus Houses Resident Association

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   About Points of Promise

   In 2021, the New York City Council approved the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan, transforming (or “rezoning”) former manufacturing sites into residential and mixed-use properties, including an estimated 8,200 new apartments. Residents and community organizers have been working to ensure current Gowanus residents benefit from the rezoning. Their advocacy resulted in the 56 Points of Agreement (POAs) — commitments made by New York City to support housing, infrastructure, public space, community amenities, and business programs. In total, NYC will invest $450 million for these improvements in Gowanus. Approximately $200 million of that total will address high priority needs in Gowanus’ NYCHA developments.

   Points of Promise calls on artists and designers to create local temporary art installations or public space activations that help inform Gowanus residents about these immense changes. Each year, artists are invited to respond to an RFP (request for proposals) that addresses a topic present in the 56 Points of Agreement (POAs). To create these public art and design tools in truly community-led and responsive ways, Van Alen seeks artists and designers with demonstrated experience facilitating community-engaged social practice work that centers the lived experiences and needs of the respective communities they collaborate with.

   This initiative was developed with the support of a selection committee of Gowanus residents and local stakeholders from the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, Gowanus Houses Tenants Association, the Gowanus Oversight Task Force, and Gowanus Mutual Aid.

   Learn more

   Related Projects

   

   Common Build

   Ongoing

   Points of Promise

   Public art and design tools to support civic engagement in Gowanus amidst the neighborhood’s redevelopment.

   See Project

   

   Points of Promise

   Common Build

   Archive

   With Your Voice

   Created by Juanli Carrión and Rodolfo Kusulas, With Your Voice envisioned major changes coming to Gowanus, Brooklyn.

   See Project

   Supporters

   

   Supporter

   National Endowment for the Arts

   

   Supporter

   New York State Council on the Arts

   

   Supporter

   New York City Department of Cultural Affairs

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5. Albany Hive

   May 2, 2024 3:53 pm Comments Off on Albany Hive

   About

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Albany Hive (“the Hive”) is an uplifting new shared space on a city-owned alley at Quail St and 1st St in the city’s West Hill neighborhood. Co-designed with West Hill residents, the Hive reflects the alley’s function as a community hub, buzzing with locally-led activities. Six beehive-inspired sculptures in vibrant blue and yellow will include built-in seating elements and polycarbonate panels to host community-made artwork. They’re paired with new planters and swales that help absorb rainwater and a newly-built pathway with improved lighting, access, and drainage.

   From 2021–24, we built a coalition of community organizations, designers, city leaders, and residents to form a collective vision for the alley. More than 400+ conversations with residents and project partners informed the site plan and design. Our community partners and Rensselaer School of Architecture are also creating a long-term stewardship and maintenance plan, outlining the city and community’s continued collaboration in service of the alley.

   Albany Hive (formerly Lucid Project: Albany) is a collaboration between 518 SNUG, Albany & Troy Lions Club, Albany Victory Gardens, Bridge Tha Gap, the City of Albany, Grateful Villages, Rensselaer School of Architecture, Stantec, The Urban Conga, and Van Alen Institute.

   Why are we doing this work?

   This city-owned alley sits within a residential block in West Hill, adjacent to Albany Victory Gardens — a community garden created by the local nonprofit Eden’s Rose Foundation — and a weekend farmers market operated by Grateful Villages. Despite the success of these nearby community-led programs, the alley itself has been left in poor condition, with inadequate drainage, an overgrown tree canopy that blocks light, and trash and debris.

   The City of Albany owns several similar alleys, but these publicly-owned spaces are often left to residents to maintain. While wealthier neighborhoods have the time and money to manage them, lower-income neighborhoods like West Hill don’t have access to the same resources. The condition of these alleys is a direct reflection of inequity in the public realm.

   Communities have the right to shape the places where they live, and we hope this project becomes a new model for how shared spaces are designed.

