As private developers continue to pursue the bottom line, New York City communities are facing the impacts of the city’s decisions to prioritize luxury housing over the public good. This proposal for the creation of the NYC Community Land Bank prioritizes public need in utilizing city properties.

This proposal for a NYC Community Land Bank is built upon the research developed in the Design and Urban Ecologies Studio course Fall 2016 at Parsons School of Design, which focused on issues of housing and school overcrowding in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

Research for this project included interviews with community members, local organizations, and experts; participatory mapping; primary and secondary research; critique and community feedback; and observational fieldwork. This proposal was developed in collaboration with Emily Sloss and with contributions from community members of Sunset Park, local organizations including Make Space for Quality Schools in Sunset Park, Design and Urban Ecologies 2018 Masters candidates and Gabriela Rendón, Parsons professor and co-founder of Cohabitation Strategies.

2017