Nearly 80% of open space across the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) 335 public housing sites are underutilized. A new resource guide aims to help residents and community organizations transform these spaces, from ball courts and playgrounds to gardens and seating areas.
Green Space Connections, a partnership between the Design Trust for Public Space, the Public Housing Community Fund (PHCF), and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), and funded by a $3.2 million grant to PHCF from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, released “From Imagine to Activate: A Quick Reference Guide for Improving NYCHA Open Spaces in Five Steps.” This toolkit, developed in collaboration with public housing residents, the Green Space Connections Advisory Committee, and city leaders, offers practical guidance for enhancing NYCHA’s open spaces, navigating the process, and showcasing successful community-led projects. Printed toolkits are available by request, and a digital version can be accessed online at www.communityfund.nyc/openspace.
The Green Space Connections project launched in 2022 to create and activate community-designed open space at four NYCHA public housing developments with and for 14,000 residents in Brooklyn and the Bronx, led by the Public Housing Community Fund, NYCHA’s Asset & Capital Management Division, Design Trust for Public Space, and the Neighborhood Safety Initiatives, a department of the Center for Justice Innovation. To amplify the lessons of the project and empower a wider reach of New York public housing residents, Green Space Connections produced a practical design and resources guide for non-profit organizations and resident leaders to navigate the process of bringing open space projects to their communities. Sponsored by the Trust for Public Land, the toolkit debuted at the AIA New York Center for Architecture last week with NYCHA residents and leaders, project partners, and supporters.
As a result, the nearly 1 in 17 New Yorkers who live in public housing will have a chance to benefit from high-quality open space, through five digestible and actionable steps – IMAGINE, PARTNER, DESIGN, BUILD, and ACTIVATE.
"This new resource guide empowers NYCHA residents, philanthropy, and community organizations with the tools to transform underutilized spaces into thriving public places,” Public Housing Community Fund Executive Director Alex Zablocki said. “By providing clear, actionable steps, this toolkit will help turn visions into reality, ensuring that more of NYCHA’s 2,400 acres of open space can be activated for the benefit of residents. We are grateful to the Helmsley Charitable Trust for their support and proud to partner with NYCHA and the Design Trust for Public Space to drive this initiative forward."
“We are so excited to be a part of Green Space Connections, and for the launch of this toolkit,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “This new five-step guide will give residents and partners a roadmap for developing open spaces in a way that is tailored to a community’s specific needs. We’re grateful to our partners at the Public Housing Community Fund and the Design Trust for Public Space for their work in developing this resource that will, without a doubt, improve upon NYCHA’s valuable open spaces for residents.”
“Residents know firsthand what their neighborhoods need most, whether it's a place to gather, space to exercise, or connection to arts and culture,” said Matthew Clarke, Executive Director of the Design Trust for Public Space. “This toolkit puts power directly in the hands of residents and community leaders by demystifying complex processes around activating shared areas.”
“This toolkit is a call to action to collectively invest in, co-design, and activate NYCHA's green open spaces,” said Layman Lee, Senior Director of Neighborhood Safety Initiatives, Center for Justice Innovation. “At about three times the size of Central Park – just over 2,400 acres – these third spaces are central to improving the health and well-being of over 300,000 New Yorkers. Together, with NYCHA residents, we can create a beautiful, long-lasting impact on the ground and in the community for many generations."
“As a NYC resident that resides in public housing I realized that if we do not help one another, we will be at the mercy of people who do not want us to survive this ‘Project’ called public housing,” Jeannette Salcedo, Castle Hill Houses Resident Association President. “Experiencing each other through green spaces in our neighborhoods can and will create spaces for conversations that lead to change. If we rally around each other and support ideas, programs and understanding we will create the spaces we want for ourselves and each other. Organizing around green spaces, strategizing with our neighbors and creating the blueprint for sustainable change in our NYCHA communities.”
“Access to close-to-home green spaces is essential to our well-being. The Green Space Connections initiative is an exciting step toward ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to high-quality open spaces that foster health, community, and resilience,” said Bianca Clarke, Associate Vice President of the Parks Initiative and 10-Minute Walk® Program at Trust for Public Land. “We’re proud to be partnering with the Design Trust for Public Space to build upon the key steps outlined in this toolkit as we pursue collaborative approaches to strengthen parks and housing partnerships nationwide.”
“We wanted to create a simple and inviting guide to encourage participation by residents and future partners, and are truly excited to see what projects and partnerships emerge,” said Design Trust for Public Space Policy and Planning Fellow Nicole Vlado Torres AIA, NOMA, and Communications and Design Fellow Blake Roberts, two of the leads on creating the toolkit.