We announce the creation of the Equitable Public Space Fellowship Program to support the next generation of urban designers, architects, landscape architects, and planners in contributing to complex public space challenges in our global city. As the inaugural Fellow, the Public Space Fellow at the Design Trust will join our team for an intensive one-year fellowship to begin in June 2016, and end in July 2017.
The Public Space Fellow will become a part of the Design Trust community, interact with project fellows, partners and collaborators, and work in conjunction with Design Trust staff.
In 2015, the American Institute of Architects reported 2% Black, 4% Asian, and 1% Latino representation in the profession, along with 18% women. As we survey the field and NYC’s diverse neighborhoods, there is a growing need to reflect the people we serve. Our unique project model opens dialogue and develops collaborative relationships between the public and private sector to achieve innovative solutions together. We have found that greater diversity among project participants develops empathy and leads to more meaningful and sustainable outcomes for all New Yorkers. We seek to advance the conversation around diversity in the field and create a model for bringing more voices, skill sets, and life experiences into the practice of design for public space.
We will select a promising recent graduate or post graduate whose life and work experience contribute significantly to design expertise and design thinking in our work with community based organizations and public agencies. We seek applications from outstanding candidates from various backgrounds, races, ethnicities, and other under-represented groups who are entrepreneurial and passionate about NYC’s shared spaces and transforming the city’s landscape.
The Design Trust for Public Space is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the future of public space in New York City. Our projects bring together city agencies, community groups, and private sector experts to make a lasting impact—through design—on how New Yorkers live, work and play.
The benefits of the Fellowship include:
Core Areas of Learning and Work
The Fellow will be immersed in many aspects of the Design Trust’s work, and assist with a variety of tasks during the year, including, but not limited to:
Commitment
The Public Space Fellowship will be a full-time position located at the Design Trust office, to be completed during working hours (Design Trust office hours: 9:30 am – 5:30 pm) with occasional evening and weekend event attendance as needed.
The Public Space Fellow is a self-starter with a keen interest in how design shapes the underused spaces of New York City. Applicants who are from populations historically underrepresented in the design profession are strongly encouraged to apply.
The application deadline is Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 11:59 Eastern Daylight Time. Incomplete applications or materials that do not meet the following criteria will not be considered. Applicants will be notified by Monday, May 16, 2016.
Eligibility
Applicants must be eligible to work legally in the United States. They should have completed an Undergraduate or Graduate degree in one of the following or related fields within the last 3 years:
Materials to Submit
All application materials must be submitted to fellowship@designtrust.org by midnight on Wednesday, April 13, 2016.
Please email the following materials in one PDF with the title “[LASTNAME, FIRST NAME]: Public Space Fellowship Application”: