A joint oversight hearing was held on the role of local cultural organizations and networks in revitalizing retail corridors, inspired by our Neighborhood Commons project! The Design Trust testified to recommend ways we can improve the current model of public space governance, from increased funding for grants and insurance to lower barriers to participation in our public realm.

Elana Ehrenberg, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Design Trust for Public Space, submitted this written testimony to the New York City Council Committee on Small Business Services and Committee on Cultural Affairs:

"I would like to thank Chair Feliz and Chair Rivera and both the Committee on Small Business Services and the Committee Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations for holding this oversight hearing. I am grateful for the opportunity to submit testimony today.

As mentioned by Chair Rivera, in 2021 Design Trust for Public Space, supported by a grant from NYC Department of Small Business Services, launched Neighborhood Commons: Plazas, Sidewalks & Beyond, a project that explored opportunities to improve the current model of public space governance and programming in commercial corridors. With pandemic-era regulations and programs constantly evolving, this was an ideal time to think outside the box for assessing how our public spaces were managed. Our team of Fellows interviewed dozens of public space managers, BIDs, community organizations, and local businesses to gather insight on the challenges they faced with funding and navigating city regulatory processes. We journey mapped user experiences when applying for permits and researched what other cities were doing differently. We found that the public-private partnership model that has, for decades, been the default model for the management of public spaces in our commercial districts is fraught with challenges—particularly in outer-borough commercial districts with no existing place-based management organization or districts with limited organizational capacity.

We are encouraged to see SBS launch its Public Realm grants in FY25 as this was one of the recommendations that would unlock resources for community partners and allow for more creative and resilient spaces supporting our small businesses. In the future, we would love to see these types of grants expand so that coalitions of partners can apply for funding in areas where there is not one single entity managing public spaces. In many underserved communities, local organizations often have mixed levels of funding, resources, skill sets, or insurance coverage that need to be brought together to ensure diverse and culturally responsive programming. This would allow for more artists and cultural organizations access to funding that they would not normally be eligible to apply for on their own and encourage coalition building of organizations strengthening neighborhood networks.

Cultural organizations and artists in historically marginalized and underinvested neighborhoods are critical anchors in the city’s short and long-term health. Our Turnout NYC project activated public spaces with community partners in all five boroughs using a kit-of-parts, designed by our partners at SITU, for outdoor performances. Almost more valuable though was the fact that Turnout included soft infrastructure to support cultural community partners with the permitting, invoicing, marketing, and promotion necessary to activate public spaces in neighborhoods across the city. Cultural organizations and artists are in fact small businesses in their own right and deserve the same level of investment and resources that our for-profit business community receives through other SBS programs.

Insurance and indemnification is still by far the biggest hurdle for small organizations' ability to engage and activate the public realm. In May 2024, the administration and SBS announced a new “Trusted Partners” program to help small BIDs with rising costs of insurance. While this is a great first step, we think this program could be expanded further or become a grant opportunity for cultural and other place-based organizations to tap into as well. Removing the silos between agencies when promoting these opportunities is necessary to better serve both our cultural communities and our small businesses.

Design Trust is committed to continuing the work to cut bureaucratic red tape for a more open and inclusive public realm. With our latest project, Untaped, we’re building off our earlier projects to unlock the potential of public spaces as vibrant venues for the arts and local culture. Thank you for your time and consideration today. We look forward to working with the members of these committees, SBS and DCLA, to ensure cultural programming in New York City streets, sidewalks, parks, and plazas is accessible to everyone."