Design Challenge
How might we design a program that responds to the diverse, complex, and evolving needs of community partners - both immediately and over the long term?
Partners
Urban Design Forum · Van Alen Institute
Project
Co-design, coaching, and facilitation for a nonprofit initiative supporting small businesses and cultural organizations in New York City impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Role
Workshop Planning · Design · Facilitation · Coaching
Overview
A collaboration between the Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute, Neighborhoods Now connected New York City neighborhoods hardest hit by the pandemic with volunteer design firms from across their networks. Since May 2020, the initiative has supported hundreds of small businesses, restaurants, and cultural organizations across the city.
As the focus shifted from emergency response to long-term recovery, both organizations sought to understand how to continue supporting their community partners in ways that are responsive, equitable, and sustainable.
I co-led the design and facilitation of a series of participatory workshops that invited community partners to share their lived experiences, insights, and priorities - helping shape the program’s evolution. These sessions created space for honest dialogue, mutual learning, and co-creation, ensuring that Neighborhoods Now’s future roadmap was grounded in design justice, equity, and inclusive design principles.
Duration of Engagement
Fall 2021
Acknowledgements
Image: Urban Design Forum & Van Alen Institute