In our final Typecast installment exploring towers-in-the-park, Maura Ewing chronicles the lives of two Coney Island housing developments and exposes the political context that undergirds their architectural innovation, construction shortcomings, and the deferred maintenance that threatens their viability as affordable housing assets.

John Surico reports on the rise of Career and Technical Education in New York City schools, chronicling how it aligns with urban policy priorities to diversify the economy and create jobs.

Jonathan Tarleton and Gabriel Silberblatt consider the future of Arverne East — 81-acres of vacant, City-owned land in the Rockaways — and tease out distinct visions of how this public asset might be put toward public purpose.

Kaja Kühl and June Williamson explain how improved parking design can spur suburban downtown development in line with community goals of attracting young people, providing affordable housing, and stimulating local economies.

Rasmia Kirmani-Frye and Nadine Maleh of Community Solutions discuss how investment in the capability and capacity of a local community can bring transformative change to a neighborhood from within.

Susanne Schindler and Juliette Spertus revisit Twin Parks with its original designers, 40 years after its construction, to pose some complex questions about the role of design in defining the success of low-income housing.

In the last of a series of profiles of Naturally Occurring Cultural Districts around the five boroughs, Summer Brennan explores the existing cultural community in St. George, Staten Island, and plans to encourage and capitalize on it to create "a high visibility gateway for cultural activity in Staten Island."

The founder and president of the Women's Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco) talks about the difference between building structures and building communities, the musical legacy of the Bronx, and how the persistence of memory affects neighborhood growth.

In the first in a series of profiles of Naturally Occurring Cultural Districts, Caitlin Blanchfield reports on how a robust network of community-based groups in Corona, Queens, has put local cultural vitality and institutional partnerships to work in reclaiming a public space for neighborhood use.