Archive

  1. The Dear Neighbor Project

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    About

    On view April 22—July 2025.

    Created by Brooklyn-based artist Tiffany Baker, this multi-site mural installation turns the voices of Gowanus residents into public art and illustrates their experiences with flooding in the neighborhood.

    To create The Dear Neighbor Project, Tiffany connected with community leaders, local organizations, business owners, and residents to learn more about the impact of flooding in Gowanus. She then organized interviews with residents about their personal experiences with flooding, ranging from long-time residents to newer arrivals, and middle schoolers to older adults.

    Her murals illustrate and directly quote from these residents’ stories — sharing their experiences, advice, and stories of community support during flood events. An audio archive of their stories will live permanently at dearneighborproject.com.

    The Dear Neighbor Project is the second installation in our annual initiative Points of Promise, which uses art and design to support civic engagement in Gowanus amidst the neighborhood’s redevelopment.

    Locations

    OUTDOOR — on view 24/7

    Van Alen Institute, 303 Bond St
    FDNY EMS Station 32, 347 Bond St
    Washington Park, 4th Ave & 3rd St
    MS 447 — The Exploratory School, 345 Dean St (Pacific Street side)

    INDOOR — on view at public hours

    Brooklyn Public Library — Pacific Library, 25 4th Ave
    Powerhouse Arts, 322 3rd Ave (beginning May 30)

    Public Programs

    The Dear Neighbor Project: Art Workshop
    Saturday, May 3, 1–4 pm (new date!)
    Van Alen Institute, 303 Bond St, Brooklyn

    Artist Tiffany Baker will give a brief mural tour and talk, followed by an artmaking workshop. Participants will listen to excerpts from community interviews that informed The Dear Neighbor Project, and respond through drawing, writing, and storytelling prompts. Ages 12 and up. No artistic experience required.

    Note: This event was originally scheduled for April 26, and has been rescheduled for May 3 due to rain.

    The Dear Neighbor Project: Artist Talk + Viewing
    Tuesday, May 13, 5:30–7:30 pm
    Brooklyn Public Library — Pacific Library, 25 4th Ave, Brooklyn

    Join the Pacific Library for an evening celebrating The Dear Neighbor Project, featuring a viewing session, artist talk, and Q&A session with Tiffany Baker.

    The Power of Story: An Intro to Oral History
    Friday, May 16, 6–7 pm
    Brooklyn Public Library — Library of Arts and Culture, 10 Lafayette Ave, 2nd Floor, Brooklyn

    In this workshop led by Emmy-nominated storyteller and photographer Naeem Douglass, learn how to craft compelling interviews, develop thoughtful questions, and record stories. This workshop welcomes artists, neighbors, and anyone curious about preserving lived experiences through story. Access to a smartphone with a recording app is encouraged for participation.

    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.

    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.

    Selection Committee

    Andrea Parker

    Executive Director, Gowanus Canal Conservancy

    Andreas Tyre

    Community Activist

    Elisa Smilovitz

    Publicist

    Member, Gowanus Mutual Aid

    Karen Blondel

    Executive Director, Public Housing Civic Association

    Sebastian Mendez

    Co-Founder, Tankhouse

    Steven Koller

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies

    Tony Ruiz

    Communications Committee Co-Chair, Gowanus Oversight Task Force

    Tracey L. Pinkard

    Community Liaison

    Former Vice President, Gowanus Houses Resident Association


    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.

    An artist open call was held in Spring 2024, seeking fresh ideas for community engagement in order to provide Gowanus residents with new, enriching ways to stay informed about issues shaping the neighborhood. The open call 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. The winning artist is 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?

    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.

    Points of Promise

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

    With Your Voice

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

    Supporters


  2. Design Sprints: Building Creative Capacity

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    About

    Design Sprints Grand Street BID team. Photo: Alisha Kim Levin

    In Spring 2025, our Design Sprints program is partnering 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 a nuanced issue impacting many commercial districts’ quality of life, public realm, and small business engagement. While addressing storefront vacancy requires a long-term strategy for investment and intervention, in the short term, immediate services are needed to address the impact the perception of vacancy has on commercial districts. 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.

    Learn more about our Spring 2025 cohort and their projects below!

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

    Cooper Square Committee

    As the oldest anti-displacement organization in the United States, Cooper Square Committee works with residents to preserve and develop affordable, environmentally-healthy housing and community and cultural spaces on the Lower East Side. They’re collaborating with artist Delphine Le Goff and graphic designer Scott Kelly to activate their storefront window on East 4th Street and two vacant storefronts located in a Housing Development Fund Corporation (HDFC) cooperative — a type of affordable housing co-op that’s collectively owned and operated by residents. Together, they will highlight the history of HDFCs and the small businesses situated in them, and create a digital map showcasing local businesses.

