Sometimes the bustle and excitement of the city is best appreciated from a distance. Focusing on short visits to or away from the city, we asked six forward-thinking designers to consider escape in and around New York and develop new routes and experiences. Come and be inspired for your next trip out by these exciting proposals that create new connections between communities and places, visit formerly inaccessible pockets, and address the changing tourist ecologies of the city.

Participants: designers include Michael Chen, MKCA; Mitch McEwen, McEwen Studio;Alessandro Orsini, Architensions; Rosalyne Shieh, SCHAUM/SHIEH; Gia Wolff, designer; and Peter Zuspan, Bureau V. With a response by Mark Gardner, Program Leadership Council for Van Alen and Principal at Jaklitsch / Gardner Architects, Anne Guiney, Director of Research at Van Alen, Alexandra Lange, architecture critic, Matt Shaw, Architizer, and David van der Leer, Executive Director of Van Alen.