We are celebrating 15 years — and counting — of stories that are deeply researched and deeply felt, that build a historical record of what the city has been.
We are celebrating 15 years — and counting — of stories that are deeply researched and deeply felt, that build a historical record of what the city has been.
Alright, we know that many among you are journalists, filmmakers, urban designers or (if you’re like us) you fit somewhere in between. Well, our dear friends and fellow public space partisans the Design Trust just might have an opportunity for you, a fellowship on their new project Made in Midtown.
Two weeks ago we heard from Adam Friedman and learned about the need to maintain a robust manufacturing economy in New York. What better place to delve in deeper to some of these issues than Midtown Manhattan? With the threat of continued losses in the garment sector becoming real, one proposal popular in City Hall is to consolidate remaining garment workers into one building and designate the rest of the Garment District a commercial zone. According to the Design Trust, “New York remains a global fashion leader, but few outside the industry understand the vast networks and ecologies that establish both its competitive edge and the unique character of its physical spaces. Synthesizing findings about the fashion industry’s specific strengths and challenges, and its evolving role in the Garment District, Made in Midtown will make recommendations that respect and support New York City’s industrial identity, while balancing the many competing interests of Midtown’s stakeholders. The resulting study will help guide policies for light manufacturing industries citywide.”
The Design Trust, you recall, are the good people who brought us the Reinventing Grand Army Plaza Ideas Competition and got all pot-lucky with us along the Grand Concourse. If you respect their work as much as we do, and want to try your hand at applying your skills to this project, get involved. Here’s the deal:
Call for Fellows
Deadline to apply: Friday, October 30, 2009 by 5:00pm
The Design Trust seeks Project Fellows for Made in Midtown, a study of New York’s fashion industry and the Garment District, created in partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Phase I of this project will culminate in an interactive website and booklet which will illustrate the complex and interdependent connections between the physical spaces of Midtown, its businesses and its workers. The anticipated timeframe for Phase I is three months, beginning December 1.
For this phase, the Design Trust will select 3 fellows in the fields of journalism, film and video, and urban planning/design. All of the fellows will work closely with each other, and with Design Trust staff, who will manage the project.
Complete fellowship descriptions can be found here.
The views expressed here are those of the authors only and do not reflect the position of The Architectural League of New York.
