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Architecture & design studio  
in New York led by Sasha Topolnytska.

The Neurodiverse City

New York City, NY, USA
2021 - Ongoing
Winner, Design Trust for Public Space RFP “The Restorative City: Building Community Wellness Through Public Space”

In collaboration with WIP Collaborative & Verona Carpenter
Media: The Architect’s Newspaper

Research, co-creative process, community engagement, and design og the public realm   The Neurodiverse City is an ongoing phased research and design initiative in collaboration with WIP Collaborative and Verona Carpenter and with the support of CIDNY, BILS, and IncludeNYC. Through a two-year, phased research and co-creation process with these partners and local communities, we will examine existing public spaces—playgrounds, streetscapes, and pocket parks—prototype design interventions to make them more sensory-friendly and propose new guidelines to support the greatest range of physical, emotional, and neurological differences in the public realm.

Though we live in a neurodiverse city, the design of the public realm does not support the entire population and their range of physical, neurological, and emotional needs. In the wake of the isolation and trauma of the pandemic, our city spaces must offer inclusive zones where all of us, including those with “invisible disabilities” and sensory sensitivities, can come together and find restorative common ground. Through a research and co-creation process with local communities, this project will examine existing public spaces - such as playgrounds, streetscapes, and pocket parks - and propose new design guidelines to support the greatest range of physical and neurological differences.