    Abigail Ellman

    Director of Planning and Development,

    Cooper Square Committee

    Scott Kelly

    Graphic Designer

    Grand Street BID

    The Grand Street Business Improvement District (BID) is a nonprofit community development organization creating a vibrant commercial district along Grand Street in Brooklyn through advocacy, beautification, and sanitation efforts. They’re collaborating with branding and digital designers L&L Studio and ReFrame Architecture to transform a large vacant corner storefront in Brooklyn. Their storefront window activation will feature an interactive art project highlighting the East Williamsburg community.

    Francesca Fernandez Bruce

    Executive Director, Grand Street BID

    Yazan Mansi

    Community Engagement Manager, Grand Street BID

    Yalda Keramati

    Founder, ReFrame Architecture

    Program Advisors

    Throughout the sprint, a team of designers provide strategic vision and guidance for both teams. MOS Architects is advising on the cohort’s long-term plans to address storefront vacancy, with graphic design support from American Design Language. Fabricator Pink Sparrow is conducting ongoing feasibility review and cost assessments, while Farzana Gandhi Design Studio is helping the teams prepare public programs and community engagement activities.

    Cat Garcia-Menocal

    Creative Director, Pink Sparrow

    Stacey Geller

    Founder & Creative Director,

    American Design Language

    Farzana Gandhi

    Founder, Farzana Gandhi Design Studio

    Hilary Sample

    Co-Founder, MOS

    Program Managers

    Through the sprint and storefront activations, Van Alen Institute and SBS provide the cohort with hands-on guidance, facilitation and relationship-building techniques, and connections to design resources.

    René Cuenca

    Senior Program Manager of Capacity Building,

    NYC Department of Small Business Services

    Timeline

    Dec 2024 – Jan 2025

    Teams Formed

    Van Alen and SBS connect community partners with design professionals.

    Feb – Mar 2025

    Sprint: Design and Strategy

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

    Apr 2025

    Fabrication and Installation

    Teams fabricate and realize their projects.

    May 2025

    Unveilings and Share Out

    Teams unveil their storefront activations, organize public programming, and present their work at Van Alen Institute.

    Resources

    In this virtual workshop presented by SBS and Van Alen, community-based development organizations  learned about low-cost, easy-to-use design tools to create and improve their brand identity. They also discovered how design can amplify the impact of their work and how to collaborate with artists to create projects that respond to neighborhood needs.

    Speakers:
    Diana Araujo, Architect and Preservationist
    Rosa Chang, Co-Founder and President, Gotham Park
    BD Feliz, Design Strategist
    Martha Hall, Illustrator
    Scott Kelly, Graphic Designer

    This workshop was funded by the New York City Small Business Services’ Organizational Development Avenue NYC grant.

    Supporters


  3. Design Sprints: Fall 2024

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    About

    Design Sprints is Van Alen Institute’s newest community-led design program. Over eight weeks, five teams of community leaders and designers closely collaborated to create visual identities, wayfinding systems, and advocacy campaigns that activate public spaces and create more interconnected neighborhoods.

    Our community partners wake up every day with an unwavering commitment to bringing about positive change. They advocate for street vendors across the city, restore public spaces that connect communities, give their neighbors a safe place to gather and exercise, engage youth in urban farming practices, and so much more.

    Their design partners started by actively listening to the community partners, learning about their missions, causes, and needs. Before any designs were implemented, they had real conversations about how they could best mobilize their skills to help their partners meet those goals.

    We’re so grateful for our teams’ time, wisdom, and dedication, and our network of supporters who make this work possible. Scroll down to learn more about each team and the results of their collaborations.

    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. They partnered with WXY Studio to rethink how residents navigate this transformed streetscape.

    The local community actively uses 34th Avenue for walking, running, and biking, and the team sought to encourage even more physical activity. However, they faced the unique challenge of creating clear wayfinding in a community that speaks 167 different languages.

    The resulting system grew from the idea that color can transcend language barriers. The design moves beyond traditional signage conventions and uses a gradient system that turns a recreational loop into an intuitive journey. Runners, walkers, and residents follow a spectrum of colors that mark their progress through the neighborhood. Each hue corresponds to a specific route segment and shows pedestrians their progress. Once the loop is complete, pedestrians have traversed the entire gradient. The team also integrated augmented reality features into the wayfinding system, layering a digital dimension to the street experience that enhances accessibility and the overall experience.

    The result is a wayfinding solution that serves its community at multiple levels — guiding movement, celebrating diversity, and embracing technological innovation without sacrificing its core goal of guiding people of all backgrounds through their neighborhood spaces.

