HARLEM WORKSHOP, Fall 2014

In partnership with the Mailman School of Public Health, CALL organized a workshop focusing on the neighborhood in Harlem around 125th Street/Broadway. The workshop was facilitated by Franco Montalto, President and Principal Engineer of eDesign Dynamics. Montalto is a hydrologist with 20 years of experience working in urban and urbanizing ecosystems as a practitioner, designer, and researcher.

Approximately 40 members of the community, including artists, scientists, activists, and elected officials, participated in the workshop exploring the neighborhood priorities and concerns about the environment. The community members were especially concerned about how gentrification impacts the community and the environment. From this workshop, artists were invited to submit concepts for public art interventions that draw attention to the most pressing issues.

Proposals were invited from artist and scientist teams following the workshop. Elliott Maltby’s proposal for an emergency preparedness hub, inspired by the resident’s challenges during and after hurricane sandy and the Northern Manhattan Climate Action Plan, was taken forward for further development.