W participated in the Neighborhoods Now initiative, launched by the Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute. We were part of the Bedford Stuyvesant working group, and have been working on the rapid-response initiative to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic since June. The working groups include coalitions of architects, engineers, lawyers, and planners.

W focused on open space activation, and developed a socially distanced outdoor space by using plywood seats and gabion boxes with soil and planting along Fulton Street. We also assisted in the design of easily assembled shade and shelter structures out of scaffolding that could provide temporary display areas for merchants, seating, and shade and be dismantled when not in use.

A few weeks ago, the digital toolkit that shows all of the working group’s contributions, neighborhoodsnow.nyc, was officially released. The toolkit features more than 35 designs, guidelines, and strategies to aid safe reopening and recover from the pandemic. The initiative has now raised more than $100,000 to implement these designs and strategies in the coming weeks. In some neighborhoods, a selection of these designs have already been put into action even as fundraising continues to support further implementation.