New Public Spaces
Street Lab is working with the NYC Department of Transportation and communities across New York City to create new public spaces in historically underserved areas of the city. To do this, we’re helping grassroots groups, schools, and other community-based organizations pilot and establish new Open Streets in their neighborhood, which provides immediate benefits to the community while also laying the groundwork for permanent changes.
This initiative started in 2022 with ten locations and added 12 more in 2023, one of which has now become a permanent plaza. Street Lab is providing programming and activation to these sites, as well as support with permits, logistics, staffing, partnerships, community engagement, and evaluation. In early 2024, we’re working with over 20 groups, including 12 new groups to launch Open Streets and making a special effort with schools. Our goal is to double the number of locations we can support each year. Contact us to get involved.
“The open streets have created a space for us to thrive as a community here at PS32, while we celebrate health, wellness, and one another! ….You can see, hear and feel the joy that has been created! And the best part is—we created it and can keep on creating it!”
Our Process
When a partnership is launched, we build our connection with host partners and the community through neighborhood visits and in-person meetings. We work with residents to explore how the new public space can bring immediate benefits and also support long-term goals of the neighborhood. We then provide planning and technical support, including scheduling and permitting of new Open Streets. When it comes time to activate the street, we provide support with site management, pop-up programming, promotion, and documentation. Following the season, we work with the community to determine next steps in our partnership, with an eye towards empowering local groups to further develop and steward these new spaces into the future.
Locations in Progress 2023-2024
Bristol St
Brownsville, Brooklyn
Brownsville Neighborhood Health Action Center, NYC Dept. of Mental Health and Hygiene
Street Lab is working to launch an Open Street that will be connected as part of a safe Bike Bus Route, with pilots starting in spring 2024.
Thatford Ave
Brownsville, Brooklyn
Brownsville Community Justice Center
Street Lab is partnering with Brownsville Community Justice Center to activate a new Open Street on the dead-end block of Thatford Ave just off of Belmont Ave where there are many local businesses. Thatford Ave is already used as a gathering spot, and the Open Street expands the ways in which people can use the streetscape and creates more space for community.
E 148th St
Mott Haven, Bronx
Equity Design and Bronx Health REACH
Since first working together to create an Open Street in 2021, Street Lab is returning to PS 18X with our pop-up programs for another season. As ideas for use of the street have progressed, Street Lab is now supporting the school’s vision to use the street to increase bike usage and access in the neighborhood..
Goble Pl
Mount Eden, Bronx
Comprehensive Model School Project MS 327
Located just below the Cross Bronx Expressway, CMSP 327 is in the early stages of planning an Open Street to create much-needed open space near the school. Street Lab will help them this winter with planning, capacity-building, and community engagement, with the Open Street debuting spring 2024.
Grand Ave
Morris Heights, Bronx
Bright Leaders Group Family Daycare
Street Lab is partnering with Bright Leaders Group Family Daycare to create a new Open Street near the daycare for the summer. The daycare is located in a residential area with no outdoor space available for daycare children and youths in the neighborhood.
Mt Hope Pl
Mount Hope, Bronx
PS 28 Mount Hope Centennial School
Street Lab is creating a new Open Street with PS 28 while the school’s playground is under construction.The school has no other space for recess or physical activity. The idea for an Open Street grew out of the school’s tradition of hosting block parties on the street for Mother’s and Father’s Day events. An Open Street will build on that experience to create a consistent public space for the school and surrounding community.
A special effort to create Open Streets next to schools
In 2024, we’re making a special effort to create more car-free streets next to schools as part of our New Public Space Initiative. These kinds of new public spaces are urgently needed for safer drop-off and pick-up, but they can also offer dynamic new space for recess, after-school activities, and learning outside school walls. We see a unique opportunity with these spaces to bring out the best in New Yorkers and make learning a source of pride for the whole neighborhood.
All Locations supported under this initiative since 2021
(Learn more about the other 390+ locations where Street Lab has worked across NYC since 2011…)
Recent news about New Public Spaces
Creating a safe place to celebrate Halloween on the street in the Bronx
On Halloween, Street Lab hosted a special Open Streets event on Jackson Avenue in the Bronx as part of the NYC Dept. of Transportation's “Trick-or-Streets” celebration, which created nearly 100 safe streets for communities to gather and celebrate citywide. Located...
Pop-up helps make a new public space in Brooklyn
Since 2022, Street Lab has been activating the Beverley Road Open Street in Kensington, Brooklyn, to help the community explore the potential of pedestrian public space in a traffic-congested commercial area. Today, the road became a permanent pedestrian plaza, with a...
Creating Open Streets next to NYC Public Schools
Since Fall 2021, Street Lab has worked with seven public schools in the Bronx and Queens to pilot and launch Open Streets adjacent to the schools as part of our New Public Space initiative with the NYC Department of Transportation. Temporarily opening streets to...
Videos
Street Lab’s Leslie Davol introduces Street Lab and NYC DOT partnership
Aug 8, 2023
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