New Green Space Coming to Castle Hill Houses

Improved access to green space, BBQ area, and first community dog park is the latest activation in the Green Space Connections initiative using NYCHA’s Connected Communities participatory design process to create more accessible and vibrant open spaces across public housing developments 

With public housing residents, Green Space Connections is creating and activating open spaces at four NYCHA public housing developments over the next year. The four developments – Marlboro Houses and Roosevelt Houses in Brooklyn and Castle Hill Houses and Patterson Houses in the Bronx – were selected due to their documented high need in health indicators as well as climate vulnerability that would benefit from increased access to green space.

At Castle Hill Houses, over 800 residents were asked to vote on what they would like to see for their green spaces. They overwhelmingly chose a new dog park, an updated barbecue area, increased access to green space, and maintenance updates to community public spaces.  Through hands-on workshops with community engagement experts from the Center for Justice Innovation and guided by landscape designers, an intergenerational cross-section of residents from Castle Hill Houses collaborated and provided input over a year-long participatory design process. Property management representatives, as stewards of the space, provided their guidance, ensuring operational best practices for future maintenance were considered in the designs. Using NYCHA’s Connected Communities framework, the community selected final plans for the open space transformation projects in their community, followed by voting and final design.  

The first Green Space Connections groundbreaking was held on August 5 at Castle Hill Houses, with completion expected by spring 2025. 

Led by the Public Housing Community Fund, NYCHA’s Asset & Capital Management Division, Design Trust for Public Space, and the Neighborhood Safety Initiatives (a department of the Center for Justice Innovation), Green Space Connections is supported by a $3.2 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. At Castle Hill Houses, Green Space Connections partnered with Grain Collective, a landscape architecture and design firm with experience in community planning with NYCHA, to assist with the participatory design process and final designs for the space.

This effort is part of NYCHA’s Connected Communities program, which is focused on transforming and modernizing open spaces by implementing public-private partnerships. The program’s efforts are based on participatory planning and design, and strive to enhance vibrant, safer, and more resilient open spaces in NYCHA communities.

“Green Space Connections is about empowering residents with the tools and resources needed to design and transform their open spaces. Since launching the program in 2023, thousands of residents have participated in design workshops and voted on final project ideas across four NYCHA campuses. Today’s groundbreaking is an important milestone as the Fund and partners deliver critical resources to public housing communities, improving access to green spaces, building new amenities and ultimately leading to safer, stronger, healthier communities,” said Public Housing Community Fund Executive Director Alex Zablocki. “Today’s groundbreaking would not have been possible without the support of our partners at the New York City Housing Authority, our funder, the Helmsley Charitable Trust, program partners, and resident leaders and stakeholders.”

“Castle Hill being given the opportunity to be the first dog park on NYCHA property is amazing. Our being able to offer residents and their companions a space to commune and socialize is incredible. I would offer this as a ‘third place’ experience even if it is just mornings and afternoon ‘walkies.’ I am so excited to be a part of building an important place for our residents,” said Castle Hill Resident Association President Jeannette Salcedo.

“Enough can’t be said about the benefits of improved access to green spaces throughout New York City,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “Through Green Space Connections, NYCHA residents are able to participate in the design process that ultimately activates outdoor, recreational areas on their campuses in new and improved ways. We’re very grateful to the Public Housing Community Fund and all of our partners in this endeavor to engage residents in a project that provides a positive outlet for healthy activity right outside their front doors.”

“One of this administration’s commitments to tenants is access to high-quality amenities, and the open spaces brought about by NYCHA’s Connected Communities helps fulfill that promise,” said Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Housing, Workforce, and Economic Development. “NYCHA tenants taking part in this design process with Green Space Connections and Public Housing Community Fund not only chose recreational spaces, but climate resiliency projects. Tenant choice in renovating community space is one of many actions that will make NYCHA developments sustainable for years to come.”

“Access to public space and overall community health are inextricably linked,” said Design Trust for Public Space Executive Director Matthew Clarke. “A decade ago, we began the Opening the Edge project in the Lower East Side, working with public housing residents at the Lillian Wald Houses to design a new community space, inspiring NYCHA’s Connected Communities framework and the Green Space Connections initiative. We are thrilled to continue scaling this work, empowering community members to have agency over their own neighborhoods and to give new life to underutilized spaces at Castle Hill for residents to enjoy for years to come.”

“The Castle Hill dog park is a prime example of how different groups with a common goal can come together to create a meaningful amenity requested by public housing residents. We can amplify our impact by pooling resources and expertise, even when budgets are limited. Grain Collective was thrilled to work on this groundbreaking project at NYCHA and we congratulate the residents and partners,” said Grain Collective Principal Runit Chhaya.

“We’re proud to participate in Green Space Connections and the collaborative effort among so many partners to improve community access to green spaces. Crucially, the residents themselves are in the driver’s seat, voting on and providing input into the design process to ensure the transformational work being done in their communities reflects their preferences and needs,” said Courtney Bryan, Executive Director of the Center for Justice Innovation.

“Green spaces are part of the ecosystem of supports that improve health stability. We are excited to support the Green Space Connections project as it harnesses the opportunity NYCHA has to create more green space where New Yorkers need it most, while using the successful Connected Communities model to engage residents in meaningful greening projects,” said Tracy Perrizo, New York City Program Officer at Helmsley Charitable Trust.

Access to safe, well-maintained green spaces is a health equity issue. There is a clear link between proximity to open space and overall community health. Green Space Connections features three main program elements: Participatory Design Process, Physical Transformation, and Programming for Sustainability. These phases ensure access to spaces that have a direct, positive impact on the health, well-being, resiliency, safety, and overall quality of life of NYCHA residents. To amplify the lessons of the project and empower a wider reach of New York public housing residents, Green Space Connections is creating a practical design and resources guide for non-profit organizations and resident leaders to navigate the process of bringing open space projects to their communities.