Based (well, obviously) on Hester Street in New York City, the Hester Street Collaborative (HSC) is an organization that works to get both young people and community dwellers to make an impact in how their local environments are designed as well as to advocate for the strengthening of those communities.
"Whether it is the creation of a new public park, playground, installation, or school garden, our work always begins when a community identifies the need for a project," the head of HSC, Anne Fredericks -- who studied architecture at Parsons -- told Fast Co Exist's Rachael Chong. "We work together to shape a bottom-up, participatory process where local knowledge is met with design expertise to transform underutilized or neglected public spaces."
Contact Information
Hester Street Collaborative website
HSC on Facebook
HSC on Twitter
HSC on Flickr
Equitable Community Designs
The Hester Street Collaborative Fosters Local Resiliency
Trend Themes
1. Community-led Urban Design - The trend of involving local communities in the design of public spaces through a participatory process could disrupt traditional urban planning and architecture.
2. Bottom-up Approach to Public Space Design - Encouraging the local community to identify the need for a project and collaborating with design experts could disrupt top-down approaches to public space design.
3. Resilient Community Development - Prioritizing the community's involvement in the design of public spaces can lead to the development of more resilient and socially cohesive communities.
Industry Implications
1. Architecture - Architects can adapt their practices to involve the local community in the design of public spaces and foster more resilient and socially cohesive urban environments.
2. Urban Planning - Urban planners can incorporate community-led design approaches, prioritizing the local community's input in the design of public spaces.
3. Community Development - Community development organizations can adopt a bottom-up approach to public space design, empowering local communities to shape their neighborhoods.