   Our Partners

   

   Community Partner

   Albany 518 SNUG

   

   Community Partner

   Albany Victory Gardens

   

   Network

   City of Albany

   

   Network

   The Urban Conga

   

   Community Partner

   Grateful Villages

   

   Community Partner

   Albany and Troy Lions Club

   

   Community Partner

   Bridge Tha Gap Community Resource & Outreach

   

   Network

   Stantec

   

   People

   School of Architecture at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

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   Community Engagement

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Updates

   Updates

   Community Engagement in Albany

   Read More

   

   Press

   Spectrum News

   Organizers plant seeds of renewal in Albany alleyway

   Read More

   Timeline

   Sep 2021

   Kickoff

   On September 24-25, we held a community engagement session and co-design workshop with design team The Urban Conga and our local partners.

   Oct 2021

   Community Engagement

   We set up a table at the West Hill Farmers Market on October 17 and 24 to put forward some initial concepts and gather more ideas from the West Hill community. On October 27, we joined SNUG’s Kids Halloween Party at the Arbor Hill Community Center to share some design inspiration and gather more feedback.

   Dec 2021

   Design Review

   We hosted a design review and selection with our community partners.

   Jan 2022 – May 2023

   Partner Workshops

   We held inspiration workshops with our local partners and started site prep and fabrication.

   Jun 2023 – Jun 2024

   Site Cleanup and Installation

   We completed the site’s construction work and installed the public art installation.

   Supporters

   

   Supporter

   National Endowment for the Arts

   Supporter

   Bender Family Foundation

   

   Supporter

   New York State Council on the Arts

6. Points of Promise: Artist Open Call

   April 16, 2024 5:55 pm Comments Off on Points of Promise: Artist Open Call

   Artist Open Call

   

   Launched by Van Alen Institute in 2023, Points of Promise is a multiyear initiative to create public art and design tools that support civic engagement and foster connection among Gowanus residents in the midst of significant neighborhood redevelopment.

   For the next Points of Promise installation in Fall 2024, Van Alen is currently seeking artists and designers to help increase public awareness of the evolving risk and impact of flooding in Gowanus. The project seeks fresh ideas for community engagement in order to provide Gowanus residents with new, enriching ways to stay informed about issues shaping the neighborhood. To apply, complete the 2024 Open Call form by Friday, April 26, 2024.

   Applying artists should have:

   • At least two years of professional experience as an artist
   • Completed at least two public-facing and/or community-engaged projects
   • A practice based in the New York City metropolitan area; Gowanus-based artists and those impacted by local flooding are especially encouraged to apply

   Please note the Open Call is not a request for proposals (RFP). In early May, a shortlist of applicants will receive the RFP and a winning proposal will be chosen by committee in June. Shortlisted artists will receive $2,000 upon submission of their design proposals. The winning artist will be awarded $50,000 to complete the project, with low bono engineering review services provided by Silman.

   Artists invited to submit a proposal will be asked to consider the following:

   • How do residents currently deal with living in the flood zone? What are their stories? Is it possible to make their experiences, along with the physical impacts of flooding, more visible?
   • Looking ahead, how might the threat of flooding evolve over time in Gowanus? How might the neighborhood’s communities be impacted in the future? How might your piece inform the public of efforts led by community groups and/or city leaders to help Gowanus manage water and bounce back from flooding?
   • There’s a lot of new construction in Gowanus’ flood zone – how might you reach potential future residents about flooding in Gowanus, in addition to long-time residents?

   Proposed projects can range in the nature of their form — from a poster campaign to a physical installation serving as an info hub to a performance-based piece, and everything in between. Points of Promise is open to the full range of possibilities, but proposals must make current and incoming residents conscious of the shifting impact of flooding in Gowanus.

   Info Sessions + FAQ

   Drop-in Hours

   Thursday, April 25, 5–6:30 pm
   Van Alen Institute
   303 Bond Street, Brooklyn

   Frequently Asked Questions

   How do I apply?
   Fill out the open call application, linked here.

   Can a team, duo, or studio apply?
   Yes! Only one person from the group needs to apply to the open call, but your responses should reflect the availability, opinion, and work of the group. Please note, if your team is selected to submit a proposal, you will split the $2,000 payment for the proposal among your team members.

