T!C harnesses the energy of our multi-talented and multi-lingual volunteer corps to support what we love about Chinatown. This year, we are focusing on an issue-based approach to civic engagement in Chinatown. We have so many layers of governance in our neighborhood, different city agencies and elected officials to engage with, yet no clear path for our neighbors to have their voices heard. With the disparity of Covid-relief in our neighborhood, the mega-jail plan on 125 White Street, the need to restore our community center after the fire at 70 Mulberry, the state of disrepair of Allen Street Mall, the ever growing pressures on local small businesses, and the gaping distance between city offices and the voices of our neighbors, T!C is planning a busy year to address these issues the best way we know how... to completely nerd out on civic engagement!
DESIGNING FOR CHINATOWN: Panel Discussion
When designers are tasked with public projects for our neighborhood, where do they start? What visual references should they draw on? What does it mean to design for Chinatown? Bamboo, dragons, the color red… how do we go beyond tropes to study the aesthetics of Chinatown. The term "cultural identity" is complex and layered in our community. Let's discuss, dissect & expand this topic together.
The panel was held at Chung Pak community room which overlooks the Canal Street triangle -- the site of Department of Transportation’s proposed Gateways to Chinatown project. The open RFP for this project along with the chosen entry has prompted the urgency to discuss how designers can best approach the task of designing for Chinatown. Panelists Yin Kong (director of Think!Chinatown), Herb Tam & Andrew Rebatta (curators at MoCA), Kerri Culhane (architecture historian) will each share 8 visual concepts of Manhattan Chinatown’s aesthetics with the allowance of 88 seconds per concept. Discussion moderated by Beatrice Chen (director of ISS) will tease out overlapping themes as well as contrasts in presented concepts. Following the presentation, audience members will participate in an engagement process to indicate which images resonated with them the most. This process will result in a physical documentation of visual references that will be available to designers engaging in projects for Chinatown.
This event is part of Chinatown Arts Week 2019 and is presented by Think!Chinatown. Thank you to Chung Pak LDC for sponsoring.
ULURP Workshop w/ CUP
Let's empower ourselves. Learn more about the process. Respond more effectively to the City's plan for a mega-jail in Chinatown @125 White St. Check out our ULURP guide and many other resources to get you informed about this major disruption to our neighborhood. Thank you to the Center for Urban Pedagogy for coming to Chinatown.
HowToChinatown.NYC
HowToChinatown.NYC is a narrative map-based web platform. By creating a well-designed framework where a community that cares about Chinatown can contribute content, this platform is able to highlight Chinatown small businesses and cultural organizations with cultural context. The mission of this project is to strengthen understanding of Chinatown’s products, services, and cultural assets’ full value, and to empower all New Yorkers to deepen their relationship with this culturally rich neighborhood.
The map will also feature information about historic architecture through our partners, Urban Archives, prominent Chinatown-based photographers (such as Corky Lee), and festivals like Chinatown Arts Week. Other curated content will be added moving forward, creating a resource for neighbors and visitors looking to deepen and exchange knowledge of Chinatown. When this platform launches, it marks only the beginning of engagement with community contributors, working to add more information.
Let us know if you’d like to contribute, or if you know of a business or culture group that wants to participate.
Illustrations by James Chan
Create NYC Culture Plan: Workshop for Chinatown Input
Think!Chinatown designed and facilitated a multi-dialect workshop to ensure that Chinatown's voice was included in the city-wide, Create NYC Culture Plan. Watch this video to learn more. [Video credit: Eric Jenkins-Sahlin]