Activating Public Space for Environmental Awareness and New Social Interactions in Gowanus, BK

Alloy Development wanted to collaborate with Gowanus Canal Conservancy to promote environmental stewardship and highlight the stories and history of Gowanus, Brooklyn to engage residents and businesses around positive environmental transformations of the neighborhood. We developed and executed a strategy to transform a vacant site into a pop-up nursery and event space, while connecting nearby streets with blue dumpsters to deploy public installations. The network of dumpsters promoted awareness around stormwater runoff and green infrastructure initiatives in the area.

Context

How might we inform pedestrians about environmental issues and initiatives, create call to actions to reduce water consumption, and enliven the neighborhood with programming for new social engagement? New York City was investing in green and grey infrastructure to reduce combined sewage overflow (CSO) into the Gowanus Canal, one of America’s most polluted waterways. The Canal sits in a dense region of developed land used by businesses and residents that annually dump 377 million gallons of CSO into the Canal. Sewage overflow causes health problems and flooding that the City is reducing through new water management services and programs - rain gardens, bioswales, sewage tanks. These projects will positively impact sewage problems, but won’t solve the entire problem. Citizens have to engage and work towards solutions too.

Approach

We conducted brainstorming sessions to develop programing that supports the Gowanus Canal Conservancy (GCC) work alongside city initiatives. Our team examined the GCC’s mission and long term goals to design a dynamic concept and program that educates and strengthens community relationships with businesses and users in the area. We developed the 2,000 Gallon Project (#2KGP), in collaboration with Alloy, to reimage commercial dumpsters as visual statements about retaining stormwater and sewage overflow. Dumpsters hold 2000 gallons of water, the same amount of water that new green infrastructure can capture from rain and water overflow. We deployed dumpsters throughout the area, enabling pedestrians to explore the neighborhood using a self guided walking tour and scavenger hunt to find more dumpsters.

Outcome

We developed pop-up programming and a communication roll-out throughout the neighborhood and delivered seven self guided audio tours, inviting people to discover other #2KGP dumpsters. Participants used QR codes to learn about stormwater managements critical role in cleaning the Gowanus Canal and improving public health for the region through fun storytelling.  Digital and audio tours shared information about stormwater management and the history of Gowanus Canal. The tours led people to the nursery and stewardship center (formally a vacant lot) for community events to supplement the Gowanus Canal Conservancy’s existing public programming.