What if design could make you healthier?
Working collaboratively with a health science researcher, we developed a framework for evidence-based health data to inform design decisions. The iterative process was conceived as a tool to link design strategies with health outcomes through specific pathways, holding design accountable to performance. The framework was applied to multiple sites in an East New York neighborhood to guide future planning and development.
HEALTHY URBANISM
Cypress Hills LDC / ISA + HealthxDesign / Brooklyn NY / 2013
The process begins by framing and identifying health disparities based on existing research and evidence. The next stage leverages design strategies to amplify positive outcomes, and the last measures long-term health outcomes of design decisions. The intent is for these stages to iteratively inform one another across multiple projects.
Working with the Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation in East New York, we deployed the framework across four case study sites along Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. Home to a diverse community with a strong cultural identity and immigrant roots, the neighborhood lacked affordable housing, access to fresh food and quality healthcare, and the design for each project addressed these needs using the framework as a guide for decision-making.
The Superhousing project design featured a looped pedestrian path connecting mixed-income housing, pedestrian parklets, and retail spaces to the surrounding community.
The Gateway provided a mixed-use high-density housing tower greeting traffic entering the Cypress Hills neighborhood.
The Backyard positioned an open green market atop a subway right-of-way, flanking it with shade pavilions, a performance venue and high-rise housing positioned to maximize solar access.
The Hub sited a grocery store and weekend market anchoring a jobs incubator adjacent to an elevated train line.