    People

    Jim Burke

    Co-Founder, 34th Avenue Open Street Coalition

    Rob Daurio

    Senior Associate, WXY

    Annie Peyton

    Associate, WXY

    Clinton Van Arnam

    Creative Director, WXY

    Claire Weisz

    Principal-in-Charge, WXY


    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. They collaborated with Pentagram and emerging designer Shawn Scott to create a comprehensive rebrand.

    Through site visits, team meetings and research, Pentagram developed a deep understanding of Gotham Park’s mission and impact. The team’s goal was to create a brand identity that would resonate with diverse stakeholders — Gotham Park is establishing a new hyper-urban public space that is inclusive and welcoming to all. Situated in one of New York City’s densest areas at the crossroads of Chinatown, the Historic South Street Seaport, Two Bridges, the Financial District and TriBeCa, it is anchored by the 140-year-old Brooklyn Bridge and includes the Brooklyn Banks, a mecca for skateboarders and urban culture since the 1980s.

    The rebrand begins with a custom typeface inspired by the historic granite arches and iconic red bricks that define Gotham Park. The bold and bright new logo captures the dramatic artisanry of the historic bridge masonry and NYC’s unique urban culture. The impactful and timeless logo can resonate with the many ways Gotham Park’s stakeholders view and value this important place, and the flexible typeface lends itself to myriad applications from signage to digital presence to merchandise.

    People

    Shigeto Akiyama

    Associate, Pentagram

    Sewon Bae

    Project Manager, Pentagram

    Megan Brosterman

    Chief Operating Officer, Gotham Park

    Rosa Chang

    Co-Founder & President, Gotham Park

    Luke Hayman

    Partner, Pentagram

    Anna LaGrone

    Photo Editor, Pentagram

    Shawn Scott

    Emerging designer


    James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center

    A nonprofit organization that maintains gardens, green spaces, and weekly farmers market, James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center (JBOLC) fosters a multigenerational and inclusive community through shared love, respect, and appreciation for the beauty and generosity of nature. Together with BD Feliz, they sought to reflect their vitality and progress in a refreshed digital presence, and celebrate their story and history — to reveal their roots.

    Together, they designed and developed a mobile-friendly website with a colorful, garden-inspired palette, custom floral patterns, and an interactive timeline that traces JBOLC’s rich history. This timeline, which JBOLC can easily update, helps tell the story of the events and milestones that have shaped their mission.

    With the Design Sprints timeline limited to eight weeks, BD Feliz prioritized building a site JBOLC will continue to refine, launching fully next year. To support this, BD Feliz provided training that equips their team to manage and update the site independently. JBOLC’s guidance and vision drove the project, ensuring the site would bridge the gap between their outdoor programs and online engagement. This partnership has delivered a sustainable, user-centered website that will grow alongside JBOLC’s mission to foster an interconnected and empowered garden community.

    People

    Sung Kim

    Assistant to the Director, James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center

    Linda Pollak

    Principal, Marpillero Pollak Architects

    Ray Pultinas

    Director, James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center


    Red Hook Farms

    Red Hook Farms is a youth-centered urban farm working to bring food justice to the community of Red Hook. They steward two farms in the neighborhood — the Wolcott Street Farm on NYCHA land, and the Columbia Street Farm on NYC Parks land. These spaces are verdant oases in the neighborhood, growing over 20,000 pounds of fruit and vegetables annually. They also host school workshops and are public park spaces with a diverse ecology and opportunities for passive education, exploration, and relaxation. 

    In collaboration with Studio Loutsis, they designed a robust signage and wayfinding system for the Columbia Street Farm. This will increase the public’s ability to navigate the space, allow the farmers to better track crops, and improve street-facing signage in order to encourage members of the public to visit the farm.

    Signage will be fabricated and installed in Winter 2024/25, and the team is confident it will greatly improve the experience and accessibility for all who visit the farm.

    People

    Brendan Parker

    Associate Director, Red Hook Farms


    Street Vendor Project

    How do you expand an organization’s capacity to build power and support for and among its members?

    For Street Vendor Project (SVP) — a membership-based collective of 3,000+ champions of street vendor rights — this calls for raising awareness and understanding with all of their audiences. Dominant narratives and public misinformation fail to reflect the individuality of street vendors or their positive economic contributions to NYC.

    ThoughtMatter and SVP worked together to develop a new design identity to drive public awareness of their mission and goal of uplifting street vendors who play a valuable and prominent role in many of New York City’s most recognizable public spaces. To help SVP build recognition and extend their reach, ThoughtMatter created a brand toolkit that will consistently reflect the organization’s presence and work in NYC through a unified visual system and messaging framework.

