Bronx Center Plan
The Bronx Center project, a collaborative, community based plan to revitalize a severely deteriorated 300 block section of the South Bronx, is unprecedented in method and scope. As a multi-discipline plan, The Bronx Center encompasses a gamut of different projects such as economic development, health and human services, education and culture, housing and transportation.
The community-based planning process was steered by a coalition of civic organizations and strong local leadership under Borough President Ferrer, with the aim of creating a permanent political forum.
Project responsibilities were as follows: Develop and administer project objectives that emerge from a participatory process; produce an overall budget and administered the fiscal aspects of the project in coordination with the contributing organizations; oversee the production of briefing books, letters to the community, official reports, and participated in their drafting and editing; lead public meetings and hold public presentations; coordinate and delegate the work of committees, consultants and staff.
Selected as a Best Practice prototype for Human Settlements by United Nations-Habitat. The planning strategies and architectural designs that emerged from the Bronx Center effort were included in a national urban design show entitled, “Urban Revisions: Current Projects for the Public Realm,” which was sponsored by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. The exhibition has been shown in Los Angeles, California; Montreal, Canada; Berkeley, California; and Des Moines, Iowa.
