Local Center Summit

This year, 80 neighborhood leaders, designers, artists, and lawyers have been working in 8 neighborhoods across the city to realize local visions for public space. From an Afro-Caribbean Food and Spice Market in Staten Island to a vibrant lighting installation in Queens, Local Center teams reimagined public spaces to reflect their communities.

Hear from our design and community development partners about what they learned, and help develop our vision for what's next. Join us to discuss how to create thriving public spaces in every New York City neighborhood, shaped by and for the people who live there.

Urban Design Forum and the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development will host a program that includes an exhibition of work by project teams, remarks from project teams and neighborhood partners, a short film screening and a reception.

Local Center Teams

• Flatbush, Brooklyn: GrowHouse Community Design + Development Group collaborated with Creative Urban Alchemy.
• Richmond Hill, Queens: Chhaya CDC collaborated with Studio Fōr and Hive Public Space.
• Soundview, Bronx: Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice collaborated with Ennead Lab, Public Works Partners, and Buro Happold.
• Tompkinsville, Staten Island: Staten Island Urban Center collaborated with A+A+A.
• Far Rockaway, Queens: Queens Community Justice Center, The Rockaways collaborated with RUEd’ ARCH and Snøhetta.
• Bronx Capitol District, Bronx: 161st Street BID collaborated with MUD Workshop, Habitat Workshop, and Sighte Studio.
• Brownsville, Brooklyn: Pitkin Avenue BID collaborated with Studio Cooke John.
• Sunnyside, Queens: Sunnyside Shines BID collaborated with di Domenico and the Queens Lighting Collective.

Teams received support from Kramer Levin, Cozen O’Connor, Phillips Lytle, and Silman Structural Solutions.

Guest & Accessibility Policies

This event is open to Forum Fellows, ANHD members and their invited guests.

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. The main floor of BRIC House has an accessible entrance on Rockwell Place, in addition to an accessible, all-gender bathroom. The Gallery level is accessible via a wheelchair lift. Portable FM assistive listening devices are available upon request.

About the Local Center

Urban Design Forum and the Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development are excited to partner on the Local Center, a community design initiative to equip local leaders with the technical assistance, funding, and connections to reclaim public spaces in their neighborhood. Learn more at: https://urbandesignforum.org/initiative/the-local-center/

Host or Publisher Urban Design Forum