Our work at NYC Plazas
Pedestrian plazas have long been a common feature of European cities. Here in NYC, they began appearing in greater numbers starting around 2008, organized by community-based groups with the help of NYC DOT’s Plaza Program. And contrary to what many people may think, most are not in high-traffic, tourist areas of Manhattan, but in the transit and shopping hubs of neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.
Plazas are of special significance to the city’s low income and immigrant communities. In many cases, they offer much-needed physical open space for simply sitting and watching people go by. And they also offer symbolic space that can contain a community’s aspirations, and instill pride. These are the new centers of New York City, and we should pay attention to what happens in them.
Below is a look at some of our recent work in NYC Plazas. If you are a community group working on a plaza, contact us!
Blog posts about our work at NYC Plazas:
Uni wraps outdoor season at Zion Triangle Plaza in Brownsville, Brooklyn
On Halloween, the Uni Project returned to Brownsville, Brooklyn to close out our season and share our new DRAW program. Thanks to our partner and host Pitkin Avenue BID. High-quality art materials in the Uni are generously provided by Blick Art Materials. Photos and a...
Uni reading room at Diversity Plaza, Queens, Aug 1, 2015
Photos from deployment of the Uni reading room at Diversity Plaza, Queens on Aug 1, 2015 with our new DRAW NYC cart. Our host and partner was Friends of Diversity Plaza and Sukhi New York. Our participation was made possible by funds granted by the Charles H. Revson...
Uni reading room at Diversity Plaza, Queens, July 25, 2015
Photos from deployment of the Uni reading room at Diversity Plaza, Queens on July 25, 2015 with our new DRAW NYC cart. Our host and partner was Friends of Diversity Plaza and Sukhi New York. Our participation was made possible by funds granted by the Charles H. Revson...
Uni reading room at Diversity Plaza, Queens, July 18, 2015
Photos from deployment of the Uni reading room at Diversity Plaza, Queens on July 18, 2015. Our host and partner was Friends of Diversity Plaza and Sukhi New York. Our participation was made possible by funds granted by the Charles H. Revson Foundation through the...
Uni reading room at Diversity Plaza, Queens, July 11, 2015
Photos from deployment of the Uni reading room at Diversity Plaza, Queens on July 11, 2015. Our host and partner was Friends of Diversity Plaza and Sukhi New York. Our participation was made possible by funds granted by the Charles H. Revson Foundation through the...
Creating a reading room in Harlem with Reach Out and Read
Reach Out and Read is a nonprofit that partners with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together. To help Reach Out and Read kick-off their annual Early Literacy Awareness Week, the Uni transformed an empty plaza in front of Heritage Health Care...