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Public Design Commission


Annual ReportDesigning New YorkNews


The Public Design Commission Celebrates Efficiency & Design Excellence in 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 20, 2024

CONTACT: pressoffice@cityhall.nyc.gov, (212) 788-2958

New York, NY — The Public Design Commission (PDC) announces the conclusion of a year highlighted by improvements in efficiency and innovative programming, demonstrating how high-quality design review and design excellence can create safer and more vibrant neighborhoods and uplift families across the five boroughs. Through significant achievements in streamlining project review processes, refining applicant resources, expanding community outreach, and advancing thoughtful public design, PDC has underscored that good design, and transparent public processes are a necessity for building a more equitable city.

“From day one, our administration has focused on creating a safer, more affordable New York City. In 2024, we continued to deliver on that vision and ‘Get Stuff Done’ for working-class New Yorkers,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Thanks to our extraordinary public servants, America’s safest big city got even safer this year, with overall crime down and thousands of illegal guns, mopeds, and ghost cars taken off city streets. We passed historic legislation to turn New York into a ‘City of Yes,’ shattered affordable housing records once again, and put billions of dollars back into New Yorkers’ pockets. We broke records for the most jobs and small businesses in city history and moved millions of trash bags off our sidewalks and into containers. But we know that there is even more we can do to continue to uplift working-class families. As we look to the future, our administration remains committed to keeping New Yorkers safe and making our city more affordable for the millions of New Yorkers who call our city home.”

"In 2024, PDC demonstrated that efficiency and excellence go hand in hand," said PDC Executive Director Sreoshy Banerjea. "Our streamlined processes and new initiatives have accelerated project delivery while strengthening our core mission of ensuring outstanding public design. These improvements set a new standard for how government agencies can innovate while preserving their fundamental values and better serving both our agency partners and the public."

"Public design shapes how we New Yorkers experience our city every day," said PDC President Deborah Marton. "Collaborative, iterative review processes, ensure public projects meet the highest design standards and also create safer, more welcoming spaces that reflect and serve their communities. When shared values intersect in shared space, we experience what it feels like to be part of something larger than ourselves and understand the power of community. That’s design excellence.”

Highlights from Public Design Commission’s 2024 achievements include:

Implementing Streamlined Project Review that Delivers Results

2024 marked PDC's second year of implementing a streamlined staff review process for specific limited scope projects. About 20% of the projects approved by PDC in 2024 were approved through staff review, delivering approvals over 18 days faster than the standard review process. PDC has also strived to encourage pre-submission interventions for larger scale projects, leading to shortened approval timelines. PDC reviewed over 99% of approved projects in two or fewer monthly cycles. These outcomes were achieved by encouraging pre-submission workshops for priority projects, allowing for additional chances to connect for applicants, and encouraging review earlier in the design process to ensure timely review and feedback. This comprehensive approach demonstrates PDC's commitment to reducing administrative burden while maintaining the highest standards of design excellence across all review categories.

Making Our Submission Process Simpler, In Partnership with Agency Partners

Throughout 2024, PDC laid the groundwork for the streamlining of its submission process, convening multiple working groups with key agency partners with the goal of reducing complexity, and administrative confusion for both agency partners and design team applicants. This collaborative effort has resulted in a simplified submission framework that consolidated project “categories” from twenty-one to five. Set to launch in early 2025, these newly consolidated categories will be presented alongside a new searchable collection of example projects and a sample presentation template on PDC’s website, with the goal of clarifying submission requirements and guidelines for potential applicants. These tools will create a more user-friendly and simplified experience for all partners working with the PDC.

Kicking Off Landmark Public Art Programs

In 2024, PDC partnered with the Public Housing Community Fund (PHCF), New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), and the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) to launch one of its most ambitious public art initiatives to date: "From Roots to Arts: Celebrating NYCHA's Cultural Heritage." This groundbreaking 20-month artist-in-residence program, supported by the Mellon Foundation, represents a new model for embedding artists within public housing communities to ensure meaningful engagement with residents to create public art that celebrates their rich cultural heritage and lived experiences. Following a competitive selection process, five artists were selected to work within NYCHA developments: Dom Robinson at Bronx River Houses, Noah at King Towers Houses, Clarity at Bushwick Houses, Tamra Cosby at Astoria Houses, and Tina Thompson-Pope at Richmond Terrace Houses. Working closely with community-based organizations like Children's Arts & Science Workshops, Inc., SCAN Harbor, Grand St. Settlement, and the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island, these artists are reimagining how public art can serve and celebrate NYCHA communities.

Celebrating Excellence in Public Design at Gracie Mansion

On October 30th, 2024, the PDC held the 42nd Annual Awards for Excellence in Design at Gracie Mansion. The honored 11 projects, reviewed by PDC in 2023, exemplify how thoughtful design creates more resilient, sustainable, and welcoming public spaces that serve all New Yorkers. The awards celebrate submissions that create lasting positive impact, with many projects emerging from deep community engagement processes and incorporating cutting-edge approaches to environmental sustainability. From community centers that strengthen neighborhood bonds to innovative infrastructure that advances climate resiliency, the 11 winning projects demonstrate design excellence's power to enhance daily life across the five boroughs.