   What’s the most important part of the application?
   Van Alen is especially interested in seeing previous public art and community engagement projects you’ve worked on.

   Who’s responsible for the community engagement component of the project?
   Artists and designers invited to submit a proposal in the next round will be asked to create a community engagement plan. Invited artists and designers are encouraged to reach out to local community organizations and residents as they work on their proposals. Van Alen will support efforts to connect with local residents, advocates, and stakeholders as needed.

   For those invited to submit a proposal, does Van Alen help with site identification and the permitting process?
   It is the responsibility of the selected artists and designers to take the lead on identifying specific sites and their respective permitting processes. Van Alen will support their efforts as needed and share existing neighborhood and city agency contacts.

   Contact

   

   Van Alen Staff

   Shiloah Coley

   Project Manager, Programs

   Email

   About Points of Promise

   In 2021, the New York City Council approved the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan, transforming (or “rezoning”) former manufacturing sites into residential and mixed-use properties, including an estimated 8,200 new apartments. Residents and community organizers have been working to ensure current Gowanus residents benefit from the rezoning. Their advocacy resulted in the 56 Points of Agreement (POAs) — commitments made by New York City to support housing, infrastructure, public space, community amenities, and business programs. In total, NYC will invest $450 million for these improvements in Gowanus. Approximately $200 million of that total will address high priority needs in Gowanus’ NYCHA developments.

   Points of Promise calls on artists and designers to create local temporary art installations or public space activations that help inform Gowanus residents about these immense changes. Each year, artists are invited to respond to an RFP (request for proposals) that addresses a topic present in the 56 Points of Agreement (POAs). To create these public art and design tools in truly community-led and responsive ways, Van Alen seeks artists and designers with demonstrated experience facilitating community-engaged social practice work that centers the lived experiences and needs of the respective communities they collaborate with.

   This initiative was developed with the support of a selection committee of Gowanus residents and local stakeholders from the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, Gowanus Houses Tenants Association, the Gowanus Oversight Task Force, and Gowanus Mutual Aid.

   Learn more

   Related Projects

   

   Common Build

   Ongoing

   Points of Promise

   Public art and design tools to support civic engagement in Gowanus amidst the neighborhood’s redevelopment.

   See Project

   

   Points of Promise

   Common Build

   Archive

   With Your Voice

   Created by Juanli Carrión and Rodolfo Kusulas, With Your Voice envisioned major changes coming to Gowanus, Brooklyn.

   See Project

   Supporters

   

   Supporter

   New York City Department of Cultural Affairs

   

   Supporter

   National Endowment for the Arts

   

   Supporter

   New York State Council on the Arts

   ---

7. Points of Promise

   April 2, 2024 3:22 pm Comments Off on Points of Promise

   

   

   

   

   

   

   About

   Launched by Van Alen Institute in 2023, Points of Promise is a multiyear initiative to create public art and design tools that support civic engagement and foster connection among Gowanus residents in the midst of significant neighborhood redevelopment.

   In 2021, the New York City Council approved the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan, transforming (or “rezoning”) former manufacturing sites into residential and mixed-use properties, including an estimated 8,200 new apartments. Residents and community organizers have been working to ensure current Gowanus residents benefit from the rezoning. Their advocacy resulted in the 56 Points of Agreement (POAs) — commitments made by New York City to support housing, infrastructure, public space, community amenities, and business programs. In total, NYC will invest $450 million for these improvements in Gowanus. Approximately $200 million of that total will address high priority needs in Gowanus’ NYCHA developments.

   Points of Promise calls on artists and designers to create local temporary art installations or public space activations that help inform Gowanus residents about these immense changes. Each year, artists are invited to respond to an RFP (request for proposals) that addresses a topic present in the 56 Points of Agreement (POAs). To create these public art and design tools in truly community-led and responsive ways, Van Alen seeks artists and designers with demonstrated experience facilitating community-engaged social practice work that centers the lived experiences and needs of the respective communities they collaborate with.

