Poughkeepsie Catalysts: How Component Aggregations Can Spark Change

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

POUGHKEEPSIE CATALYSTS HOW COMPONENT AGGREGATIONS CAN SPARK CHANGE

Zhi Zheng & William Toohey III 1

POUGHKEEPSIE CATALYSTS

Defining the Paradigm of Component Aggregations In the context of this work, we interpret the meaning of “component aggregations” as multiple projects that work together as a larger, more productive arrangement of strategies that contribute to increasingly-broad and deep societal goals. Therefore, when buildings, landscapes, and cities are being shaped alongside efforts of rezoning districts or writing new policy, the intentionality and mission-driven impact of “component aggregations” can be clear.

So, the “catalysts” for this operation, whether spatial intervention or private and public support, act as vehicles to facilitate a collective effort and aspiration for people and places within the City of Poughkeepsie.

Context In order to understand the current conditions, it is important to reflect on some of the key forces that influenced the city’s trajectory over time. On February 19th, Sierra Bainbridge (Senior Principal and Managing Director at MASS Design Group) presented their team’s work in New York’s Hudson Valley region. Bainbridge’s perspective helped influence our understanding of infrastructure’s role in disrupting the central corridor of Poughkeepsie, New York and what is referred to as “Main Mall Row.” She also highlighted MASS Design’s role in navigating the context and engaging communities. But as we look further back, we can gain improved understanding for why this city in particular is on its current trajectory of redevelopment.

“ARCHITECTURE IS NEVER NEUTRAL. IT EITHER HEALS OR HURTS. OUR MISSION IS TO RESEARCH, BUILD, AND ADVOCATE FOR ARCHITECTURE THAT PROMOTES JUSTICE AND HUMAN DIGNITY.” MASS Design Group Mission Statement

In Poughkeepsie, nineteenth century industry flourished through shipping, hatteries, paper mills, and several breweries along the Hudson River, including some owned by Matthew Vassar (founder of Vassar College). Due to the area’s natural beauty and convenient proximity to New York City—roughly 80 miles or an hour-and-40-minute drive from Times Square—families such as the Astors, Rogers, and Vanderbilts built palatial weekend homes nearby. However, one individual who stuck out among the crowd of well-to-do residents was Matthew Vassar. Vassar was an influential agent in Poughkeepsie’s history and the city’s development who owned a considerable amount of companies and real estate. This enabled him to engage in a variety of philanthropic activities. He also founded Vassar College, constructed between 1861 and 1865, which was the first degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. Overall, the Vassar family made significant contributions to the City of Poughkeepsie in the nineteenth century. But eventually, the city began its transition toward deindustrialization and economic decline.

“The Rust Belt,” referring to the informal region of the United States that experienced industrial and economic decline around 1980, is defined mostly by job loss, population loss, and urban decay, due primarily to the slow disappearance of a once-flourishing industrial sector. Primarily impacting the Midwest and Great Lakes regions, one can observe the nature of this decline through mapping change in manufacturing jobs from 1954 to 2002 (Figure 1) and change in per capita personal income from 1980 to 2002 (Figure 3). In addition to mapping these categories, the net international investment position (NIIP) shows this decline through a difference between the country’s external financial assets and liabilities (Figure 2).

Relevance Today, as a structural response to this history of economic decline and disinvestment, new tools are rising to the surface. “Opportunity Zones” now raise some concern for their implications as an economic development tool. The Internal Revenue Service defines an Opportunity Zone as an “economically-distressed community where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. Localities qualify as Opportunity Zones if they have been nominated for that designation by the state and that nomination has been certified by the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury via their delegation of authority to the Internal Revenue Service.”

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PARADIGM FRAMING: COMPONENT AGGREGATIONS

Opportunity Zones were added to the tax code by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on December 22, 2017. The first set of Opportunity Zones, covering parts of 18 states, were designated on April 9, 2018. Zones have now been designated, covering parts of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories; and Poughkeepsie is one of these areas. However, there is no clear intent or strategy for this economic tool’s impact on individual or collective social benefits. The relationships between housing, community, and economic development should be embedded in any widely-influential tool that is successfully attracting billions of dollars in private equity. Although the purpose of these zones is to spur economic development and new job creation, what will it ultimately mean for existing and new Poughkeepsie residents?

