Seaming the Gap: a plug-in system of NYCHA public housing regeneration
From 96th Street to 117th Street Park Avenue, NYCHA public housing, also known as “Tower in the Park,” is facing serious maintenance issues caused by aging and flooding. To activate this aging machine and reconnect it to the neighborhood (it’s currently isolated by a super block and train tracks), this project proposes a plug-in system with multi-layered programs that connect each tower on both sides of Park Avenue. The proposed infrastructure targets multiple issues; its flexibility functionality and construction addresses emerging challenges through increased flood resilience, the ability to generate revenue for maintenance through urban farming, the provision of support for a market located beneath the bridge, and unknown challenges that may emerge in the future. We also introduced pop-up spaces and activities throughout the changing seasons. Through these interventions, the aging machine comes back to life with renewed vigor to generate a self-sustaining system in this ever-changing world.