NYC Economic Development Corporation needed a partner to lead the pre-design phase of this initiative, one who could translate the lived experience of a linguistically diverse, deeply rooted community into concrete spatial and design direction rather than defaulting to a generic public realm plan.
NYC Economic Development Corporation needed a partner to lead the pre-design phase of this initiative, one who could translate the lived experience of a linguistically diverse, deeply rooted community into concrete spatial and design direction rather than defaulting to a generic public realm plan.
The team facilitated a public space improvement working group and dedicated gateway design subgroup, paired with extensive ground-level outreach, tabling, canvassing, and iterative public workshops.
A central challenge was navigating participants’ differing opinions, ideas, and identities, reflecting on Chinatown’s history while imagining its future. Questions about whether the gateway should be a traditional paifang or an interpretive work of art, and whether it should represent mainland China, New York City’s Chinatown, Chinatowns across the United States, or the broader Chinese diaspora, made clear that a gateway is not just a gateway and a plaza is not just a plaza.
Engagement materials and meetings were delivered in Mandarin, Cantonese, Fujianese, Spanish, and English, enabling the team to understand these varied perspectives and build the consensus needed to advance a project that had stalled or been rejected multiple times over the preceding decades. Working in partnership with 3×3 and Fu Wilmers Design, Public Works translated that consensus into a publicly available design brief articulating the gateway’s programmatic goals, spatial principles, and cultural priorities.
By building broad, multilingual participation into every stage of the process, Public Works ensured the resulting framework reflects Chinatown’s vision for its public spaces rather than an outside interpretation. Public Works continues to serve as Community Engagement Lead through the design-build phase and as the project management office for related neighborhood investments, including Light Up Chinatown and the Building Upgrade Fund, helping translate community priorities into coordinated implementation.
Stay in the know with news, announcements, and expert insights from Public Works Partners.