The severe challenges faced by the Brownsville community in Brooklyn are exacerbated by the littered vacant spaces that invite illegal activities and serve as a constant reminder of the poor conditions and lost opportunities in the neighborhood.
Through ethnographic research and getting to know the community. We found under the positive deviance framework the Mott Hall Bridges Academy.
We worked with a class of high school students to help them conceive and visualize ideas through collage, photos, video and dialogue to transform and activate a vacant space in Brownsville.
The ideas were presented to the Municipal Arts Society as blueprints, for their Jane Jacob’s annual walk for community leaders, civil society and private organizations to incorporate kids insights and ideas into the revitalization process of Brownsville.
Spring Show 2012, Design for Social Innovation at SVA.
photo: Luis Quintero
The photographs displayed are memories and testimonials of our work with these kids and their final project. The collages made by the students, helped us build the blueprints for MAS.
