About ↓

Join us for the two-part Neighborhoods Now Summit: Strategies for Reopening and Recovery, a culminating event reflecting on how collaborative design can inform neighborhood recovery strategies.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute joined forces to launch Neighborhoods Now, an initiative connecting NYC neighborhoods hit hard by the pandemic with coalitions of architects, engineers, lawyers, planners, and community health experts. Together, they co-created safe and effective reopening strategies for the short- and long-term.

On October 6, Part 1 of the Summit convened working groups based in Kingsbridge, Jackson Heights, and the Lower East Side to discuss their achievements, their goals for the future, and the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to recovery.

The Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute also debuted a digital toolkit, including actionable resources for city governments, community organizations, and design firms keen to take on similar projects. Explore the website here: neighborhoodsnow.nyc

Listen back to Part 1 of the Summit below:

About the Presenting Working Groups ↓

Kingsbridge, Bronx: COOKFOX, Design Advocates, MNLA, Perkins & Will, Scalar Architecture, and Studio Libeskind collaborated with Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC).

Jackson Heights, Queens: ARO, Design Advocates, LTL, MOS, nARCHITECTS, LTL, SO-IL, and VHB collaborated with the 82nd Street Partnership.

Lower East Side, Manhattan: DLR Group, Francis Cauffman Architects, and Henning Larsen collaborated with Fourth Arts Block.