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8 Integrated Extension Rendering 2

Aug 2020

NYCHA

Scalable Design Solutions for NYCHA

Creating better living conditions for residents while ensuring NYCHA’s future

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The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) provides subsidized housing to over 400,000 New Yorkers in 326 public housing developments across the City’s five boroughs, including 74% of New York City apartments with a rent of less than $500 per month and 51% of the City’s rentals leased at under $800 per month. NYCHA is the largest housing authority in the United States and is New York’s most prolific landlord, housing almost 8% of all New Yorker renters. If NYCHA were its own city it would be larger than Cleveland, Tampa, and Pittsburgh.

However, virtually all of its buildings are in need of modernization and repair. The Authority faces $45 billion in unmet capital needs. Residents deal with increasingly dire living conditions that can have a significant negative impact on their physical and mental health, as outlined by an extensive survey of residents conducted by Community Voices Heard and RPA in The Impacts of Living in NYCHA: Resident health needs in the Rockaways and beyond.

Fixing New York City’s public housing is an urgent priority for both government and civic sectors. This proposal represents one way which, in combination with other revenue sources such as air rights sales and more local, state and federal funding, NYCHA can not only repair but upgrade campuses for existing residents. The ideas in this proposal are consistent with the guidelines in NYCHA’s recently released Connected Communities Guidebook, and align with the recommendations in RPA’s October, 2019 report Time to Act: Restoring the Promise of NYC’s Public Housing.

Scalable solutions and design strategies

As part of Regional Plan Association’s Kaplan Chairs for Urban Design fellowship, Miriam Peterson and Nathan Rich, co-founders of the New York City-based architecture and design practice PRO — Peterson Rich Office, produced a report of scalable solutions and design strategies to modernize New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) buildings and campuses and improve the living conditions of each NYCHA resident.

PRO proposes replacing outdated and centralized building mechanicals, adding private outdoor spaces, diversifying the range of unit types, and better integrating existing buildings within neighborhoods. These changes would improve the health of individuals and families as well as the performance, flexibility and durability of the spaces they occupy.

Key Recommendations

  • Creating private balconies for residents that would further insulate the buildings and provide space for alternative mechanical systems.
  • Installing contemporary electric ​“split systems” to provide energy-efficient heating and cooling with individual resident control.
  • Preserving buildings by adaptively reusing existing underutilized space
  • Expanding existing buildings into the unoccupied ground floor to develop additional units.
  • Extending properties to sidewalks and streets to integrate them with the rest of the city.
4 Integrated Extension Rendering 1 8 Integrated Extension Rendering 2 7 Integrated Extension Concept Model 5 Proposed Apartment Renovations Axon 6 Addition of Private Balconies Rendering NYCHA 2 0 PNA BREAKDOWN 9x18 NYCHA Inner Ring Map Parking 01 01 3 Integrated Approach Drawing
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Integrated Extension Rendering 1
Integrated Extension Rendering 2
Integrated Extension Concept Model
Proposed Apartment Renovations Axon
Addition of Private Balconies Rendering
The Challenges
The Opportunities
An Integrated Approach

The Kaplan Chairs for Urban Design fellowship was established to create innovative design solutions to help NYCHA and its residents, and is supported by the Kaplan Fund. RPA and a selection committee made up of architectural critic Paul Goldberger, urban planner Maxine Griffith, architect Jim Polshek, and professor Susan Solomon selected Peterson and Rich as the inaugural Kaplan Chairs in June, 2019.

Research Areas

Housing & Neighborhood Planning

Location

New YorkNew York CountyNew York City

Topics

NYCHAAffordable HousingPublic Health

Acknowledgements

Authored by

  • Nathan Rich

    Kaplan Chair for Urban Design

  • Miriam Peterson

    Kaplan Chair for Urban Design

Funded By

The JM Kaplan Fund

Produced With

Peterson Rich Office

Other Reports in this Series

Jul 2020
in NYCHA
The Impacts of Living in NYCHA Needs for resident health in the Rockaways and beyond
Oct 2019
in NYCHA
Time to Act Restoring the Promise of NYC’s Public Housing
Dec 2018
in NYCHA
NYCHA’S Crisis A Matter For All New Yorkers
Oct 2024
in NYCHA
Eastern Connecticut Housing Needs Assessment

Total Reports

531

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