by: Justin Pascone
On 10.19.17, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and AIA New York held FitKids 2017, a half-day symposium that brought together a cohort of leaders across education, health, and design to share ideas and strategies for creating quality, active, and playful spaces in schools and surrounding communities.
From building new to leveraging existing physical spaces, the event examined and elevated a variety of pragmatic and achievable design approaches to advance access to spaces that support physical activity to improve overall student health and prevent obesity, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic conditions, affording children the opportunity to become healthy adults.
Through a series of mini-presentations, the program focused on the linkages between the built environment and student health; designing, enhancing and programming in both new and existing active spaces; maintenance and sustainability considerations; and lessons learned from other cities.
Speakers included Lindsey Harr, Executive Director, Office of School Wellness Programs, NYC Department of Education; Kim Kessler, Assistant Commissioner, Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Tobacco Control, NYC Health; Dina Sorensen, LEED AP BD+C, VMDO Architects; Sara Grant, AIA, LEED AP, Partner, MBB Architects; Karen Kubey, an urbanist specializing in architecture and health; Alex Bard, Grants and Compliance Manager, US Soccer Foundation; Cliff Sperber, Director of Outreach, Youth and Community Services, NY Road Runner; and Naudy Martinez, Senior Program Manager, Programs & Operations, KaBOOM!
Over a “working lunch,” attendees participated in a dynamic workshop session to generate ideas and strategies for creating quality active spaces across New York City. Recommendations focused on specific design enhancements that can activate existing space and potential programs that leverage partnerships and create new spaces to provide opportunities for physical activity. Video and a report from the event will be made available in the coming weeks.
Pulse Points
- Registration is open for the Hyper-Efficient Building Workshops, AIANY and Urban Green Council’s in-depth training on the design of hyper-efficient buildings and compliance with Local Law 31/32. The two-day workshops are limited to 25 participants and open to all architects, designers, engineers, and construction trade professionals. The next workshop is being held on 11.28.17 – 11.29.17 at the Center for Architecture. To learn more and register, continue here.
- On 11.17.17, AIANY’s Civic Leadership Program is hosting their final public event “…And Justice for All: Reconstructing Potentials Through Collaborative Process.” The program will explore how constructive methods of stakeholder engagement impact justice reform. Through presentations and a panel discussion, practitioners with backgrounds in public service, advocacy, research, and design will share their knowledge and experience of collaboratively shaping justice for cities, communities, and individuals. Register here.
- On 10.25.17, First Lady Chirlane McCray, students, and their teachers gathered at a Brooklyn school to announce the completion of 15 “wellness spaces” in public high schools across the five boroughs. The student-driven pilot program paired teenagers with faculty, architects, and graphic designers to transform underused spaces, indoors and outside, into peaceful areas that foster mental health. Learn more here.
- AIANY has released our latest in a series of federal policy statements on risk and recovery. The statement addresses the recent changes in policy and regulations at the federal level and their impact here, in New York -such as withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Accords, suspending safeguards at the Environmental Protection Agency and rescinding of water and air pollution regulations. To read the full statement, continue here.