Urban Forest Public Art Installation

Location: First Park, 33 East First Street, New York, NY
Year: 2013
Size: ~3,000 ft2
Project Type: Temporary outdoor installation
Project Partners: SUPERFRONT (Non-Profit) / First Street Green (FSG) / New York City Department of Parks & Recreation
Collaborator: Habitat Workshop
Award: 1st Prize, Design Charrette, First Park, Superfront

Making Space Through Public Participation

Located at the intersection of one of the busiest streets of Manhattan, the site of the Urban Forest is not a typical park. A stretch of path filled with lush greenery along East Houston Street lures in neighbors, travelers, and passersby for a moment of respite in the city. Only when one enters this green oasis, the park reveals a small paved lot – approximately 100’ by 30’ – wedged between two old tenement buildings. Once a rat-infested lot filled with demolished building rubbles, the site has been transformed into an active public gathering space through the efforts of non-profit public advocacy groups, community members, support of major cultural institutions, and the City’s Parks Department. The transformation of the site is an example of an impactful public architecture and space realized through initiation, participation, and collaboration of the public that also serves the public. Conceived as a temporary outdoor installation for various programming during the summer 2013, the project is an amalgamation of efforts led by various participants that include project partners, volunteers, collaborating artists, and the community.