Design Trust for Public Space

We’re excited to announce the launch of Neighborhood Commons: Plazas, Sidewalks, and Beyond, our newest initiative designed to help New York City activate its public spaces in support of long-term resilience and economic recovery. In partnership with the NYC Department of Small Business Services, the project aims to generate new strategies for how communities can leverage public space to support local economies, a critical goal as we recover from the impact of COVID-19. You can be a part of this initiative too! We’re looking for four fellows to join the project team - so make sure to spread the word! To learn more about Neighborhood Commons, the fellowship, and how to apply, visit: http://designtrust.org/projects/neighborhood-commons/. Photo credit: Street Lab, Uni Project at Corona Plaza, 2018.

We are extending the deadline for our Call for Fellows! In partnership with NYC Department of Small Business Services, we will award four fellowships for Neighborhood Commons in policy, design, engagement and communications. Apply by December 13th! http://designtrust.org/n/neighborhood-commons-call-fellows/

Coinciding with our 25th anniversary, we're launching Trust by Design, an initiative convening leaders of the public space movement through a range of programs, including virtual panel discussions, Instagram Live conversations, a five-part video series, exclusive meet-and-greets with trailblazers in the field, and writings investigating the far-reaching impact of shared, civic spaces. You can join the campaign and check out the full schedule here: https://trustbydesign.space/ #TrustbyDesign #TxD2020

Over the past two and a half decades, Design Trust has delivered 32 projects around New York City to advance the public space movement - but did you know that Brooklyn is where it all began? In 1996, our co-founders Andrea Woodner and Claire Weisz led our first project ever, working with the Brooklyn Public Library and the New York City Department of Design and Construction to develop design guidelines to transform Brooklyn’s historic libraries. Our Trust by Design campaign ends this month, but it’s not too late to give #25for25! Celebrate 25 years of Design Trust by helping us reach our $100,000 goal - and get a special tote bag as a token of our thanks! Donate at: https://trustbydesign.space/join.

Without a doubt, when you think of New York, you think of Times Square. Design Trust is proud to have collaborated with Times Square Alliance in 2003 to transform Times Square into a pedestrian-friendly streetscape - and one of our favorite spots in the city! Click the video to learn more. Join us in celebrating 25 years of Design Trust! Give a dollar for each year of our groundbreaking work - and the first 100 donors will receive a special Trust by Design tote bag! Donate at: https://trustbydesign.space.

We acknowledge that the land on which the Design Trust for Public Space operates is the ancestral home of the Lenape peoples, who stewarded this land for generations. As an organization that believes in the potential of shared spaces, we understand that these spaces have not been built with the consideration and consent of the indigenous people who resided and continue to live here. The Design Trust strives to ensure that all are empowered to shape their neighborhoods and c...ommunities; however, we recognize that we still have an urgent undertaking of learning and listening. We honor this sacred land and the elders past, present, and emerging, for they hold the stories, traditions, and culture of their people. We extend our respect to the Lenape tribe as well as other indigenous people who are present in New York City. You can learn more about how to support Indigenous Peoples’ Day at IllumiNative, a national Native-led nonprofit dedicated to teaching and sharing indigenous American history.

We're excited for Museum of the City of New York's upcoming virtual symposium about NYC's evolving cityscape - and when you get your ticket, make sure to use our special community code (DTPS) for a discount! See you there!

Since our founding in 1995, our objective has always remained the same: to unlock the potential of New York City’s shared spaces and make the city public for all. The result? An impact that can be seen, felt, and experienced throughout the entire city - all five boroughs! Back in 2013, we launched Under the Elevated, a city-wide project dedicated to reclaiming the public spaces under transit infrastructure. Under the Elevated is a testament to what Design Trust is all about ...- transforming untapped assets into a site for community resources and gathering. Check out this video to learn more about this special project: https://vimeo.com/464251559. This week, join us in celebrating our 25th anniversary with our #25for25 campaign! Give $25 in honor of 25 years of Design Trust and our projects like Under the Elevated. Show your support at: https://trustbydesign.space/join.

