Kingsbridge Restaurants

Restaurant

Oct 22

Client

Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition

A team of Design Advocates practices were tasked with developing strategies for community engagement and for direct services to struggling neighborhood restaurants in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx as part of our participation in the Neighborhoods Now initiative in association with the Van Alen Institute and the Urban Design Forum.

Project Brief

A suite of outreach efforts and direct services to help neighborhood restaurants open into the street and sidewalk through the Open Restaurants program, and to correct preexisting installations to avoid violations.

Design Approach

Constituency building and outreach proved to be an essential component of our work in Kingsbridge, a community where many restaurants are under extreme gentrification pressure, are subject to landlord harassment, and are regularly denied leases which prevents them from being able to plan and make investments in their businesses.

We developed an outreach plan that included multiple canvassing sessions with NWBCCC organizers, and a pamphlet that explained who we are and what we were able to help with.

Subsequently, in-person rapid design assistance was offered and design packages were developed and given to restaurants outlining their options under the City’s regulations for restaurants. We are continuing to do outreach and work to develop additional clients for new outdoor installations.