EAST RIVER ALLIANCE
ORGANIZATION DESIGN
YEAR
CLIENT
ROLE
TEAM
2018
Rebuild by Design
Project lead
Research & strategy
Production
Project management
The Trust for Public Land
James Lima Planning & Development
The Lower East Side of Manhattan is about to get a new park and coastline, designed to protect the community from sea level rise and coastal storms. Typical approaches to park operations and governance fall short of maximizing the full value of parks as resilient infrastructure.
How can an alternative form of park governance ensure sustained and high quality maintenance of such high performance landscapes as East River Park? How can such a model harness local knowledge and technical capability, retain local investment, and enhance community resilience beyond park borders?
EAST RIVER ALLIANCE
Based on in-depth stakeholder and precedent research, we recommended that the existing working group pursue an alliance structure, with the concerted practices of engaging in equitable development.
The alliance model provides for wider representation among organized community interests, provides strength and capacity in numbers, and involves relatively modest start-up costs while remaining adaptable to shifting needs and activities over time.
Evolve to grow
Today:
working group
Mid-term:
Alliance with City coordination
Long-term:
Alliance with joint
Alliance / City Park Administrator
Year-round programming + activation