As we celebrate 25 years of Design Trust, we’re reflecting on what’s most important to us. One thing is for certain - collaboration is key to Design Trust’s work. Our Future Culture project is a perfect example of this; in 2018, Design Trust and Staten Island Arts came together with the local community to reimagine the Staten Island waterfront. Watch this video about Future Culture and learn more about Design Trust’s process. None of what we do has been possible without your continued generosity. Can you give #25for25 and help us make our public spaces great? To donate to Design Trust, visit: https://trustbydesign.space/join

For 25 years, Design Trust for Public Space has been working hard to transform New York City’s public spaces. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished - and as we move forward in our 25th year, we’re taking a look back at our current and past projects! Check out this video about Five Borough Farm, one of our all-time favorite projects from 2009: https://vimeo.com/459138200. To commemorate our 25th anniversary, we’re kicking off the #25for25 campaign in support of our newest initiative, Trust by Design. Give a dollar for each year of Design Trust! The first 100 donors will receive a special Trust by Design tote bag! Learn how you can join the campaign at: https://trustbydesign.space/join.

As we move forward collectively as a city, we know it's critical to put public space in service of recovery & resilience, giving businesses & residents the opportunity to thrive. We've heard how the city has tried to change & retool how it currently does business, innovating old processes; so let's keep the momentum going with a focus on equity. We need to transform our streets, making them less auto centric, making them more open for commerce, for recreation, and for alternative forms of transportation. Public space equity is about not only access but being able to leverage those spaces to grow what you and your community need, from food to relationships to businesses. Continue the conversation with us by joining our #trustbydesign campaign https://trustbydesign.space/join #txd2020

Our second goal is to ensure every New Yorker has equitable access to quality public space and a voice in shaping those public spaces. Throughout the #TrustbyDesign campaign we learned that the scars of redlining and other racially-informed prioritization of resource distribution play out in neighborhoods all around us. Inclusion doesn't just mean that everyone's voice is heard, but that you're also designing not to exclude. So what needs to happen? If you want to encourage community involvement in the design of the community, you have to make it possible for people to participate. Learn how you can join us at: https://trustbydesign.space/join #txd2020

We're revisiting our goals for the #TrustbyDesign campaign. Our first goal? Raising awareness of public space as a driver of health and racial equity. Through our Public Space Forums, Keynote Conversations, and IG Lives, we learned that part of achieving racial equity is really achieving spatial equity for neighborhoods with decades of disinvestment. We learned that public space and parks are critical infrastructure for physical and psychological health, transportation, civic engagement, and fighting climate change. We learned that people want to see themselves reflected in their built environment, to feel safe and see community history and representation reflected as well. Want to continue the conversation? Join us! https://trustbydesign.space/join #txd2020

As we near the end of our #TrustbyDesign campaign, we're revisiting our three goals for public space: 1. Health and Racial Equity 2. Equal Access and Opportunity 3. Recovery and Resiliency Each day this week we'll take a closer look at what we've learned and how we can take next steps together.... https://trustbydesign.space/about See more

Join Design Trust in conversation with NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg and NYC Department of Small Business Services Commissioner Jonnel Doris as they discuss the city’s creative approaches to new public space, such as the recently launched Open Streets and "Open Restaurants" programs, how businesses are utilizing it, and what it means for the future of streets next Thursday 9/3 at 4:30pm EST. Register at the link below! #trustbydesign #txd2020 http://ow.ly/NTSh50B9VrZ

Next Thursday August 20th at 4:30pm EST, we'll be joined by Leila Bozorg, Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Neighborhood Strategies at NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD), Justin Garrett Moore, Executive Director of NYC's Public Design Commission, and Erick Gregory, Deputy Director of Design at NYC Department Of City Planning. They'll explore some of the most daunting challenges of our time - rising tides and increased extreme weather brought on by a rapidly changing climate - and how the city can utilize multi-benefit public space plans to address them. Register at the link below! #TrustByDesign #txd2020 https://trustbydesign.space/programs/public-space-forum-2

UPDATE: Join us tomorrow 8/12 at 4:30pm for our first Public Space Forum! Dr. Torian Easterling, Deputy Commissioner of @nychealthy and the Director of the Center for Health Equity & Community and Eva Trimble, Executive Vice President for Strategy and Innovation at @nychagram will discuss how design can shape life outcomes, how the built environment is inextricably connected to health and racial equity, and how their past projects have launched these conversations in the public realm. Register at the link in our bio! #trustbydesign #txd2020