PARTNERS

The Design Trust does not undertake a project unless the city agency or community group best situated to implement the designs and plans we develop is involved from the very beginning. If you represent a public or non-profit organization, we can help turn your complex urban-design issues into a manageable project, then connect you with top-notch professionals – our fellows – who can generate solutions.

Project Selection Process

Projects are selected every 18-24 months through an open call for proposals. Generally, a proposal outlines a design or research project that requires activities or resources beyond the scope of the partner's budget, expertise, or institutional structure.

We work with prospective partners to hone their proposals, then submit the most promising to a jury for review. During each award cycle, the project jury selects one to three projects for Design Trust assistance.

City Government

By partnering with municipal agencies, we ensure that our projects address the tricky political and logistical issues that often keep good design intentions on the drawing board.


Art Commission of the
City of New York
Designing for Security
Uneasy Spaces

NYC Dept. of City Planning
Long Island City:
Connecting the Arts

NYC Dept. of Cultural Affairs
Long Island City:
Connecting the Arts

NYC Dept. of Design & Construction
High Performance Building Guidelines
Implementing the High Performance Building Guidelines
Greening Infrastructure in the Public Right-of-Way

NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation
Thresholds of Eib's Pond Park 1
Thresholds of Eib's Pond Park 2
Park Design for the 21st Century

NYC Office of Environmental Coordination
Sustainable New York City

NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission
Taxi 07

Neighborhood groups

Many of New York's most exciting public-space projects are developed by community organizations. We're proud to assist them in making New York City's neighborhoods more livable and functional for all.


Bronx Community Board 3
Achieving a Balance

Friends of the High Line
Reclaiming the High Line

Grand Army Plaza Coalition
Reinventing Grand Army Plaza

Hell's Kitchen Neighborhood Association
Hell's Kitchen South: Developing Strategies

Long Island City Cultural Alliance
Long Island City:
Connecting the Arts

South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp.
Diego Beekman Houses
Design Workshop

Tenants United for Better Living
Diego Beekman Houses
Design Workshop

Times Square Alliance
Times Square:
Streetscape Improvement

Public Interest Organizations

New York's public institutions, universities, and think tanks are rich sources of smart thinking about public space.


Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library
Design Guidelines

Children's Environments Research Group
Designing for Children in Community Gardens

Parsons The New School For Design
Designing the Taxi

Trust for Public Land
Achieving a Balance