On November 19, Public School NYC will host a studio/class at Noon in the three locations, #UES, #midtown, and #FiDi.
This event will use design and urban theory to critically study, diagram, and produce quick interventions on the design, ownership, and rules of New York City's open spaces as part of the #whOWNSpace project. It will occur at three sites simultaneously in order to focus on the varying centers of control in Manhattan—both public and private. The lens for the studio will be on power dynamics around public space, focusing on the potential of open space to create democratic vitality.
The Upper East Side (#UES) group will focus on the civic center of power that dictates many of the rules and designs of New York's public space: NYC's Department of Parks and Recreation.
Meet up: 64th St and 5th ave
Facilitators: Aurash Khawarzad and Daniel Latorre
Twitter: #whOWNSpace #ues
The Midtown (#midtown) group will focus on Bryant Park and the privately-owned public spaces (POPS) around the Bank of America headquarters.
Meet up: 42nd St and 6th ave
Facilitators: Quilian Riano, Phil Grimaldi, and Melissa J. Frost
Twitter: #whOWNSpace #midtown
The Financial District (#FiDi) group will focus on the area near the Goldman Sachs headquarters.
Meet up: Hudson River Greenway and Warren St
Facilitators: Rena Mande and Amanda Rekemeyer
Twitter: #whOWNSpace #FiDi
At 3PM All groups meet up at the POPS inside the Bank of America headquarters for the official launch of a new #whOWNSpace crowd-sourcing map of Privately-Owned Public Spaces (POPS) and POPS, publicly owned open spaces (POOS).
This collaborative studio/class has been organized and will be led by DSGN AGNC, DoTank:Brooklyn, and Not An Alternative in collaboration with The Public School NYC.
Please RSVP for each event through the#UES, #midtown, or #FiDi page by clicking "I am interested."
The goals of #whOWNSpace are:
1—TO REVEAL conflicting rules and ownerships in the increasingly privatized and commercialized spaces that make up the contemporary neoliberal urban condition.
2—TO QUESTION those rules and the current state of our "public" space; discussing the intentions and conditions surrounding our open spaces.
3—TO ADVOCATE FOR AND PROPOSE new uses and designs that encourage more public and open spaces for neighborhood uses in accordance to the Call to Action for the Rights of Neighborhoods.
4—INTERVENE in urban spaces, turning ideas and research into material action.
We Create Tools that Reveal Spatial Conflict
We Question Private Space
We Question Public Space
We Advocate for Change
We Conceive and Design Alternatives for Collective use
DSGN AGNC
Top image by Anjali Cadambi. Second image by Quilian Riano and Aurash Khawarzad.