Gowanus by Design

Gowanus by Design is a non-profit urban design advocacy co-founded by David Briggs, Principal of Loci Architecture and neighbor of Gowanus. As a reaction to significant community concerns with the city planning process in the Brooklyn neighborhoods around the Gowanus Canal and the impending cleanup of the heavily contaminated EPA Superfund site, we organize design competitions and propose solutions as part of a grassroots initiative to support community-based urban planning. We are researching new urban strategies for the development of the Gowanus area, showcasing different options for the canal and including the many voices of canal stakeholders. Our projects speculate upon the potential for what the neighborhood can be and we track the coordination of the canal's clean-up and private development by the many city, state, and federal agencies whose decisions impact those who live and work near the canal. Our aspiration with Gowanus by Design is to bring to bear the same analytical and research tools that we use for our professional clients, and to use them to the benefit of our community and our neighbors.