And most appropriately for this research, how does MASS Design Group’s interventions play a role in the evolution of Poughkeepsie? Michael Murphy’s personal connection to the City of Poughkeepsie—the city in which he grew up in—is also worth mentioning, to better understand the reason for MASS Design’s involvement as a motivated and productive actor.

Now, when engaging with the physical context, we can better understand causes of disruption and decline (e.g. disruptive traffic infrastructure, widespread disinvestment, and disappearing industries and job opportunities). And the residual effects of this materialize as increased vacancy, environmental hazards, unemployment rates, and social immobility. As a result of adequately establishing the context for key issues, we can more easily evaluate MASS Design’s catalysts and how individual projects contribute to larger component aggregations and longterm goals for the city.

The reason for mentioning Matthew Vassar, as well as Michael Murphy, is to draw parallels in time and space: parallels greatly influenced by individual efforts and visions. Whether or not one agrees with the philosophy, intent, or deployed means and methods of these individuals, they influence reality. Therefore, it is important to critically engage with the urban projects discussed here, especially the agents who help facilitate processes that produce tangible outcomes. It takes a tremendous amount of time, energy, and imagination from people who care enough about perceived issues in the world to act, but to what degree do these actions positively impact people, places, and the environment? How do we measure successes and failures? To evaluate their own projects, MASS Design might ask whether or not they “heal or hurt” people within a given physical, social, or political-economic context. Do our actions ever reinforce or perpetuate issues beyond or beneath the scale of our intervention?

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Figure 1. Change in manufacturing jobs from 1954 to 2002

Figure 2. Net International Investment Position (NIIP) shows economic decline through the difference between the United States’ external financial assets and liabilities

Figure 3. Change in per capita personal income from 1980 to 2002

POUGHKEEPSIE CATALYSTS

Whether or not one has personal roots in the site of intervention, or stake in the particular issues identified, the action of the agent and their collaboration with other actors, is what ultimately shapes the built environment.

MASS Design Group’s Projects as Catalysts 1. Trolley Barn 2. Fall Kill Creek 3. College Hill Park 4. Family Partnership Center

Figure 4. Trolley Barn Rendering: Flexible community gathering, 2016

MASS Design Group’s mission statement asserts that “architecture is never neutral. It either heals or hurts. Our mission is to research, build, and advocate for architecture that promotes justice and human dignity.” So, to what degree do these four projects promote justice and human dignity? What are their successes and failures? How can we reflect on design’s impact and its ability to productively respond to issues?

Research Questions What part of Poughkeepsie’s larger revitalization strategy do these four projects contribute to? Is vacant land supporting new construction? Are existing structures being repurposed?

Are new or existing landscapes being formed or reformed? How do these projects attract financial capital? What organizations align with MASS Design’s mission? How does MASS Design engage the community? Are there multiple methods of community engagement? Are these processes productive? How do these projects work together as a larger, more productive arrangement of urban design strategies?

The Middle Main neighborhood runs along Main Street, from Academy Street to Pershing Avenue, between two transit arteries (Route 44/55), where the Fall Kill Creek project runs along below the infrastructure. The intervention is being used to activate the connective tissue of the river, otherwise not walkable and move people through the city in a new way that is accessible and pedestrian-oriented, compared to highways that prioritize automobiles.

MASS Design’s conceptual/schematic work is being intentional about revitalization and how to develop strategies for the overall vision of Poughkeepsie. And linking together community organizations that can operate together in larger arrangements also reveals qualities of the paradigm. Overall, MASS Design’s projects in Poughkeepsie rely heavily on non-profit 4

PARADIGM FRAMING: COMPONENT AGGREGATIONS

organizations for grants and other sources of funding, which contrasts with a project such as the High Line in New York City. MASS does not have the same degree of funding that the High Line team was able to capture from the public and private sectors.

