New Exhibit Traces Evolution of Open Spaces Across NYCHA Campuses 

In an exhibition space at Brooklyn’s FXCollaborative Gallery, visitors can take a visual journey through the changing landscapes of open spaces across NYCHA, beginning with the early years of the organization.  

The Authority’s parks and green spaces play the central role in the newly launched exhibit, “Living in the Shade: NYCHA Open Space Past, Present, and Future.” Complete with large-scale architectural models of NYCHA developments, a wide range of archival and contemporary photographs, design renderings and site plans, as well as community testimonials, the exhibition highlights the impact of open space in the lives of millions of public housing residents over 90 years while examining its purpose and evolution through the decades.    

The exhibit, running through February 27, is co-curated by Nicholas Dagen Bloom, Professor of Urban Policy and Planning at Hunter College, and Matthias Altwicker, a practicing architect and Professor of Architecture at the New York Institute of Technology. Mr. Bloom noted that “Living in the Shade” aims to tell a story of how NYCHA open spaces were first designed for residents and how they have been reimagined over the years to meet changing community needs.  

“It’s exciting to be able to feature the historical collection that is part of LaGuardia Archives with just unbelievably beautiful and interesting photography beginning in the 1930s, documenting life and NYCHA open spaces and the development and planning of them,” Mr. Bloom said. “We’re also able to feature a lot of the exciting work that’s going on about rethinking public housing landscapes today, whether it’s with farms, mural projects, playgrounds, and renovations. It really highlights the value of these places to residents.” 

On January 9, NYCHA CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt spoke about the importance of open spaces at the opening ceremony for the exhibit, which is supported by the Public Housing Community Fund.  

“As NYCHA’s CEO, I know how incredibly important quality open spaces are for the families we serve and New Yorkers at large. That’s why we are hard at work to transform our developments as well as our organization,” Ms. Bova-Hiatt said. “I am incredibly grateful for the hard work and vision of our partners, who are helping us reimagine the open spaces at NYCHA developments and be better stewards of them.”  

“Living in the Shade” features a collection of archival and contemporary photographs to spotlight the evolution of open spaces at NYCHA developments through the decades.

Since the first NYCHA developments were constructed in the first half of the 20th century, the Authority has sought to integrate nature into the living environments by prioritizing landscape design, management, and public programs. As the portfolio expanded during postwar years, NYCHA created “superblocks” that offer natural beauty and abundant areas for play, community life, and relaxation. In later years, as active recreation and new community programs were prioritized, the outdoor spaces began to evolve. As they experience the “Living in the Shade” collection, Mr. Bloom said visitors will get a sense of the quality of what’s been done to the landscapes throughout NYCHA’s history.  

“There have been cycles of really creative approaches on what to do with this enormous portfolio of land and to make it work for people,” said Mr. Bloom, who co-curated two previous exhibitions on affordable housing and housing density. “I think what people will find is that there really have been a lot of changing ideas, from the early idea that this was sort of a passive outdoor space with greenery and shade, to a much more active vision of what public housing landscapes could be, whether it’s basketball courts, more adventurous playgrounds, or art projects.”   

Among the efforts focused on the evolving uses for outdoor areas is the Connected Communities initiative, which aims to activate and improve open spaces by enhancing physical and social connections between residents and their communities. In support of Connected Communities, the Public Housing Community Fund’s Green Space Connections program is incorporating a participatory design process to create and activate green spaces at four NYCHA developments in Brooklyn and the Bronx. In addition, enhanced open space projects are among the wide-ranging improvements being completed through the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program, which transitions developments from traditional public housing assistance to the more stable, federally funded Project-Based Section 8 program.  

Vaidehi Mody, a Senior Planning Consultant in NYCHA’s Asset and Capital Management division who has been actively involved with Green Space Connections, said she is excited that the open space-focused program is being showcased in Living in the Shade.  

“I really think that NYCHA open spaces are very much a critical part of the housing that NYCHA provides,” she said. “It’s great that they’re capturing so many different open space-centric initiatives and projects that we have ongoing and are highlighting them in this topic-specific way along with the history.”  

Large-scale architectural models depict some of the wide-ranging open space areas found across NYCHA properties, including expansive green spaces and innovative playgrounds.

With its photos and design models, the exhibit seeks to assess both the successes and challenges of landscaping efforts across the Authority’s history, while celebrating a “renaissance” in NYCHA spaces that has been underway in recent years.   

“NYCHA and its partners are dedicated to transforming the open spaces to ensure they are thoughtfully envisioned, planned, and innovatively designed,” Ms. Mody said.  

Open spaces may be an “underappreciated asset” in some areas of the city, Mr. Bloom noted, but as the NYCHA exhibit shows, with proper investment and creativity, they can have a lasting impact on residents and the surrounding neighborhoods.  

“There’s an enormous opportunity to both upgrade the lives of residents by investing in these community spaces, and also to upgrade neighborhood life,” he said. 

Exhibit viewing at FXCollaborative Gallery is by appointment only. Please call (212) 627-1700 to reserve a slot. 

Following its run at FXCollaborative Gallery, the exhibit will move to LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City for a showing from March 18 through May 23.