Overview
This fall, the Local Center is supporting three community partners — Staten Island Urban Center, GrowHouse Design + Development Group, and Church Flatbush Community Alliance — to launch new commercial district lighting projects, supported by funding from the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) FY26 Public Realm Grant. We welcome nimble, mission-driven design teams and lighting designers to support these partners. Teams will contribute to meaningful projects, benefit from leadership development, and receive a modest honorarium.
The Local Center, a partnership between the Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development (ANHD) and Urban Design Forum, brings together neighborhood leaders, designers and government agencies to realize local visions for public space.
Read more about each team’s project and requested design services below. Responses are due by August 15th.
Projects
Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
GrowHouse Design + Development Group will activate Malcolm X Boulevard – particularly around the Fulton Park Plaza – with solar-powered lighting, illuminated wayfinding signage, and digital storytelling elements that celebrate Black history and highlight local businesses in Bed-Stuy. The goal of the project is to expand visibility for an underinvested commercial corridor in the neighborhood, and connect residents and visitors to the corridor’s rich array of businesses and cultural destinations.
Read their project proposal here. (Please note the final project scope is subject to change, and will be finalized by July 31, 2025).
Requested Services & Budget
GrowHouse seeks designers to develop a lighting installation, branding identity, and wayfinding system for the corridor. Designers will provide technical assistance in the following areas:
- Community Engagement: Support GrowHouse to conduct site assessments and robust and culturally sensitive community engagement, including creation and facilitation of community workshops, surveys, and other approachable community engagement tools and methods.
- Schematic Design: Produce and present illustrations, site plans, and renderings to GrowHouse and other community stakeholders to envision the lighting and wayfinding interventions.
- Design Development: Finalize the design parameters for the lighting and wayfinding interventions and prepare permitting applications to relevant city agencies.
- Fabrication and Installation: Produce temporary lighting and wayfinding installations with fabricators and other team members.
Designers who have ties to the neighborhood and/or lived experience that reflects the Bed-Stuy community and neighboring areas and who have experience with culturally sensitive community engagement are encouraged to submit proposals.
The design team will receive an estimated honorarium of $20,000 (subject to change upon finalization of project budget and contract with team).
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Church Flatbush Community Alliance (CFCA) will activate the intersection of Church Ave and E 18th St in Flatbush with creative lighting and programming to improve safety and increase foot traffic around a major transportation hub in their commercial corridor.
Read their project proposal here. (Please note the final project scope is subject to change, and will be finalized by July 31, 2025).
Requested Services & Budget
CFCA seeks designers to lead community engagement, design, and installation for lighting interventions in the corridor.
- Community Engagement: Support CFCA to conduct site assessments and robust and inclusive community engagement, including creation and facilitation of community workshops, surveys, and other approachable community engagement tools and methods.
- Schematic Design: Produce and present illustrations, site plans, and renderings to CFCA and other community stakeholders to envision the lighting interventions.
- Design Development: Finalize the design parameters for the lighting interventions and prepare permitting applications to relevant city agencies.
- Fabrication and Installation: Produce temporary lighting installations with fabricators and other team members.
The design team will receive an estimated honorarium of $20,000 (subject to change upon finalization of project budget and contract with team).
Tompkinsville, Staten Island
The Staten Island Urban Center (SIUC) is working with design firm A+A+A to use solar lighting and art to illuminate Tompkinsville Square, a neighborhood center that includes Tompkinsville Park and the intersections of Bay Street, Victory Boulevard/Central Avenue, and Minthorne Street. The goal of the project is to uplift and represent the culturally diverse businesses of Tompkinsville, increase safety, and make the commercial corridor a cultural destination for residents and visitors.
Read their project proposal here. (Please note the final project scope is subject to change, and will be finalized by July 31, 2025).
Requested Services & Budget
SIUC seeks an electrical engineer/lighting consultant to support the project with the following:
- Light calculations for public space illuminance.
- Product specifications: Hardwired and solar powered products.
- Circuiting, panelboards, conduit runs, and load calculations.
- Overall best practices and methods for the specification of lighting products keeping in mind: Code compliance, sustainability, durability and maintenance.
The consultant will receive an estimated honorarium of $5,000 (subject to change upon finalization of project budget and contract with team).
Timeline
July 21, 2025: Call for Design and Lighting Teams Opens
August 15, 2025: Submission Deadline at 11:59pm ET
August 25-26, 2025: Design Team Interviews
September 1, 2025: Design Team Notifications
September 8-12, 2025: Project Onboarding
September 2025 – June 2026: Project Implementation (Community Engagement, Design, Installation)
June 30, 2026: Installations completed
What We Ask For
- Commitment to Community-Driven Practice. We ask design teams to work in solidarity with our partners in neighborhoods that have been historically underinvested and excluded from design and planning processes. We welcome teams that are dedicated to continuing learning and active listening to develop designs that respond meaningfully to local needs.
- Committed Project Staff. We ask design teams to designate a project lead as the main point person for each team. We ask firms to commit to the duration of the 10-month project timeline.
- Participation in Learning Community: We invite design teams to participate in regular Learning Community events organized by the Local Center throughout the 10-month project timeline, including convenings with community partners and design firms across all projects and workshops to support team leadership development and peer learning.
Submission and Selection Process
Qualified teams are requested to submit a proposal including qualifications, approach, and project experience via this Google Form. Submissions are due by August 15, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET.
We will invite top-ranked teams to interview with community partners via Zoom during August 25-26. Notification of final design team selection will be sent by September 1.
Please send all questions to:
Aashika Nagarajan
Program Manager, Urban Design Forum
About the Local Center
The Local Center brings together neighborhood leaders, designers and government agencies to realize local visions for public space. We equip local leaders with technical assistance, funding, and connections to reclaim public spaces in their communities. The Local Center is a partnership between the Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development (ANHD) and Urban Design Forum.
Local organizations who advocate for their communities day in and day out know best what their neighborhoods need. Through new connections to local organizations, designers can support them to bring their visions to life. Our goal is to create meaningful opportunities for community leaders, designers, and city agencies to model design approaches that center community visions, resulting in more just and joyful public spaces across the city. In 2023-2024, we supported eight community organizations and design teams to transform public spaces through creative installations and activations across New York City.