   This initiative was developed with the support of a selection committee of Gowanus residents and local stakeholders from the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, Gowanus Houses Tenants Association, the Gowanus Oversight Task Force, and Gowanus Mutual Aid.

   Projects

   

   Points of Promise

   Common Build

   Ongoing

   Dear Neighbor,

   Coming in Spring 2025, Tiffany Baker’s public art project will increase public awareness of flooding in Gowanus.

   See Project

   

   Points of Promise

   Common Build

   Archive

   With Your Voice

   Created by Juanli Carrión and Rodolfo Kusulas, With Your Voice envisioned major changes coming to Gowanus, Brooklyn.

   See Project

   56 Points of Agreement

   Scroll down to read a condensed version of the 56 Points of Agreement, or click the button below below to read the document in its entirety.

   56 Points of Agreement

   A: Accountability, Implementation, and Community Participation

   The Gowanus Neighborhood Plan is built on many years of constructive, thoughtful, and multifaceted community engagement over nearly a decade between City Council, Community Board 6, community organizations, residents, and a large City agency team. The Administration agrees that ongoing coordination and accountability is a keystone of a successful plan, especially one that will be implemented and measured in decades. In addition to the Administration’s current requirement of annual updates on the “NYC Rezoning Commitments Tracker” pursuant to Local Law 175 of 2016, the Administration seeks to ensure a continued dialogue where updates are predictable, consistent, and timely. The longer time horizon for such a plan means a commitment to coordination and accountability must be flexible given the dynamic nature of neighborhoods, community organizations, and Community Boards. Therefore, the Administration commits to a framework for quarterly updates with the community while also developing a longer-term coordination and accountability approach.

   1. Support the Council, Community Board 6, and other stakeholders to form a Community Oversight Task Force

   2. Work to create a Construction Committee.

   B: Public Housing

   A central goal of the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan is expanding access to amenities and opportunities for current residents while allowing more New Yorkers to be part of the neighborhood through the preservation and creation of affordable housing. Over 4,000 residents live adjacent to the rezoning area in NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority) housing, and it’s imperative that they also benefit from the investments and improvements that the Plan will bring. To that end, in parallel with direct investments in infrastructure in the specific rezoning area, the City will work with NYCHA to complete strategic capital improvements to address the highest-priority needs identified by NYCHA residents and the NYCHA Capital Planning Division.

   3. Fund comprehensive in-unit renovations at all apartments at Gowanus Houses and Wyckoff Gardens.

   4. Ensure tenant engagement and oversight of NYCHA investments.

   5. Accelerate implementation of Free/Low-Cost Broadband in Gowanus Houses and Wyckoff Gardens.

   6. Fulfill commitment to renovate and reopen the Gowanus Community Center and Wyckoff Community Center.

   7. Provide MAP services at Gowanus Houses and Wyckoff Gardens.

   C: Affordable Housing Tenant Support

   The Gowanus Neighborhood Plan is a critical step towards a more diverse, integrated, and equitable Gowanus. The rezoning is expected to lead to approximately 8,500 new homes. This includes approximately 3,000 new affordable homes that will be created through the implementation of MIH in the area and the development of affordable housing on publicly-owned sites. At the center of the plan is Gowanus Green, a sustainable development which will bring approximately 950 new affordable homes for a variety of incomes and populations, along with a new public park, public school, and neighborhood amenities. In the future, the City of New York will continue to explore opportunities for the creation of additional affordable housing on public sites and on privately owned land through the use of its various subsidy programs.

   8. Deliver approximately 950 units of affordable housing at Gowanus Green, with at least 50% of units at 50 AMI or below.

