Design Solutions for Public and Affordable Housing in the Lower East Side

The Lower East Side contains the second highest concentration of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) housing in Manhattan, and provides stable affordable housing in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. The Capstone team explored best practices and policies for cultivating livable, affordable, interconnected, and vibrant communities that possess significant social, economic, and cultural diversity. The study provided a framework for broad application within the City of New York with a special focus on Lower Manhattan. NYCHA’s Smith and Vladeck Houses and their surrounding neighborhoods within Community Board 3 and the Two Bridges Neighborhood, serve as case studies for the project. The study provided urban design guidelines and recommendations for communities containing public and affordable housing that generate vibrant, livable, affordable, and well-resourced built environments.