kiki cooper

Most people know the history of Seneca Village if you are in the design realm. But the average person does not. They do, however, know about the iconic Central Park in New York. Long story short, a predominantly black community was displaced to make room for Central Park, a park created as a “safe space” for middle and upper class white women and children. At every step of the way, this country has put systems in place to oppress BIPOC, parks included. Lower income neighborhoods occupied by minorities (immigrants included) disproportionately lack park space of quality. Parks and greenspaces positively contribute to the physical and mental health of everyone by providing walking space, and places for relaxation, play, and exercise. Economic crises have hit poor communities the hardest and gentrification has pushed, once predominantly, black communities out, like we are seeing in Harlem, resulting in housing segregation by financial socioeconomic class.

Environmental justice, urban planning, and racial justice are intersectional and the temporary exhibit in place at Central Park for Seneca Village only contains interpretive signage and is set to end in October. Needless to say, this is not enough to accommodate what was lost. There is a decade’s worth of discovery pertaining to Seneca Village that deserves a larger, permanent platform. In addition, the normalization of parks in quality parks in low income communities through even distribution and connectivity can have a variety of positive impacts for minorities including, but not limited to, providing more opportunities for low income families to afford property in proximity to green spaces. Even distribution and connectivity is the type of equitable design justice that would help balance the real estate market.

My participation in the Seneca Village Ideas Pin-Up is so that we as designers can further the conversation and push more action plans for equitable design justice both short term and long term. My graphic representations of my ideas for Seneca Village push for further systematic changes to overall benefit society with underrepresented communities in mind. Working towards a green belt network could be a viable future for cities.