NYCHA Youth Pitch Plans for Redesigning Community Spaces 

Middle school youth from four NYCHA developments have unveiled their visions for transforming communal spaces at their local community centers. 

Earlier this summer, young residents from Wyckoff Gardens, as well as Manhattanville, Edenwald, and South Beach Houses, gave their final pitch presentations to community stakeholders as part of the NYCHA STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) Innovators program. The pilot program – a partnership between NYCHA, the Salvadori Center, and the Public Housing Community Fund – allows students to work with STEAM educators and professional designers to learn and then create a design proposal for a room at their community centers.  

When presenting their proposals for the new youth-focused spaces, the students showcased vision boards, 3D models, and technical floor plans. On August 15, NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt attended one of the presentations at Staten Island’s South Beach Houses, where she praised the participants’ creative process fueled through the program.  

“It’s so cool that you got to spend time this summer learning from architects and other design professionals about their craft and how they create important things in our world – and then you got to collaborate with them to put together your very own proposal for the redesign of this important space in your very own community, complete with all the tools of the design trade, like vision boards, floor plans, and models,” Ms. Bova-Hiatt told the students. 

NYCHA CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt was among the community stakeholders in attendance as local youth presented their plans for redesigning a community center room at South Beach Houses.

Throughout the summer STEAM Innovators sessions, the middle school youth surveyed their communities to learn about various values, needs, and priorities, while working together to incorporate the feedback from their neighbors and professional designers. Students also went on field trips to the offices of engineering and design firms.  

Following the release of their plans, the students’ visions for the remodeled community rooms will now be brought to life with the help of partners and volunteers. The redesign efforts at the four NYCHA developments are expected to begin this fall.