   9. Advance full remediation at Gowanus Green.

   10. Develop affordable housing at Mercy Home (487 4th Avenue).

   11. Assist local residents, including NYCHA residents, in preparing for and applying for new affordable housing.

   12. Host “know your rights” trainings, for Gowanus area tenants, including NYCHA residents.

   13. Inform property owners in the rezoning area of affordable housing preservation opportunities.

   D. Small Business Support Workforce Development

   Located a short distance from Downtown Brooklyn, between the thriving residential neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens and Park Slope, and to the north of the industrial areas of Sunset Park and Red Hook, Gowanus is well-situated as both a local and regional hub of employment. Anchored by the Gowanus Canal, which historically served as a center for industry and commerce, the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan seeks to reinforce the mixed-use character of the community, supporting the growth of a wide range of non-residential uses, including office and retail-based uses, alongside local artists, makers, and small-scale industrial businesses that build upon the neighborhood’s current business environment. Through the commitments outlined below, the City will ensure that support is in place to allow existing and new businesses to thrive and local residents to gain access to quality jobs.

   14. Create a “Gowanus Program Manager” position, which will oversee all business and workforce strategies related to the Gowanus rezoning.

   15. Create a Gowanus Business Grant Program.

   16. Support M/WBE businesses through city programming.

   17. Work with Gowanus businesses to connect them to capital access services.

   18. Deploy the SBS Mobile Unit to the Gowanus neighborhood monthly.

   19. Design and Deliver Workforce Training for Local Residents.

   20. Connect Gowanus residents to construction and green manufacturing training programs.

   21. Conduct Workforce Outreach and Virtual / In – Person Recruitment Events.

   E. Industrial Business Zone

   The Gowanus portion of the Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Business Zone (IBZ) continues to serve as an active, transit-accessible employment hub for industrial and commercial businesses, including artists, manufacturers, and various office- and retail-based uses. While the IBZ portion of Gowanus is not subject to land use actions as part of the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan, the City recognizes the crucial need to reinforce the Gowanus IBZ as a 21st century job hub and proposes to advance key infrastructure and workforce development priorities, which were shaped by the Gowanus IBZ Vision Plan and its public engagement process.

   22. Support the expansion of broadband internet access in the Gowanus IBZ.

   23. Continue to provide updates on sewer and draining infrastructure work.

   24. Help IBZ businesses and property owners meet resiliency and sustainability goals.

   25. Conduct a study of traffic circulation in IBZ/3rd Avenue and additional improvements.

   26. Support access to industrial sector jobs for Community Board 6 residents.

   27. Continue engagement with local stakeholders on the Gowanus IBZ Vision Plan’s framework and workforce and infrastructure recommendations.

   F. Open Space Waterfront Access Plan

   As part of the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan, Parks and the DCP have worked with local stakeholders to better understand Gowanus’ open space priorities to develop an array of capital projects to enhance existing parks and recreational facilities. The City also recognizes that there have been many years of planning and community advocacy for waterfront open space in Gowanus. At the Plan’s core is the transformation of the Gowanus Canal to a unique waterfront asset – new public open spaces on both sides of the canal, including the new park at Gowanus Green, the first new park within Community District 6 under the Parks Department’s jurisdiction in more than 25 years, will provide much-needed new welcoming and accessible recreation space for all users, Gowanus residents, workers, and visitors alike.

   28. Support the community’s effort to create a Gowanus Waterfront Business Improvement District.

   29. Advance planning to remediate and renovate Thomas Greene Playground while maintaining public access to comparable facilities.

   30. Create a new city-owned waterfront park adjacent to Gowanus Green.

   31. Construct open space at the future Head-End CSO site.

   32. Provide open space and ecosystem restoration at the Salt Lot site following community engagement.

   33. Create a promenade connecting the Gowanus Esplanade to 9th Street.

   34. Renovate Boerum Park.

   35. Study potential pedestrian bridges at key crossing points.

   36. Open School Yards to Playground in the neighborhood.

   37. Create new open space at the Bond Street street end.

   38. Work to identify suitable and feasible locations for in-water recreational access and share design concepts with Gowanus Community prior to Waterfront Certification.

