Van Alen Institute
The Van Alen Institute has been at this since 1894, which makes it older than the Gowanus rezoning by about a century and a quarter. It works on community-led urban design, the premise being that the people who live somewhere know things about it that a designer parachuting in does not.
What that means in practice is that it builds coalitions across designers, residents and city agencies, then backs them with scoping, hands-on guidance and seed money. It is explicit that its work is about power imbalances in how cities get made, and it partners with historically disinvested communities rather than the ones already well served.
It moved to 303 Bond Street in Gowanus, on the west bank of the canal, inside the area the 2021 rezoning reshaped. Brooklyn Community Board 6 holds our meetings there, which is a good arrangement for everyone: an organisation devoted to community-led design hosting the body whose whole job is community input on land use.
Where it is
Map of the blockzoning, boundary, overlaps, land use▼
What it does
Van Alen runs design competitions, public space projects, research and fellowships. The through line is that it does not just publish a report and leave; it puts money and staff behind the ideas it generates and stays with them.
For CB6 the relevant thing is proximity and subject matter. This is a district with a Superfund canal, a major rezoning still being built out, a waterfront terminal decision coming, and six historic districts. An institution working on how communities shape the built environment is useful to have on the block.
Contact
- Address303 Bond Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
Between Union and Sackett Streets, on the west bank of the canal - Phone212-924-7000
- Emailvai@vanalen.org
- Websitevanalen.org ↗
- Founded1894
- Community boardBrooklyn Community Board 6
- CB6 meetingsBrooklyn Community Board 6 holds its meetings here
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