Design 21: Social Design Network

Our Mission:

The Design Trust is committed to improving the design, utility, and understanding of New York City's parks, plazas, streets, and public buildings. We bring together neighborhoods, public agencies, and design professionals to find innovative opportunities for change, making the city more beautiful, sustainable, functional, and available to all.

We Believe:

1. The cultural and democratic life of the city depends on viable public space.
2. Design excellence is the minimum requirement for all public space.
3. Social justice and environmental sustainability must guide public space design.
4. Process plays a determining role in the quality of public space.
5. Public/private partnership is the only way to achieve these goals.

Our Unique Approach:

The Design Trust is the only public space organization that gives city agencies and community groups the means to work collaboratively with private sector design and other professionals. We select projects from across the five boroughs and assemble top-notch cross-disciplinary teams to bring innovation to urban space challenges. These public/private partnerships generate powerful and unexpected working relationships, creating remarkable solutions to complicated public space issues.