   G. Sustainability Resiliency

   As Hurricane Ida vividly illustrated, climate change is a public health, environmental justice, and racial justice issue that must be taken seriously across our City. Mayor de Blasio’s report “The New Normal: Combatting Storm-Related Extreme Weather in New York City,” provides a new blueprint to prepare for and respond to extreme weather. The announcement included significant funding to support the report’s recommendations with $2.1 billion in new funding for DEP, with $238 million in accelerated funding for crucial DEP projects. The Gowanus community has endured decades of chronic street flooding and historic contamination in the Gowanus Canal. Major capital work in Gowanus will help reduce chronic street flooding locally with major upgrades planned to sewers and pump station. This work compliments existing investments in the neighborhood including high-level storm sewers, green infrastructure and upgrades to the Gowanus pumping station. Working with a variety of stakeholders, DEP continues advancing construction on two new sewage retention tanks that reduce combined sewer overflows into the canal. Coupled with the city’s Unified Stormwater Rule, which creates stricter requirements for stormwater management on new development sites, the reduction in flow entering combined sewers will be sufficient to protect the effectiveness of the permanent CSO control measures. The Gowanus Neighborhood Plan compliments and supplements the in-Canal cleanup with requirements for remediation of upland brownfields. In addition, with the new forthcoming stormwater rule, the recently passed legislation requiring solar or green roofs for many new developments, and a number of other tools and policies, the Gowanus Plan will support the overall cleanup and remediation of the neighborhood.

   39. Apply the new Unified Stormwater Rule to all new development that discharges to sewers in the rezoning area.

   40. Monitor changes in sanitary and storm water loading within the Gowanus Sewershed.

   41. Report on compliance with the Unified Stormwater Rule.

   42. Include Gowanus, Red Hook, and Gowanus IBZ in upcoming Cloudburst studies.

   43. Upgrade sewer infrastructure to alleviate flooding conditions.

   44. Comply with EPA’s timeline for constructing CSO retention tanks as mandated in Gowanus Superfund ROD.

   45. Assist in continued provision of composting and temporary relocation of nursery site during Salt Lot CSO construction.

   46. Target outreach around green building infrastructure through NYC Accelerator.

   H. Transportation Streets

   Ensuring safe streets and advancing pedestrian access is a key part of the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan. Through the below commitment, DOT will provide pedestrian and streetscape improvements at key locations throughout the rezoning area.

   47. Provide pedestrian and streetscape improvements at priority locations.

   48. Explore pedestrian improvements at Nevins Street.

   49. Increase pedestrian access and safety at 3rd Street and Carroll Street bridges.

   50. Improve design, permitting and construction coordination at street ends.

   I. Community Facilities

   The Gowanus Neighborhood Plan will advance educational facilities in the rezoning area, advancing planning for a school at Gowanus Green and providing innovative tools to encourage the inclusion of public schools as part of mixed-use residential buildings if seats are needed. It will also honor the cultural and historical heritage of the neighborhood, preserving key historic buildings, increasing opportunities for public art and historic interpretation, and investing in local institutions.

   51. Enhance the Old Stone House by upgrading facilities and improving accessibility.

   52. Renovate the Pacific Street Library.

   53. Construct a school at Gowanus Green.

   54. Require notification of development in school siting opportunities.

   55. Increase opportunities for public art and historic interpretation.

   56. Target EDC Industrial Developer Loan Fund to facilitate potential Gowanus Mix spaces.

   Resources

   Resources

   Gowanus Neighborhood Plan

   Read More

   Resources

   Gowanus Oversight Task Force POA Tracker

   Read More

   Resources

   Survive and Thrive: Towards a Justice-Focused Gowanus Neighborhood Plan

   Read More

   2024 Selection Committee

   

   People

   Steven Koller

   Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies

   

   People

   Tony Ruiz

   Communications Committee Co-Chair, Gowanus Oversight Task Force

   

   Network

   Andreas Tyre

   Community Activist

   

   People

   Elisa Smilovitz

   Gowanus Mutual Aid

   

   People

   Tracey L. Pinkard

   Community Liaison

   Former Vice President, Gowanus Houses Resident Association

   

   Network

   Andrea Parker

   Executive Director, Gowanus Canal Conservancy

   

   Network

   Sebastian Mendez

   Co-Founder, Tankhouse

   

