People living in New York City public and affordable housing deserve to rest, gather, and grow in their communities.

Making Space for Youth is a storytelling and advocacy project developed in collaboration with the Committee for Independent Community Action (CICA), RedHook NeighborhoodSTAT and City Polytechnic High School.

From September 2023 through June 2024, as a Forefront Fellow at the Urban Design Forum, I worked with urban designers and community organizers Camillia Brown, Amy Obonaga, Eamon O'Connor, Gina Massari, Janaira Ramirez, and Melody Stein on community-based research and advocacy that centers youth in public housing and their vision for public housing’s future in New York City.


Our report and workshop curriculum, developed with adult and teen organizers, proposes pathways for youth and NYCHA communities to collaborate and advocate for improved quality, communication and accountability in the design, construction, operations and management of public housing.  

The curriculum provides a framework for a growthful, skills-building, 4-part workshop series that brings youth into conversation with public housing organizers about the future of our cities and our neighborhoods. It develops skills in urban planning, urban design, advocacy, and organizing. It also provides youth with a framework for creating community-accountable designs and developing a civically engaged creative process.