    The team identified the key elements of who SVP is and what they value, then crafted a hero emblem supported by updated colors, fonts, and a series of icons. The resulting toolkit has since been used to create communication assets in support of the organization’s current and future needs.

    People

    Mari Andreatta

    Business Development Lead, ThoughtMatter

    Mohamed Attia

    Managing Director, Street Vendor Project

    Sam Barbagiovanni

    Design Director, ThoughtMatter

    Shanti Basu

    Creative Strategist, ThoughtMatter

    D’Angelo Heyward

    Designer, ThoughtMatter

    Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez

    Deputy Director, Street Vendor Project

    Jessie McGuire

    Managing Partner, ThoughtMatter

    Diana Ross-Gotta

    Account Director, ThoughtMatter


    Institutional Partners


    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

    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…


  4. Albany Hive

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    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 an enhanced pathway with improved lighting, access, and drainage.

    Albany Hive is located in a city-owned alley adjacent to Albany Victory Gardens and Grateful Villages’ West Hill Farmers Market. Despite the success of these nearby community-led programs, the alley itself was in poor condition, with debris, inadequate drainage, and an overgrown tree canopy that blocked light.

    In response, we built a coalition of community organizations, designers, city leaders, and residents to form a collective vision for the alley. Before putting pencil to paper, project partners held dozens of conversations with community groups and 400+ residents. In these discussions, West Hill community members compared themselves to a beehive, helping and supporting each other in the neighborhood. This formed the basis of design plans featuring community artwork, words of aspiration, and places to play and reflect. Plans were shared in multiple community engagement sessions, where residents further shaped the design. Our partners also created a long-term stewardship and maintenance plan, outlining the city and community’s continued collaboration in service of the alley.

    Going forward, the Hive will host public programs and workshops responding to community needs in West Hill. Upcoming events will be posted on albanyhive.com.

    Albany Hive 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.

    The project is supported, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts “Our Town” program, which supports activities that integrate arts, culture, and design into local efforts that strengthen communities over the long term. Additional support was provided by the Albany Community Development Agency, America Walks Grant, the Bender Family Foundation and the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Initial project planning was done in partnership with the Mayors’ Institute on City Design.

    Launch Event — October 5, 2024

    Our Partners


    Community Engagement

    Updates

    Spectrum News

    Organizers plant seeds of renewal in Albany alleyway

    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 – Oct 2024

    Site Cleanup and Installation

    We completed the site’s construction work, installed the public art installation, and hosted a community celebration on October 5, 2024.

    Supporters


  5. Design Sprints

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    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 supports community leaders and interdisciplinary designers as they transform New York City’s underutilized spaces into vibrant public assets. Launched in 2024, Design Sprints has mobilized 60 community leaders who serve 600,000+ New Yorkers. Through design training, technical assistance, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, Design Sprints equips these leaders with resources to create impactful, community-led public space projects.

    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 seed funding to implement their plans. In addition to public space activations that reflect local priorities, community partners come away with the experience to design and implement future public space projects, and lasting relationships with designers and city agencies.

    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


    Supporters

    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…

    The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) helps unlock economic potential and create economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger…


  6. Points of Promise: Artist Open Call

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    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

    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.

    Points of Promise

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

    With Your Voice

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

    Supporters


  7. Points of Promise

    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

    The Dear Neighbor Project

    On view April 22—July 2025, Tiffany Baker’s public art project increases public awareness of flooding in Gowanus.

    With Your Voice

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

    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.

    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

    2024 Selection Committee

    Steven Koller

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies

    Tony Ruiz

    Communications Committee Co-Chair, Gowanus Oversight Task Force

    Andreas Tyre

    Community Activist

    Elisa Smilovitz

    Publicist

    Member, Gowanus Mutual Aid

    Tracey L. Pinkard

    Community Liaison

    Former Vice President, Gowanus Houses Resident Association

    Andrea Parker

    Executive Director, Gowanus Canal Conservancy

    Sebastian Mendez

    Co-Founder, Tankhouse

    Karen Blondel

    Executive Director, Public Housing Civic Association


    Supporters


  8. Common Build

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    About

    Drive-Thru by Soft-Firm. Photo: Cameron Blaylock for DBP

    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

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    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.

    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

    At the Pacific Library, join us for a viewing session, artist talk, and Q&A session with Tiffany Baker.


    In this workshop led by Emmy-nominated storyteller and photographer Naeem Douglass, learn how to craft compelling interviews, develop thoughtful questions, and record stories.


    Artist Tiffany Baker leads a brief mural tour and talk, followed by an art-making workshop. Ages 12+.


    Supporters


  10. Downtown Brooklyn Partnership Design Installation

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    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

    Collaborators