On December 17, 2011, the Design Trust convened over sixty stakeholders and leading experts for structured discussions about future development in the District. As a way to jump-start participant discussions, the Design Trust team developed three scenarios for the workshop, each based on a different way to organize and consolidate land use in the District: Fashion Zone, Fashion Buildings, and Fashion Floors. Participants explored the pros and cons of how each scenario would affect the character of the Garment District, and of various strategies to implement change.
In this half-day working session, participants generated ideas and strategies to strengthen the fashion R&D hub in the Garment District—ensuring that NYC remains a global fashion leader—while catalyzing public and private investment in the neighborhood’s buildings and public realm.
Emergent Workshop Themes
1. Strengthen and grow the fashion R&D hub in the Garment District
Participants proposed numerous policies and initiatives to support the fashion industry, boost demand for locally made clothes, and build awareness about the Garment District’s unique ecology of fashion- related businesses, including factories, suppliers, showrooms, design studios, and other uses.
2. Preserve a rational amount of space for manufacturing to ensure that NYC fashion designers have the creative resources they need
There was general consensus that the P1/P2 zoning, which protects nearly 8 million square feet of manufacturing space, should better reflect the District’s current mix of uses and demand for manufacturing space, while providing more security for factory owners who are able to remain in the District. Participants also noted that the City’s regulations should account for manufacturing space outside the P1/P2 area.
3. Create a vibrant, mixed-use Garment District, catalyzing public and private investment in the neighborhood’s building stock and public realm. Participants cited conflicts between uses in the District (e.g. having fashion showrooms and factories on the same floor), but were willing to explore strategies to mitigate these conflicts (e.g. by making changes to building lobbies and elevators).