The Design Trust for Public Space unlocks the potential of New York City’s shared, civic spaces through the advancement of new research and collaborative projects aimed to improve the well-being of residents throughout the city. Central to our mission and program is our request for proposals (RFP), which solicits ideas to realize projects that address a key public space concern in New York City. Organized around a central theme, each RFP cycle is grounded by extensive community outreach and engagement, ensuring an alignment with community needs and interests. Final proposals are implemented with the guidance and support of the Design Trust alongside a range of partners, including city agencies, stakeholder groups, and private sector experts. Over the course of its 25-year history, the Design Trust has completed many projects across the five boroughs, impacting thousands of New Yorkers.

2021 RFP: Restorative City: Building Community Wellness through Public Space

This cycle, the Design Trust RFP—The Restorative City—is dedicated to exploring how public space and the built environment can be used as a tool to advance health equity, a concept which means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Using our unique problem-seeking, and power-sharing model of project delivery, The Restorative City will support projects that seek to influence public policy, design practice, or development decisions and bring about powerful, city-wide changes and address the following key goals:. 

• Demonstrate the impact of the built environment and design on public health

• Elevate health equity as a priority for public policy and design

• Empower communities, especially those that have been historically disenfranchised by public policy, to become active participants in this process

We invited New York City community groups, non-profits, design firms, advocates, activists, public agencies, and individuals across the five boroughs to submit proposals for research, design, and planning projects to unlock the potential of NYC’s shared spaces in ways that can improve health outcomes for everyone, but especially for communities who have been historically marginalized or under resourced. Meet the Winners.

Watch the 2023 Restorative City Convening, a one-day convening bringing together urban planners, city officials, neighborhood advocates, and public health experts to center health equity in the design and planning of New York City.

Download the RFP in Español

Download the RFP in 中国人