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2021 Van Alen
Fall Event Series

Van Alen Institute helps create equitable cities through inclusive design. What does this mean? We’re making it easier for communities to shape the places where they live by connecting them with our network of professionals and sharing our long experience in how cities are designed and built. 

This October, we are excited to launch an event series to connect newfound friends and long-standing supporters with Van Alen’s new home, mission, and the communities we’re servicing. We hope you’ll join us this coming fall alongside the Gowanus community, its leaders, and the many professionals committed to design for public good. We are closely monitoring the evolving health situation and will be responsive to all protocols to ensure attendees are safe and comfortable.

Joining Van Alen as a 2021 supporter grants special access, visibility, and networking opportunities around this series, as well as year-long touchpoints with Van Alen’s work, as outlined in the 2021 Support Tiers & Benefits

 

Friday, October 1
303 Bond Welcome Reception

6:30–9pm
303 Bond St.
Gowanus, Brooklyn

We’ll kick off the series with an intimate evening Welcome Reception at Van Alen’s new Brooklyn base at 303 Bond Street in Gowanus. Housed in a 4000 sq foot former industrial warehouse — spacious and well-ventilated — we’ll inaugurate our new home over drinks and hors d’oeuvres, live music, and conversation.

Our Gowanus office will not only be a hub for Van Alen operations, but also serve as a community space for the neighborhood, to be co-created with the Gowanus Fellows. For more information about attendance and recognition at the Welcome Reception, please visit our 2021 Support Tiers and Benefits.

Learn More
Saturday, October 2
Inaugural Block Party

1–8pm
Corner of Bond Street and Sackett Street
Gowanus, Brooklyn

Free and open to the public

Van Alen’s inaugural Block Party – around the corner from our new Brooklyn home – will bring Sackett Street alive with street art, free treats from Pizza Moto and Ample Hills Creamery, family activities, and live dance and music. Join us for a performance by the Gowanus Houses drill team, The Wildcats; a participatory dance piece by KONANTÜ; and an evening DJ set by Niara Sterling to name a few.

For more information about sponsor opportunities at the Block Party, please visit our 2021 Support Tiers and Benefits.

Learn More

 

Sunday, October 3
Van Alen Council Convening

Each year, the Van Alen Council comes together for a deep-dive exploration and interdisciplinary exchange around the most pressing ecological, infrastructural, political, and social systems and solutions shaping urban futures. This international community of systems-thinkers spanning disciplines meet in New York City this fall, for the first time since the pandemic and Van Alen’s move to Brooklyn.

On Sunday, October 3, the Council will convene for a day of tours and conversations on the subject of equitable recovery, building off the ideas articulated in their inaugural publication, Designing the City We Want: Calls to Action in Response to COVID-19. The Council will meet diverse local leadership, exploring impacted communities like Chinatown and the Lower East Side, and glean insights that can shape their work moving forward.

For more information on opportunities to attend the Council trip, please visit our 2021 Support Tiers and Benefits.