We’re developing a new type of community space and public bulletin board, The Community Wall, offering a free go-to place for neighbors, shops, organizations, and government to share important information, upcoming events, and latest news locally.
OUR CAUSE
A major problem that exists in communities in NYC is the lack of information hubs and spaces for neighbors to share news or things happening locally with each other. This problem impacts low-income neighborhoods the most. As a result, many residents are left disconnected and disengaged from the things happening in their community which lessens the quality of life in those areas. In many cases, locals rely on social media or other online sources for information, which can be fragmented, unreliable, and inaccessible. Therefore, we’re developing a public tool (a community space and bulletin board) that will help to promote local engagement and build a stronger sense of connection among neighbors–We call it The Community Wall.
OUR VISION
A dynamic public design project set to transform how we share information and connect in NYC. The Community Wall is a public bulletin-board space intended to live on prominent, accessible, front-facing walls, serving as vibrant hubs for community engagement.
For example, parents could visit The Community Wall in their neighborhood to find activities and programs for their kids or share a flyer for an upcoming meetup among neighbors. It’s also a space where local government, community organizers, and law enforcement can make a call to action or share urgent information.
But it's more than a bulletin board on a wall. These spaces are meeting points for locals, visitors, and the public, a way to stay informed about things happening in their area, and a network connecting all. We envision a space open to all in communities where anyone can seek and share information locally.
OUR RESEARCH
From July to August 2023, we ran a 6-week survey to learn more about community engagement in NYC neighborhoods and to gain a broad overview of the communication needs of residents. Our survey asked residents to describe how they discover events and opportunities in their community and overall to rate communication in their area. We marketed the survey online through Instagram and LinkedIn and emailed information along with surveys to every community board, assembly member, and BID in NYC. Besides our digital efforts, we posted physical flyers with information about our study in visible areas and popular neighborhoods in each borough.
Our survey concluded with 440 participants; most were between the ages of 25-34. Although we distributed surveys to every borough in the city, most participants were in The Bronx (200). Brooklyn (130) received the second most participants, and then Manhattan (70). Queens (20) and Staten Island (20) saw the same number of participants. Of those who completed the survey, the majority identified as BIPOC (250) and or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community (120). Most surveyed were also not students, business owners, or directors of a community organization.
Some Findings
Our survey also revealed that most participants rated communication in their neighborhood as either moderate or inefficient. We asked participants about the frequency of finding opportunities or events in their community and found that participants only occasionally (260) found opportunities posted in their community. Most reported discovering local events through word-of-mouth and Instagram. We followed up on this question by asking participants to rate the effectiveness of the social accounts they received information from. Most participants rated the accounts they followed 3 out of 5 stars or moderately helpful. Below are statistics on some of the other questions asked.
How would you rate overall communication in your area? (from 1 to 5 stars)
How important is it (to you) to know about things happening in your neighborhood?
We also provided participants with a space to share thoughts or comments on communication in their area. Here are a few:
The only community information I receive is crimes in the area from Citizens App. Never good news.
I would like to see an established venue for town halls with elected officials.
Heaviest flyering is from non-transparent corporate interests on behalf of the community, especially around safety. Need accessible boards for community members to post, not corporations.
OUR PILOT
Working with the community, we seek to design, develop, and launch a 1-year pilot in 2024 to test strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth of these public bulletin board spaces that are The Community Wall. In three phases, we will measure local engagement, connectedness, and whether or not The Community Wall works for neighborhoods in NYC.
We hope to measure this through regular check-ins with community partners, direct observation, behavior mapping, and stakeholder meetings on and offline. We plan to hire local stewards in every participating neighborhood to help oversee this. As ambassadors to the community, stewards will oversee the Community Wall in their neighborhood, ensuring accessibility for all, and will also gather feedback for us to learn from.
To minimize bias in our pilot, we plan to launch in at least three distinct types of neighborhoods in each borough. This will help us to test how The Community Wall performs in (1) changing, (2) tight-knit, and (3) heavily populated areas.
PHASE ONE
The pilot will kick off with the launch and installation of 5 Community Wall spaces throughout the city. After launch, our primary focus for the remainder of the phase will be on community engagement and onboarding local stakeholders. Besides installing physical boards in selected neighborhoods, we plan to host several workshops and demonstrations to encourage community participation.
