Generating Productive Collisions: Extending Social Impact Organizations Expertise into Public Space Engagement

Jackson Chabot

In New York City, statistics indicate teens of color are overwhelmingly targeted by police as well as “disconnected”, defined as not working or not in school. This combination leads to diminished quality of life and public space experience in the short term, lasting psychological effects, and lower expected life outcomes. Negative experiences with the the criminal justice and education systems are exacerbated by related themes of gentrification, displacement, and lack of social infrastructure.

This paper will evaluate how these forces shape public space experience for teens of color in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York and what social impact organizations are doing to create meaningful social interaction, or productive collisions, in public space. Initial research shows social impact organizations, typically non-profits, have responded to the aforementioned challenges on a local scale by creating social enterprises, safe spaces for youth, and skills development programs etc.. Previous research has studied the related conceptual topics with some respect to each other. However, previous research has yet to approach these topics from a bottom up, youth driven, and holistic manner. It is important to approach the challenges from these perspectives because the programs serve youth and youth have tremendous understanding of what can help them succeed.

This project uses participatory action research to co-create and co-design a program that can be piloted to promote productive collisions around the issues above. The case study organization, Reconnect Brooklyn, was selected from a pool of social impact organizations based on specific criteria. This paper will build on these characteristics to provide a co-created, forward looking, and sustainable pilot program. The conclusion with provide an analysis of the findings, a framework for the piloted program for Reconnect to use with future cohorts, and the next steps to continue filling in the existing research gaps.