   Network

   Karen Blondel

   Executive Director, Public Housing Civic Association

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   Supporters

   

   Supporter

   New York City Department of Cultural Affairs

   

   Supporter

   National Endowment for the Arts

   

   Supporter

   New York State Council on the Arts

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8. Common Build

   April 1, 2024 4:12 pm Comments Off on Common Build

   About

   

   Since 2014, Van Alen Institute has connected longstanding local organizations with emerging and BIPOC artists to create community-led public art and design installations. Through these space activations, Common Build amplifies the advocacy work of Van Alen’s community partners, brings together local residents to connect and celebrate, and supports emerging artists and designers as they execute meaningful public realm projects.

   Common Build also explores the value of public art and design as a tool for local information sharing, community organizing, issue advocacy, and social justice.

9. Urban Room

   3:55 pm Comments Off on Urban Room

   About

   

   Urban Room at Van Alen Institute
   303 Bond Street, Brooklyn
   Drop-in hours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 10 am–6 pm

   The Urban Room at Van Alen Institute is a flexible, accessible, street-level space located at 303 Bond Street in Gowanus, Brooklyn. It’s a place for civic-minded organizations to meet and diverse groups to come together in dialogue, and serves as an information hub for the Gowanus community. For values-aligned nonprofits and community groups, Van Alen offers this space and meeting tech on a sliding scale, while private and corporate space rentals support our mission to create more equitable cities through inclusive design.

   To inquire about using our space, fill out this form.

   Why an Urban Room?

   When Van Alen moved to Gowanus in early 2020, we joined many community-based organizations already working to create a stronger, more connected neighborhood amid a major rezoning. So we opened our doors to our neighbors and listened. We learned that some lacked dignified, functional, inexpensive gathering space, and we made our flexible office and tech available at no cost. Today, we regularly host meetings of Brooklyn Community Board 6, the Gowanus Oversight Task Force, and Gowanus Mutual Aid, as well as a community fridge operated by One Love Community Fridge.

   We’ve found inspiration in the UK-based Urban Room movement, which aims to create a network of spaces where people come together to help create a future for their local area. Although Urban Rooms may differ, they share these principles: a focus on the shared built environment; an open door, especially for those traditionally underrepresented in decision making; exploration to prompt curiosity through creative activities; and location in the neighborhood under discussion. With these principles in mind and by being present in our own community, we’re learning how to best support community partners, ensuring their visions and self-identified needs are at the core of our work.

   Ask about using our space

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Ongoing Activities

   Brooklyn Community Board 6
   Full Board Meeting
   Second Wednesdays of the month, 6:30 pm
   Click here for current calendar

   One Love Community Fridge
   Open 24/7 outside 303 Bond Street
   Restocked and maintained by One Love Community Fridge

   Upcoming Events

   October 19, 2024

   Van Alen Fall Fest

   On Saturday, October 19, 1–5 pm, join us for an afternoon of food, games, tunes, and artist-run activities. We’ll also host a public art resource fair for artists, designers, and residents to learn more about activating NYC’s public realm through art and design projects.

   Urban Room

   

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   Supporters

   

   Supporter

   New York State Council on the Arts

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10. Downtown Brooklyn Partnership Design Installation

    January 4, 2024 4:49 pm Comments Off on Downtown Brooklyn Partnership Design Installation

    

    

    

    

    About the Competiton

    Our parks, plazas and streets provide essential infrastructure that connects communities, supports public health, and affirms our democratic values and ideals. Going forward we must continue to develop public spaces that meet our current challenges and inspire hope for the future. Each year, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and Van Alen Institute collaborate annually with architects, designers, and artists to bring bold and iconic urban installations to The Plaza at 300 Ashland.

    Projects

    Past Winners

    

    

    

    

    

    People

    Curry J. Hackett

    Designer, Artist, and Educator

    

    Network

    Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong

    

    Network

    Soft-Firm

    

    Network

    Ekene Ijeoma

    Artist

    Collaborators

    

    Network

    Downtown Brooklyn Partnership

    

    Supporter

    Two Trees

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