Key Takeaways Remembering the past and understanding the context/history Acknowledging hurdles and challenges to overcome Visualizing and articulating the vision Deploying strategies: advocacy, community participation, planning, and design If there is hope for positive change in distressed cities such as Poughkeepsie, these “components” should more often be discussed in light of their interconnectivity to finance, policy, politics, an array of social sciences, among additional disciplines. And hopefully this process can influence planners, designers, and policymakers to not only improve their understanding but motivate and empower others to intervene in similar, complex environments.

Questions for Critical Dialogue Who do we design for? What challenges do planners and designers face within complex urban environments? Consider the implications of social, political, and economic forces that tend to drive or prevent change or the notion of “progress.” When do we plan for? 3-5 years? 10 years?

Is that long enough? What about multi-generational aspirations? How do the decisions we make today affect the next generation? What does 50 or 100 years look like? Where do we wish to go? Why should anyone care? How do we anticipate future challenges and plan for change?

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Figure 5. Fall Kill Creek: The Hudson Valley Design Lab envisions new opportunities for outdoor community space along the Middle Main portion of Poughkeepsie’s Fall Kill Creek

POUGHKEEPSIE CATALYSTS 1980

1990

2000

2013

1984.

Hudson River Housing

2013. Redevel strategy

1981. Hudson River Settlement Agreement

Attracting Funding

1996. Operation of the Shelter Plus Care program

Aligning Missions

1990. Scenic Hudson partner with communities

Engaging Communities

Roy Budnik. purchases Trolley Barn properties Hudson River Housing. support and funding

2007. Saving the Land That Matters Most

Alanve architect. design support

Neighborworks America. community outreach Scenic Hudson. support and funding

Open 1st phase of Fall Kill Creek

Scenic Hudson grant

The Artifact. information sharing

John B. photographer Hudson Valley Reentry. community engagement Liscum McCormick Vanhoorhis. design firm Mid-Hudson Heritage Center. support and funding Restore New York Communities Initiative. community outreach Duchess County. political support

The Northside Collaborative

The Northside Collaborate. collabo

Rebuilding Together. neighborhoo

Hudson Reentry Network support

Poughkeepsie Alliance. support and funding Council people representatives. political support

2011. Hurricane Irene

Environmental Cooperative. neigh Fall Kill Creek

Jane W. Nuhn Charitable Trust. support and funding The Dyson Foundation. awards

Health Quest. healthcare providers

Chris Kroner. principal and designer

Feasibility Vision

Project Image

2014

Implementation Poughkeepsie urban renewal started with a grant from Scenic Hudson.

HVDL worked with them on a number of projects related to park amenities, the waterfront, the creek, and community events.

The Hudson Valley Design Lab is cultivating new opportunities for outdoor community space along the Middle Main portion of Poughkeepsie’s Fall Kill Creek.

2015

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The Northside Collaborative. Co oration with vario organizations on north side of the of Poughkeepsie 2016

lopment

TIMELINE 2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2015.

Grant from Scenic Hudson 2015. Jane W. Nuhn Charitable Trust

2016. Fund from The Dyson Foundation 2016. Hudson River Housing support 2016. Fund from The Poughkeepsie Alliance

2014. Grant from Roy Budnik

2018. Poughkeepsie Innovation District Zoning Approved

2017.

Opportunity Zone

2017. Fund from The Community Foundation of the Hudson Valley

2017. Hudson Valley Magazine

2015.

Hudson Reentry Network

2018. Poughkeepsie waterfront rezoning

2015. The Artifact connection

2016. Brand doyal’s support

2014. Community outreach

2016. Environmental Cooperative

2017.

COMMUNITY MEETING: Poughkeepsie’s Northside Neighborhoods

2018. The Poughkeepsie Journal

2018. New York Times 2014. Local artists meeting

2019. Community Matter 2

2016. Design exhibition

Opportunity Zone

COMMUNITY MEETING: Poughkeepsie’s Northside Neighborhoods

Open 2nd phase of Fall Kill Creek

Open 3rd phase of Fall Kill Creek

oration with organizations

od support

hborhood support

ollabous n the e City e.

