We went on the ground from a few of New Yorkers' favorite public spaces to ask neighbors: "What makes you feel well?" and imagine what a 'healthy' city could look like.

In New York City, an individual living in the South Bronx has a life expectancy of 69.5 years; a resident of the Upper East Side has a life expectancy of 89.5 years, 20 years longer. Where we live matters, and where we live is too often governed by exclusion, racism, and discrimination.

The Restorative City is 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

City-making, especially in America, has been structured primarily as a manager of land use decisions and as a service provider for its residents. The Restorative City posits a different view of the future city, one which serves as a guarantor for the equitable well-being of its citizens, a collective safe harbor in the face of unsettling change. This understanding will require a new commitment by architects, planners, designers, activists, and policymakers to see that designing our environment is a frontline tool for well-being. The Restorative City seeks to leverage the power of New York’s incredible creativity, entrepreneurialism, and determination to create this vision together. Learn more about our work building community wellness through public space at restorativecity.org.

Directed and edited by Peter Reinstein Cinematography by Eric Van’t Zelfden, Anthony Artis, Peter Reinstein Produced By New Ontology