In my project, Common Corners, I explore ways public space can be designed to enable New York City neighborhoods to care for their residents.

Public infrastructure is targeted to the collective. It is homogeneous, impartial, and utilitarian. This is sufficient for those with ample access and power. But communities lacking control over their living conditions often find public space inaccessible. By designing for the collective, the city sends the message to certain groups that they must assimilate or they will not be accommodated.

This situation can be rectified through the adoption of a different approach to public space: returning control to communities. In my project, I demonstrate the importance of attending to the needs of different groups.

In my project, I examine possibilities for redesign of the Pacific Street–Bedford Avenue intersection through interventions that range from community initiatives to major infrastructural modifications, from the creation of curb cuts to adaptions to changing weather.

The project urges us all to consider redesigning public spaces to meet the needs of the various groups that make up the city.

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