Community Matter 2. neighborhood support Council people representatives. neighborhood support

Activation

Poughkeepsie was identified as an “Opportunity Zone:” an economically-distressed community where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment.

In addition to the public gallery, MASS’s HVDL is looking at three specific projects within the city: reimagining the defunct cisterns in College Hill Park.

2017

2018

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College Hill Park Restoration Day created an environment that included a variety of stakeholders.

2019

POUGHKEEPSIE CATALYSTS

Health Quest Local family of nonprofit hospitals and healthcare providers in the Mid-Hudson Valley and northwestern Connecticut.

The Poughkeepsie Alliance Developed strategies and facilitates actions to stimulate trans-formative growth to enhance quality of life in the city of Poughkeepsie

Jane W. Nuhn Charitable Trust Gives primarily for the arts, higher education, and human services

The Community Foundation of the Hudson Valley Awarded grants in the excess of 13.7 million dollars in 2017

The Dyson Foundation Awarded grants in the excess of 13.7 million dollars in 2017

Scenic Hudson Cultivated new opportunities for outdoor community space along the Middle Main portion of Poughkeepsie’s Fall Kill Creek.

Non-Profit

Institution Hudson Valley Design Lab One lab of Mass Design, cultivated new opportunities for outdoor community space

Private Sector

Roles

Influencers

Supporters

Initiators

Public Sector Hudson River Housing

Poughkeepsie Waterfront Committee

Community/ Public Opinion

Roy Budnik

Director of the Mid-Hudson Heritage Center, local philanthropy

Dutchess County

City of Poughkeepsie

Got the grant for the project, and end up developing the project

Included the area of the Fall Kill Creek in the zoning regulation which makes it easier for HVDL to raise funding

Representatives from Dutchess County were very supportive on HVDL’s projects

Set up the Trolley Barn as an arts center and event space

Dutchess County Representatives Tension/ Opposition

Rob Rolison

Individual

Advocated for public safety of local Poughkeepsie families, especially children

Community Matters 2 - “CM2”

Poughkeepsie Common Council

Posted design proposals on Facebook for community to choose

Passed the Poughkeepsie Innovation District regulation that encourage new uses

Chris Kroner

Principal at MASS Design Group. Advisor of the Planning Board in Poughkeepsie.

Provided suggestions to the development of new projects in Poughkeepsie

John B.

Chris Kroner

Attracted philanthropy and raised funding from various non-profit organizations

Photography for Fall Kill Creek site visit

Brian Doyle

Director of family service in the Family Partnership Center in Poughkeepsie

Representatives From Poughkeepsie Council Provided suggestions on the development of Poughkeepsie

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Councilwoman Yvonne Flowers Helped organizing College Hill Park Restoration Day

Poughkeepsie L

DNA

Rebuilding Together Met monthly and change information about the projects.

Hudson Valley Reentry Network Runs some of the park along the creek to get people to the creek to learn about what are happening

The Artifact Meet monthly and change information about the projects.

DNA

Restore New York Communities Initiative Gives funds to complete the building’s transformation into a multi-cultural center for arts programming and events.

Mid-Hudson Heritage Re-imagined the Trolley Barn as an arts center and event space

Environmental Cooperative Brings together regional environmental organizations, community groups, educators

Family Services

Groups of Individuals

Community Matters 2 - “CM2”

Provided programs to support neighbor

Posted design proposals on Facebook for community to choose

Poughkeepsie Alliance

Institutions

Scenic Hudson

Organized the community meetings, City Council hearings

Started to run some listening sessions

Individuals Structural Engineer Engineering and landscaping

Agencies

Liscum McCormick Van Voorhis Center

Agents Involved in Multiple Phases

Designed the interior of the Trolley Barn

Connections between Agents

Mass Design The Northside Collaborate

Hudson Valley Design Lab

Collaborated with different a bunch of organizations on the north side of the city of Poughkeepsie

Collaborated with different organizations on several urban renewal projects in Poughkeepsie

Fundraising Actions: issuance of tax exempt receipts to donors

Facilitators

Implementers

Reflections

Hudson River Housing

Dive deep into the community to frequently outreach and find the development expertise

Community Matters 2 - “CM2” Selected public feedback on the projects

Poughkeepsie Journal

Covers local politics and stories

Local Artists Helped organizing College Hill Park Restoration Day

John B.

