About the Project
The Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District (BID) was looking for ways to reimagine public spaces in their neighborhood to bring Sunnyside’s diverse communities together, including a plaza underneath the 7 Train and the nearby Sabba Park.
To bring their vision to life, the BID collaborated with designers from di Domenico + Partners and the Queens Lighting Collective. Through community engagement and outreach, about half of all respondents said they felt that the space under the 7 train was under-utilized. Over two-thirds expressed interest in seeing a public activation or market. Residents also expressed a strong need for more accessible green spaces, community activities, and lighting in their public spaces.
In Sabba Park, the design team piloted a new lighting installation, the colorful and interactive ‘Gateway to Sunnyside,’ and worked closely with community members on the installation design and artwork. A few weeks later, the team held the first-ever Sunnyside Night Market in the space beneath the 7 train aqueduct, bringing over 500 people to the space to enjoy food and merchandise from 20 local vendors, art activities, and performances by local dancers and musicians.
To guide future public space transformations, the team produced a vision plan that captures the community’s collective vision for their public spaces and outlines strategies to transform these areas into vibrant, inclusive environments that reflect the neighborhood’s character, encourage community interaction, and stimulate local businesses.
The success of the project led the Sunnyside Shines BID to secure permits for more market events underneath the 7 train and funds for a new lighting installation on Greenpoint Avenue in 2025. The BID plans to advocate for more activations and physical improvements to its plazas, parks, and streets so that they continue to be lively community hubs for residents and local businesses.
Learn More About the Project
Explore the team’s full report on their process, findings, and vision for what’s next.
Explore the team’s presentation at the Local Center Summit in November 2024.
Team
Sunnyside Shines BID works to invigorate and enrich the economic life of Sunnyside, Queens by creating a safe, welcoming and dynamic commercial district in the neighborhood.
Dirk McCall de Palomá
Evelyn Chango
Daniel Alvarado
di Domenico + Partners is an interdisciplinary firm providing services in architecture, planning, urban design, landscape architecture, and preservation. The Queens Lighting Collective is a group of Queens-based lighting design professionals working at the intersection of live performance, event/environmental design and multimedia ideation.
John di Domenico
Ricky Liu
Alan Chan
Elena Whittle
Janice Chu
Heejung Kim
Masha Tsimring
Nicole Pearce
Kristen Robinson
Christina Tang
Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew
Phillips Lytle LLP is providing legal support across the project teams.
Molly Brennan
Shengkai Xu
Jocelyn Ng
Flora Donovan
Image credit: Cameron Blaylock and partner organizations
Support
Connected Corridors projects are made possible with support from National Grid’s Project C, NYC Department of Small Business Services, Charles H. Revson Foundation, Deutsche Bank, the NYC Green Fund, administered by City Parks Foundation, and Lily Auchincloss Foundation. The Local Center is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Urban Design Forum programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
To learn more about supporting the Local Center, please contact Katherine Sacco, katherine@urbandesignforum.org and Lauren Nye, lauren.n@anhd.org.