February 8, 2018
by: AIA New York
Shelter For All

With 60,000 individuals in shelters, New York City has the largest homeless population in the nation. Last year, Mayor Bill de Blasio released “Turning the Tide on Homelessness,” a vision to prevent further growth, dignify the shelter system, and engage host communities. While the city plans to site 90 new shelters across the five boroughs, misconceptions about the homeless have fueled community resistance.

How can we design shelters, intake centers, and supportive housing to turn the tide? How can we use programming and design to transform these places into community assets?

The Urban Design Forum’s 2018 Forefront Fellowship, Shelter for All, will explore how urban design can empower homeless populations and engage host communities. Fellows will partner with the NYC Department of Homeless Services and AIA New York to visit shelters, interview stakeholders, and draft guidelines to improve the design and operation of existing facilities. In the second phase, fellows will gather in small groups to explore topics in homelessness, from prevention to long-term housing solutions.

Forefront Fellows are emerging architects, landscape architects, community advocates, planners, developers, public officials, civic leaders, technologists, scholars, and journalists who are advancing dynamic, equitable, and resilient cities. Fellows typically have five to ten years of working experience and must live or work in NYC’s five boroughs for the duration of the Fellowship.

Applications are due on Monday, March 12 at 5:00 pm.

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