Hudson Valley Magazine

Organized photos for newspaper report

Covers local politics and stories

Councilwoman Yvonne Flowers

Covers local politics and stories

New York Times

Helped organizing College Hill Park Restoration Day

Facebook

Created Facebook Homepage for everyone to be collaborative

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Political Support Actions: issuance of tax exempt receipts to donors

Implementation Actions: issuance of tax exempt receipts to donors

Documenting/ Reflection Actions: issuance of tax exempt receipts to donors

POUGHKEEPSIE CATALYSTS

VISION

The starting point of the work in Poughkeepsie relied much on Chris Kroner’s personal connections to individuals at Heal Quest, the Poughkeepsie Alliance, the Dyson Foundation, etc. While engaging these local organizations, as well as city officials, Kroner received a grant from Hudson River Housing—a local organization with deep roots in the community that helped develop the Trolley Barn renovation. Kroner also joined forces with Roy Budnik and the Mid-Hudson Heritage Center, an organization that is embedded into local communities via the arts. Budnik’s connections helped move the project along efficiently.

FEASIBILITY

After raising funds through local organizations and meeting with local officials, MASS’s Hudson Valley Design Lab cultivated new opportunities for more community engagement, political support, and funding. Although there are some feelings of indifference among older Poughkeepsie residents toward new planning and design strategies, many city officials and county representatives showed genuine interest in the rejuvenated effort and leadership.

This relationship really helped implement the project. And with the help of Brian Doyle, Director of Family Services, the Hudson Valley Design Lab was able to begin research and design for the conceptual phase of the Family Partnership Center.

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DNA

IMPLEMENTATION

Collaboration occurred with a variety of organizations on the north side of the City of Poughkeepsie. Some of the non-profit organizations include Scenic Hudson, Hudson River Housing, Hudson Reentry Network, The Artifact, Rebuilding Together, Dutchess County, Environmental Cooperative, and Community Matters 2. All of these organizations meet at least monthly and adapt to new challenges as they arise. Working with structural engineers, Liscum McCormick Van Voorhis, contractors, and other companies related to building construction, Hudson Valley Design Lab was able to help facilitate the construction process for projects.

ACTIVATION

Many community members were able to contribute to the design process of HVDL projects. The Lab created a Facebook page for everyone to express their voice in a collaborative way, featuring images and responding to any concerns. Much of the discourse influenced the design and decisionmaking process. In collaboration with Hudson Valley Reentry, HVDL was able to organize community programs to help engage the community. One successful engagement involved painting a playground with Community Matters 2, which attracted people to the creek to learn more about what was happening in and around the neighborhood. It also created a productive environment to discuss the future of Fall Kill Creek.

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POUGHKEEPSIE CATALYSTS

ATTRACTING FUNDING

The theme of “Poughkeepsie catalysts” and MASS Design Group’s work at the Hudson Valley Design Lab can be captured through three primary lenses: attracting funding, aligning missions, and engaging communities. In a phone conversation with MASS Design’s Evelina Knodel in March 2019, she expressed the importance of attracting funding in the context of much of their Hudson Valley work. Attracting philanthropic and non-profit collaborators is essential for securing sufficient initial funding to get serious research and design off the ground. And if it is difficult to attract funding, it is important to attract people who are capable of attracting funding. One of the most critical agents involved in the DNA of these projects is Roy Budnik, founder and president of the board of directors of the Mid-Hudson Heritage Center. Budnik is a geologist and owner of two Poughkeepsie properties, one of which is the site of the “Trolley Barn,” at 489 Main Street. Budnik’s control of the site and intentions to preserve the structure and encourage Poughkeepsie’s growing arts/cultural scene is essentially why the design opportunity exists for MASS Design Group. Without this relationship, there would be no project.