PHASE TWO
We plan to expand on the work started in phase one by launching a Community Wall in 5 additional neighborhoods and making any necessary adjustments to those previously installed. In this phase, volunteers will assist our local stewards in monitoring stakeholder engagement through regular check-ins, surveys, and focus group meetings. Our team will also document progress and conduct a mid-pilot evaluation in this phase to assess whether or not we’re meeting our pilot objectives.
PHASE THREE
We will begin our 3rd phase by launching in 5 additional neighborhoods. A lot of the work in this phase will be centered around evaluating our project and whether or not this pilot has made a case for The Community Wall in NYC. We plan to host several meetings throughout our network to hear final thoughts from the community and will work closely with our team to generate a report with lessons learned. This phase is crucial in our pilot because it will help us to determine whether or not the project will continue on much after the end of our pilot.
OUR ESTIMATED COSTS
We estimate that it will cost at least $600K to launch our pilot for The Community Wall. Our costs include but are not limited to the following:
Development, Supplies, and Materials • construction and mounting of each bulletin board, materials needed for beautifying the space where the boards will be mounted • Legal/Compliance • consultant fee for legal advice, liability insurance, permits, and licenses • Community Engagement • stipends for local stewards, advertising the project to stakeholders, incentivizing participation in quarterly interviews and focus groups • Management • project manager and consultant fees • Contigency • funds set aside for unexpected expenses or in case there are changes to the project scope.
We estimate that our 1-year pilot will cost approx. $40K per neighborhood.
Cost Breakdown Per Neighborhood
NEXT STEPS
With the aim of changing how public information is shared in New York City, we seek to bring the community wall to 15 neighborhoods in NYC by 2025. Understanding that it is a huge undertaking, we seek support and the funding needed to bring our pilot to life. To bring this project to life, we plan to secure community partners, Grants, and direct contributions through crowdfunding efforts. Additionally, there will be sponsorship opportunities for partners and businesses interested in investing in our local initiative.
HOW TO SUPPORT
We are confident that we can make this project a reality, but we know that we can’t do it alone. We’ll need your help.
Become A Community Partner
We seek support from businesses, organizations, and local leaders in the following neighborhoods:
The Bronx • Hunts Point, Kingsbridge, Little Yemen, Morris Park, Mott Haven, Parkchester, University Heights, Westchester Square • Brooklyn • Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Bushwick, Crown Heights, Greenpoint, Prospect Park, Williamsburg • Manhattan • Chinatown, East Village, Harlem, Lower East Side, Union Square, Washington Heights, West End, West Village • Queens • Astoria, Flushing, Jackson Heights, Jamaica, Queensbridge • Staten Island • St. George, Tompkinsville
Help Fund This Project
We seek to raise at least $600K through crowdfunding, sponsorships, and grants, to launch The Community Wall in 15 neighborhoods across New York City. As mentioned before, this would cover the costs of development, engagement, and management once the project has launched. If you would like to make a financial contribution to this project or are interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact us below. We also welcome grant recommendations.
Volunteer With Us
Help us launch our pilot for the Community Wall by volunteering with us. Working alongside our team, you will help to bring this project to life by documenting the progress of The Community Wall (with a smartphone), helping with community outreach, translations, and more. You’ll also have the opportunity to conduct research and connect with other leaders in your area. To volunteer with us sign up below:
Help Us Spread The Word #TheCommunityWall
FAQs
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No, posting is free for all. You’ll just need a thumb tack or tape to post onto our boards. However, if you represent a local organizations or government, you can reserve a frame on The Community Wall for a *flat-fee each month.
Reserving a frame increases visibility and encapsulates your poster guaranteeing that anything you share is safe from the elements. Our frames are only available to local organizations and government as they’re intended for public service announcements. Reserving a frame also comes with a key for updating information as needed.
Access is granted on a first-come first-serve basis and will require an application.
*Our flat-fee helps to pay local stewards and covers the cost of maintenance, research, and future development.
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The goal of The Community Wall is to provide a public space where anyone can share information locally. Although, we cannot regulate beliefs or fact check information, we do condemn hate speech or material that could be considered harmful to the community. Part of the work of local stewards is to keep an eye out for such material and remove it immediately. Additionally, Community members are encouraged to participate in the regulation of the space and should feel free to take down any hate speech found.