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A Participatory Planning & Design Process

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts kicked off a robust participatory planning and public engagement process in summer 2023 that began to gather broad input from the local community on how to create greater access along its Amsterdam Avenue side.

To date, we’ve had approximately 6,200 touchpoints with neighbors, advocates, community groups, staff and students from nearby educational institutions, elected officials, civic leaders, and other members of the New York City community, who have shared their ideas, interests, questions, and feedback through interactive pop-up events, in-person and online surveys, a community artwork and memory wall, community gatherings, interviews, and focus groups. The project team gathered input from community members and stakeholders regarding their current use of Lincoln Center’s spaces, the challenges they face when accessing and navigating the campus, and ideas for desired services.

 

 

Key Engagement Takeaways

Following the completion of the engagement activities and workshops, participant feedback was collected, analyzed, and synthesized. This information was then clustered into themes and key insights; this information was incorporated into the proposed design by the project design team and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to help ensure that community needs and priorities are reflected in the design of the new Damrosch Park.

In total, we received feedback through more than 6,200 interactions with individuals, ensuring a broad array of stakeholders have a voice in the process. Key takeaways that informed this design include:

  • Participants emphasized their desire to see a welcoming performance park and an urban oasis for everyone, which includes prioritizing the needs of elderly folks, kids and families and ensuring that the elements of the park are accessible to all.
     
  • Participants wanted to see a versatile, multi-use stage that allows for everything from formal performances to informal performances, throughout different seasons. Young people in particular believed that the arts should be the primary focus of the park.
     
  • Community members felt strongly that the west side entrance should be open and welcoming, incorporating greenery and creating space for rest and reflection.

 

Participatory Process Continues Through 2025

New York City’s design review agency, the Public Design Commission (PDC) has jurisdiction over permanent structures, landscape architecture, and art proposed for City-owned property.

The mission of the PDC is to advocate for innovative, sustainable, and equitable design of public spaces and civic structures, with a goal of improving the public realm and therefore related services for all New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs.

The PDC process is a public review with meetings open to the public.

The Environmental Review Process analyzes potential impacts by new projects to ensure development has limited effect on the surrounding neighborhood.

*Seasons listed below are estimates based on a typical public review process.

 

 

 

Community Workshops and Public Engagement
(Summer 2023–Spring 2024)

Summer Engagement (June – August 2023)

   

 

Pulling from the responses we gathered from the community during our summer engagements, we landed on the below Planning Process Values to guide this work:

 

 

 
Over the summer of 2023, we engaged with more than 3,400 community members at 20+ events, both on and off the Lincoln Center campus. Community members shared their valuable input and insight about how they use Lincoln Center spaces, challenges they face accessing and navigating the campus, and ideas for improvement through surveys, interviews, focus groups, sticker activities, and art-making.

 

 

Fall Engagement (October – December 2023)

 

November 1st Community Workshop
70 community members, artists, and scholars joined us for an in-person workshop to contribute their ideas for reimagining the future of Damrosch Park. Participants worked together in groups to voice what their priorities would be for the redesign of the park.

 

 

 

 

December 11th NYCHA Resident Community Workshop
Over 60 residents of the Amsterdam Houses and Amsterdam Addition contributed their ideas to help reimagine Damrosch Park as a more welcoming and accessible park for all.

 
 

Photos by Lawrence Sumulong

 

December 12th Student Workshop
Over 30 students from LaGuardia High School and high schools on the Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Campus contributed their ideas to help reimagine Damrosch Park as a more welcoming and accessible park for students and young people in their community.

 
 

Photos by Lawrence Sumulong

 

 

 

Spring Engagement (January – May 2024)

On March 4, 2024, over 200 participants attended our community workshop at the Rose Building to learn more about the initiative, meet directly with the design team, and contribute their thoughts and ideas on what they want to see in a reimagined Damrosch Park.

On March 6, 2024, Lincoln Center hosted over 100 local students at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Educational Campus to learn about their dreams for Damrosch Park.

 

Photos by Lawrence Sumulong

 

Key Learnings Summary
from community workshops