71 municipalities statewide.”2 As the owner of a site with untapped potential to embrace larger social and cultural trends, such as the city’s desire for the arts to act as a catalyst for economic growth, Budnik is in a unique position to attract diverse sources of funding.

The non-profit he created, the Mid-Hudson Heritage Center, relies on a variety of generous partners that enable the work they do: the Dyson Foundation, Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, Jane W. Nuhn Charitable Trust, Stewart’s Shops, the City of Poughkeepsie, Siegrist Construction, Vassar College, A&R Security, Barrett Art Center, Marist, Hudson River Housing Inc, Adams Fairacre Farms, Dutchess Community College, Hot Fresh Prime Copies Now, Stofa’s Auto & Collision, and West’s Ceramic Supply.

Whether it involves searching for private sector grant funding or public sector sources from the state, individuals and larger organizations/agencies familiar with the context prove to be incredibly resourceful allies. In terms of both human and financial capital, diverse sources need to collaborate in some capacity, which likely requires thoughtful political and marketing strategies. And philanthropy, in this context, is not just about individuals who supply funding for mission-driven work. It can also be viewed as support by an organization that aligns with the positive social implications of the work being explored. This is what makes organizations like Hudson River Housing or Scenic Hudson critical components of the work being pursued in the Hudson Valley Design Lab. Ultimately, when it comes to good ideas and a desire to tackle issues with implications larger than ourselves, we must ask, “how much will this cost and who or what is going to pay for it?”

And because of Budnik’s arts agenda, as well as sound connection to local and state politics, the Trolley Barn project was able to secure $1 million in state funding from New York’s Governor, Andrew Cuomo.1 The Governor supports the City of Poughkeepsie’s desire to invest in the arts. “The state funding is part of nearly $11 million awarded to 10 Mid-Hudson Region communities through the Restore New York Communities Initiative, according to Cuomo’s office. The nearly $11 million is part of almost $81 million awarded to

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INCREASING AGENCY

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO

POUGHKEEPSIE $1,000,000 ROY BUDNIK

COMMUNITY Figure 6. Attracting Funding.

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POUGHKEEPSIE CATALYSTS

ALIGNING MISSIONS

ADVOCACY / COLLABORATION / COMPASSION / CONNECTION / INSPIRATIONAL / TOGETHER Common words found across Poughkeepsie community organizations, especially those now partnered with the Hudson Valley Design Lab In addition to attracting sources of funding, aligning with missions of community organizations is critical for a mission-driven design practice. Lucky for MASS Design Group, Poughkeepsie is home to many organizations with overlapping values. And it is rather convenient that Roy Budnik is a powerful and popular local, because he is closely connected to many of the people and organizations that are compatible collaborators with a firm such as MASS. The DNA diagram identifies numerous organizations with overlapping values, including Health Quest, the Poughkeepsie Alliance, Jane W. Nuhn Charitable Trust, the Community Foundation of the Hudson Valley, and the Dyson Foundation. These organizations not only morally support the mission of MASS Design’s endeavors, but they also have the financial means to help realize a collective vision.

programs, prevention, victim services, and youth services.5 And a collaboration with Scenic Hudson is critical for a project like Fall Kill Creek. Their organization “helps citizens and communities preserve land and farms and create parks where people experience the outdoors and enjoy the Hudson River.”6 Many of the missions MASS has been able to align with have helped with the overall social and cultural ambitions of Roy Budnik, Chris Kroner, the HVDL team, and community members across the City of Poughkeepsie.

Some organizations that might not be in a position to provide financial capital can offer human capital that facilitates things like training or programs that help educate and equip future community members/collaborators. Many of the services offered by local community organizations are critical for project feasibility. However, it is important for project initiators and influencers to not only just build valuable relationships with community allies. New relationships should also be considered as strategic positioning for research and project feasibility; trustworthy collaborators can ultimately be productive sources of funding. Aligning missions are important, but even if everyone in the same room agrees on a collective vision, someone still has to pay for it.

