The Equitable Public Space Fellowship is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Interested in learning more? Join our virtual info session on Tuesday June 22nd at 12pm, where you can ask questions and learn more about what it's like to be an Equitable Public Space Fellow. RSVP here.

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.

In June 2016, we created the Equitable Public Space Fellowship 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 we surveyed the representation of minority groups in the design profession and the growing diversity of NYC’s neighborhoods, we recognized the need for the field and our team to better reflect the people we serve. Our unique project model opens dialogue and develops collaborative relationships between the public and private sectors 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. Through the Fellowship, we seek to create a model for bringing more voices, skill sets, and life experiences into the practice of design for public space.

For this year’s fellowship, we will select two promising emerging professionals whose life and work experience will contribute significantly to the design expertise and design thinking in our work with community-based organizations and public agencies. We seek candidates from historically marginalized groups and underrepresented perspectives who are curious, driven, and passionate about NYC’s shared spaces and transforming the city’s landscape.

Benefits of the Fellowship:

• Impact:  Fellows will have the opportunity to have a real impact on New York City’s public spaces through Design Trust projects.

• Cross-sector experience:  Fellows will be exposed to a range of organizations and individuals working in the public realm in NYC, including urban planning, design, community organizations, non-profits, government, and private entities, and will gain a firsthand look at how systems work in New York to affect public space in the city.

• Public exposure:  Fellows will contribute ideas and expertise on issues in the field, authoring four posts throughout the year on the Design Trust Blog, as well as contributing to and being recognized in Design Trust publications,events, andpublic work. Fellows may also have the opportunity to represent the Design Trust at conferences throughout the US.

• Relationship-Building:  Fellows will have the chance to build relationships with our network of over 100 Design Trust Fellows through participation in quarterly Fellows Forum salons tackling varying design issues in the city. The Design Trust’s strong local ties with many types of designers and urbanists in New York make this position ideal for someone looking to build a professional career in New York City.

• Hands-on professional development:  Fellows will work primarily with Program staff. Additionally, the Design Trust will support the Fellow’s participation in local conferences related to current projects and the Fellow’s interests. Fellows will have the opportunity to present their work with the Design Trust to the Board of Directors at their June 2022 meeting.

• Mentorship:  Fellows will meet monthly with the Director of Programs and quarterly with the Executive Director to facilitate the Fellow’s learning and reflection, and tailor the Fellowship to their interests and career goals.

• Salary: $45,000 for the year, benefits include healthcare and vision. 

Core Areas of Learning and Work:

The Fellows 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:

• [65-80%] Program Development & Implementation: The Fellows will work with the Director of Programs and the Program Manager on program development, implementation, and evaluation, including: research, project management, communications, stakeholder engagement, event coordination, and production of deliverables for current projects, such as:

• Opening the Edge: Reimagining Green Space at Wald Houses in partnership with New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and proposed by artist Jane Greengold, to design and implement a lively public space at the edge of the Lillian Wald Houses on the Lower East Side. The project is built on bottom-up intensive engagement with a Community Design Team (“CDT”) of Wald Houses residents and surrounding community members to co-design a vibrant open space that would include a public art component, a stage for performances, a stepped mound or stoop for recreational activities, and new lighting.

• Neighborhood Commons: Plazas, Sidewalks & Beyond in partnership with NYC Small Business Services (SBS); a project to ensure the sustainability and equity of New York City’s public spaces in streets and sidewalks (e.g. plazas, parklets, and seasonal streets) in commercial corridors. The project will assess, propose, and showcase place-based stewardship and representative governance models for public space that are grounded in dignity, inclusion, and neighborhood context

• The Restorative City: Building Community Wellness through Public Space RFP is an initiative to develop 2-3 new projects, in partnership with community-based organizations, arts and culture nonprofits, or public agencies.

• Alfresco’s NYC is a coalition of nonprofits, including Design Trust, Regional Plan Association and Tri-State Transportation Campaign, focused on ensuring the future of New York’s outdoor dining and open streets programs are equitable and sustainable. 

• Turn Out NYC is a coalition with SITU Studio and neighborhood and cultural partners to transform underutilized public spaces into platforms for hyper-local cultural programming and youth development. Turn Out NYC prioritizes arts organizations and artists in marginalized and underinvested neighborhoods as critical anchors in the city’s recovery and long-term health. 

• [10 - 25%] Nonprofit Management and Organizational Development: The Fellows will play an integral role in helping the staff to operationalize the values of equity and inclusion in the workplace at the Design Trust, including participating in bi-weekly equity meetings. The Fellows will alsoassist staff as needed with communications,  as well as support for internal and external events, internal meetings, Public Space Potlucks, Fellows Forums, Board meetings, Design Trust Council events, office administration and the Annual Gala.

• [10%] Research Project: The Fellows will complete an independent research project based on their interests and expertise, to be presented to the Design Trust Board of Directors at their June 2022 meeting, and used in future Design Trust work as applicable.

Commitment: The Fellowship will be a full-time position, flexible to start with a combination of remote and in-person at the Design Trust office, to be completed during working hours (Design Trust office hours are 9:30 am – 5:30 pm) with occasional evening and weekend event attendance as needed.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

The application deadline is Sunday, June 27, 2021 at 11:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time. Incomplete applications or materials that do not meet the following criteria will not be considered. Applicants under consideration will be contacted. No phone calls please. All applicants will be notified by mid-August 2021.

Eligibility: Applicants who are from populations historically underrepresented in the urban design professions are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants must be eligible to work legally in the United States full-time. We welcome applications from anyone with a 2-year or 4-year degree from a public, private, or community college or university. The Fellowship is not open to candidates who have completed a graduate degree or are currently pursuing one. In particular, we are looking for candidates interested in pursuing a career in one of the following fields, and who have demonstrated some experience related to their interest:

• Architecture 

• Engineering

• Environmental Studies

• Government 

• Landscape Architecture

• Public Health

• Public Policy

• Real Estate and Development 

• Sustainability

• Urban Design

• Urban Planning

Materials to Submit:Please email the following materials in one PDF with the title “[LAST NAME, FIRST NAME]: Equitable Public Space Fellowship” to fellowship@designtrust.org. All application materials must be submitted by 11:59 pm on Sunday, June 27, 2021, to be considered.

• Resume [maximum 1 ½ page]

• Work Sample from professional or educational experience [can include written or visual work, highlighting your ability to express ideas]

• 1 letter of recommendation [submitted directly to the Design Trust via email listed above]

• Written Responses to the following questions:

• Question 1 [300 word limit]: Describe a challenge you’ve experienced or observed with a particular public space; how would you address it?

• Question 2 [300 word limit]: How has your life experience and your identity contributed to your work so far, and the work you hope to do in the future?

• Question 3 [300 word limit]: What drives you to apply to the Equitable Public Space Fellowship, and how do you think it will contribute to your long-term goals?

Equal Opportunity and Anti-Harassment Policy:

Design Trust encourages people of all abilities, ethnicities, genders, national origins or ancestries, socioeconomic statuses, races, formerly incarcerated statuses, religions and sexualities to apply. Design Trust is also committed to accessibility and to working together with you to develop an accessibility plan.