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Neighborhoods Now offers cost-effective, DIY designs in response to COVID-19 pandemic

Codes and Standards

Neighborhoods Now offers cost-effective, DIY designs in response to COVID-19 pandemic

Designs include barriers for outdoor dining, sidewalk retail displays, and modular seating for public spaces.


By Peter Fabris, Contrbuting Editor | October 15, 2020

Courtesy Pixabay

The Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute have launched neighborhoodsnow.nyc, a digital toolkit featuring more than 35 designs, guidelines, and strategies to aid safe reopening and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each tool was created by neighborhood-specific working groups as part of Neighborhoods Now, a rapid-response initiative launched in June. These working groups include coalitions of architects, engineers, lawyers, and planners in the Forum and Van Alen’s collective network.

The initiative has raised more than $100,000 to implement these designs and strategies. In some neighborhoods, some of these designs have already been put into action, and the Forum and Van Alen continue to fundraise to support further implementation.

This website will be continuously updated with additional designs and strategies from the Neighborhoods Now working groups.

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