The Mid-Hudson Heritage Center asserts that they “exist to foster connection and celebrate Poughkeepsie by sharing our stories and creating together.”3 Family Services strives to “help families and individuals help themselves through direct services, collaboration, and advocacy.”4 An organization like Family Services offers Poughkeepsie residents six key categories that include a variety of services: behavioral health centers, community safety, family

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INCREASING AGENCY Fam ilyS e rvi ce s

son ud iH en Sc

t Trus ble a t i r Cha

Rebuilding Together

ndation n Fou Dyso The

Hud so

uhn .N W ne Ja

Mission Values Concentrtion

Comm unity Mat ters 2

Collaboration Community Safety Public Service Advocacy Education Youth Housing

- “C M2 ”

Prevention Family Public Space Health Transportation Victim Culture

Mi dHu d

borWorks America Neigh

Health Quest

Res tore New Yor kC om mu nit ies

ter en eC ag rit He

In itia ti

n so

ve

Fam ilyS e rvi ce s

e llianc sie A p e e ghk Pou

MASS MISSION

son ud iH en Sc

ndation n Fou Dyso The

Hud son

Figure 7. MASS Mission Wheel

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Riv er H ous ing

POUGHKEEPSIE CATALYSTS

ENGAGING COMMUNITIES

All four of the projects pursued by MASS Design Group would have far less meaning if they failed to successfully include community voices and participation. The success of their work relies heavily on the social implications of design, so engaging members of the community is a critical criterion for successful outcomes. MASS Design’s methods, in collaboration with a variety of community organizations, align with a philosophy that believes that architecture should be “less and less the representation of its designers and more and more the representation of its users” (Ginacarlo De Carlo, 1980). The emphasized importance of the intended user can also be captured through interaction and inclusion in design and planning processes. MASS Design experienced success leading community events, engaging in local board meetings with community organizations, and creating unique opportunities for community members close to home, such as facilitating a day of painting recreational hardscape at College Hill Park (see Figure 9).

opportunities in order to avoid outreach fatigue, facilitating handson activities that include youth participation, creating an inclusive environment where all voices are given ample opportunity to be heard, building trust through interaction, building additional trust through consistent and repeat interaction, and developing a framework that can inform future engagement processes. The initiative to be engaged with communities is important for the success of projects and partners that claim there is some kind of social or cultural benefit being provided by the work. But once the Trolley Barn is completely renovated and activated with life, will everyone in Poughkeepsie feel like they belong there? What types of arts and cultural events will attract the diversity that Poughkeepsie is made of? Will the linear park interventions along the Fall Kill Creek actually activate the water’s edge? Will the Family Partnership Center move beyond its conceptual phase and deliver rewarding spaces for community to enjoy? It seems that no matter what the outcome is, the process of realizing these types of projects requires initiators to successfully attract multiple sources of funding, align with missions of local community organizations, and engage communities. If all goes well, then design and planning matters.

Additional community engagement strategies MASS Design and local collaborators could explore include the following: hosting events that community members are interested in, creating unique

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INCREASING AGENCY

Formal

Listening sessions

Project homepage amplifier Community memebers interview

Local board meetings Construction workshps

Whatsup Physical Meeting Open voice/letters collections

Facebook

Locative Community place making workshops

Non-locative

Photography workshops

Painting recreational hardscape program Workshops Site photo exhibition

Multi-media

Art video making program

Youth hands-on Actiities

Feedback gallery show

Informal

Figure 8. Fields of Community Engagement

Figure 9. College Hill Park Restoration Day illustrates an example of community participation 17

Community Programs Interactive Media

POUGHKEEPSIE CATALYSTS

Endnotes 1 “Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces $1 million for Poughkeepsie Trolley Barn,” accessed 2019 April 1, https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/2018/03/28/gov-andrew-cuomo-announces-1-million-poughkeepsie-trolley-barn/465865002/.

2 Ibid.

3 “About,” accessed 2019 April 1, https://www.midhudsonheritage.org/about?np=true.

4 “Mission,” accessed 2019 April 1, http://familyservicesny.org/about/our-mission/.

5 “Services,” accessed 2019 April 1, http://familyservicesny.org/services/.

6 “About,” accessed 2019 April 1, https://www.scenichudson.org/about.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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