Bridging Gowanus is a community engagement and neighborhood redevelopment process initiated by City Council Member Brad Lander. The goal of the process is to engage stakeholders in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York and discover their ideas and concerns for its redevelopment. The process began with the Office of Brad Lander and the Pratt Center scheduling three public meetings to give the Gowanus community a place to express their ideas. The result of these meetings will be reflected in an action plan for a safe, vibrant, and sustainable neighborhood that has the support of the community.
Gowanus is a diverse neighborhood consisting of people from different income levels, occupations, races, ages, and education levels. The problem facing Bridging Gowanus is communicating with this diverse group of people in a way that enables them to share their point of view. If the redevelopment process is to be a true representation of the neighborhood, every community member needs to be heard.
With the support of the Taconic Fellowship, I explored the effects of brand identity and design thinking on the Bridging Gowanus community planning process. The goal of the process is to make Bridging Gowanus inclusive and inviting to the diverse group of community members. My role as designer with the Pratt Center enabled me to improve each step of the redevelopment process. It also gave me access to the Gowanus community in a way that helped me understand its character. This understanding of the community helped me design an approachable and authentic look and feel to the Bridging Gowanus identity, making the community more inclined to participate.
I developed the Bridging Gowanus name, logo, website, meeting collateral, icon system for the stakeholders’ shared values, and the posters for the three community meetings. After the final community meeting, I further developed the Bridging Gowanus website and worked on the design of the action plan, intended to be presented to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
My work with the Pratt Center and the Office of Brad Lander led me discover a design opportunity to further empower the Gowanus community. To expand the process beyond the scope of the Taconic Fellowship, I created Mapping Gowanus (mappinggowanus.com), a series of interactive maps designed to tell the story of the neighborhood in a unique and educational way. The maps enable people to discover new things about the neighborhood and inspire them to share their ideas with the community. Most importantly, Mapping Gowanus generates a feeling of empathy towards the community members, because it shows the context in which they live.
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Photos from the community meetings
The first community meeting at PS 372, The Children’s School
Posters displaying the shared values of the community
Participants were encourages to add their own shared values
Paula Crespo of the Pratt Center presents the shared values
Long time Gowanus resident Buddy Scotto is recognized by the crowd
City Council Member Brad Lander addresses the audience
The seven emerging shared values of the Gowanus stakeholders:
ADDRESS THE SOCIAL, CULTURAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE
KEEPING A MIX OF USES OF THE AREA AND KEEP MIXED-USE BUILDINGS
PRESERVING AND CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING
NEED FOR MORE COMMUNITY AMENITIES
THE CANAL AS A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE, OPEN BODY OF WATER
THRIVING LOCAL BUSINESSES SHOULD REMAIN AND EXPAND
PRESERVING ICONIC HISTORIC BUILDINGS
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[two_third_last]To further empower community members I created Mapping Gowanus, a series of maps that illustrate critical issues facing the neighborhood. Mapping Gowanus has helped people better understand the context of the neighborhood and contribute to the redevelopment conversation.
