About Neighborhoods Now
In collaboration with the Urban Design Forum, Neighborhoods Now connects neighborhoods hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic with leading design firms. In Bed-Stuy, Jackson Heights, Kingsbridge, Washington Heights, and the Lower East Side these working groups are collaborating to develop safe and effective reopening strategies.
The outcomes are a set of design recommendations, prototypes, and installations empowering communities to respond to their immediate needs, while contributing to the city-wide strategy on pandemic response. In some neighborhoods, prototypes have already been implemented, and Van Alen and Urban Design Forum are actively fundraising to support additional implementation.
Learn more about Neighborhoods Now.
Proposals
Safety Protocols
In 2020, the FAB team worked with several theaters and cultural spaces to create safety protocols, entry and exit flows, and seating charts that allow for socially distanced events. DLR Group worked with La MaMa, Frigid New York, IATI Theater and Teatro Circulo to create outdoor waiting area plans that could extend the lobby and allow for multiple safe entrances. FCA worked with The Clemente to plan for signage installation that would aid in wayfinding and making sure social distancing protocol is followed. They also helped with planning seat arrangements for outdoor festivals. Henning Larsen worked with First Street Garden, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Swiss Institute, and Wild Project to plan for outdoor theaters, creating cost-effective mural walls and seating arrangements for indoor events.
Reopening Plans
In 2021, with reopening on the immediate horizon, four more FABnyc members joined the effort with a range of needs. Marvel worked with the Gene Frankel Theater for their official reopening in April 2021, providing a socially-distant seating chart and plans to guide them going forward. They also collaborated with the Loisaida, Inc. to activate their underutilized outdoor spaces by designing areas for active and passive recreation, and enlivening them through murals.
Vision Plan
The FAB Vision Plan team, consisting of SHoP Architects, DLR Group, Marvel, and Buro Happold, is working closely with Ryan Gilliam, FABnyc Executive Director, to develop a vision plan to be launched at the organization’s anniversary event in September 2021. The Vision Plan will integrate a range of content, including a series of organizational goals, documentation of the broad range of efforts underway by FAB, and prospective activation strategies for a set of priority open spaces throughout the Lower East Side and East Village. The team has conducted a series of visioning sessions, site visits throughout the neighborhood, and charrette sessions to establish existing conditions and design goals.
Marvel
The use of the information contained in these proposal document, “Neighborhoods Now- Fourth Arts Block (Marvel),” is at the sole risk of the user, and Van Alen Institute shall not be responsible for, or liable in any way for, the accuracy, completeness or any other matter with respect to the contents herein. The user hereby assumes all risks of the use of the information, and irrevocably and unconditionally waives, releases and discharges Van Alen Institute and its direct and indirect members, directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates, volunteers and representatives, from any and all liability of any kind or nature whatsoever, in connection with the matters contained herein, and the use of the information contained herein.
Francis Cauffman Architects
The use of the information contained in this proposal document, “Neighborhoods Now- Fourth Arts Block (FCA),” is at the sole risk of the user, and Van Alen Institute shall not be responsible for, or liable in any way for, the accuracy, completeness or any other matter with respect to the contents herein. The user hereby assumes all risks of the use of the information, and irrevocably and unconditionally waives, releases and discharges Van Alen Institute and its direct and indirect members, directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates, volunteers and representatives, from any and all liability of any kind or nature whatsoever, in connection with the matters contained herein, and the use of the information contained herein.
SHoP
The use of the information contained in these proposal documents, “Neighborhoods Now- Fourth Arts Block (SHoP),” is at the sole risk of the user, and Van Alen Institute shall not be responsible for, or liable in any way for, the accuracy, completeness or any other matter with respect to the contents herein. The user hereby assumes all risks of the use of the information, and irrevocably and unconditionally waives, releases and discharges Van Alen Institute and its direct and indirect members, directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates, volunteers and representatives, from any and all liability of any kind or nature whatsoever, in connection with the matters contained herein, and the use of the information contained herein.