Urban Omnibus — "Design Around the Edges"
Our client Ifoema Ebo, strategist in the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ), is interviewed about our work developing a Neighborhood Activation Study for the neighborhoods of Brownsville and Morrisania, NY:
“We brought on Studio Gang as a consultant to analyze two neighborhoods in the MAP program, Brownsville and Morrisania, and provide evidence-based research and design strategies to activate key ‘hot spots’ in each neighborhood. Their methodology for designing spaces can foster improved collaboration between community and government in crime based problem solving and community design.
The intention is to address the root causes of crime, which are grounded in social and economic issues that impact the physical conditions of the community. Often we use this term, CPTED — Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design — but I believe in this office, because we are so focused on the ‘people’ aspect, that we really want to get people out in their public spaces, to get them meeting each other, engaging with each other, working with each other to improve these spaces. We want residents to be able to identify who their neighbors are and who doesn’t belong, and to feel like they have a stake in their community, whether they own property or not. Through the design process, you can encourage that sense of ownership.”