What we do
Here’s how we work with communities to create, activate, and improve NYC public space
Pop-ups
We create experiences that communities love, featuring custom designs, high quality materials, and friendly staff. Street Lab’s award-winning pop-ups allow people of all ages and abilities to gather, learn, and create right on the streets of New York City. 500+ times a year in all five boroughs.
Placemaking Support
We also offer deep, ongoing support to local groups, providing everything they need to create new public spaces and activate existing ones, including assistance with permits, planning, logistics, partnerships, community engagement, photography, and evaluation. We’ve worked with 295+ community partners across NYC, and we meet each partner where they are at—providing access to our design and operational capacity, sharing exactly what each group needs to bring a vision for the street to life.
Street Staff
We have friendly and experienced staff and volunteers who are fluent in different languages and skilled at welcoming all kinds of people to the public spaces where we work.
Design & Fabrication
We’re capable of custom solutions for public space requiring design and fabrication, and we believe that thoughtful design conveys respect for our community partners and allows us to respond quickly to their needs. Over the years we’ve worked with architects, industrial designers, fabricators, and architecture students to develop pop-up infrastructure that is used on the streets of New York City to this day.
Kits for other cities
Everything that we use on the streets of New York, we also fabricate for other cities. We’ve developed patented programming kits that can be deployed in almost any location, and we’ve partnered with 75+ cities across the globe to help them use our designs to create public spaces that bring people together.
Results
Here’s how Street Lab is making a difference in New York City
Since 2011…
2434
Pop-ups
295
Community partners
440
Locations in NYC
81%
in low-moderate income areas
33
New public spaces launched with Street Lab support in NYC
10,295
hours of free opportunities to read, draw, play, and more
110K+
New Yorkers participating in Street Lab programs
75
Kits fabricated and shipped to other cities
Special Initiatives
New Public Spaces
Street Lab works with the NYC Department of Transportation and communities across New York City to create new public spaces in historically underserved areas. 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 10 locations and added 12 more in 2023, one of which has now become a permanent plaza. In 2024, we’re working with over 20 groups to launch Open Streets and making a special effort with schools. Learn more here.
Equipment Library for Public Space
Street Lab offers an Equipment Library for NYC Public Space—the city’s first. Thanks to founding support from NYC Dept. of Small Business Services and in-kind support from NYC Dept. of Transportation, community groups can now borrow and deploy street furniture, equipment, and programming kits from Street Lab. Free, with pick-up and drop-off included, this new service aims to put resources in the hands of groups that are working to create inclusive and inspiring spaces across the city. Learn more here.
Streets Alive for Small Business
Street Lab is activates streets along commercial corridors in low/moderate-income areas to help these areas thrive for small-business owners and residents alike. This initiative includes our “Meet a Small Business” program, and an Equipment Library that lets Business Improvement Districts borrow Street Lab’s custom-designed gear to host their own activities. With initial support from the NYC Department of Small Business Services, learn more here.
Street Lab Teens
Street Lab Teens offers New York City youth a chance to support and shape Street Lab’s mission of bringing community-oriented programming to neighborhood public spaces across New York City. Working closely with Street Lab staff, the team helps develop and lead select Street Lab programs, all of which take place outdoors and have been re-designed for COVID. Learn more here.
