Laying the Groundwork: Design Guidelines for Retail and Other Ground-Floor Uses in Mixed-Use Affordable Housing Developments (PDF)

Affordable housing is at the top of New Yorkers’ minds more than ever with Mayor de Blasio’s new ten-year plan to create or preserve 200,000 affordable units across the five boroughs. Laying the Groundwork: Design Guidelines for Retail and Other Ground-Floor Uses in Mixed-Use Affordable Housing Developments presents feasible ways to build ground-floor space that is functional for retailers, community and cultural organizations; accessible and convenient for residents and neighbors; and cost-effective for developers. Combining a year of research and design work conducted by our multi-disciplinary team of Fellows in collaboration with our project partner NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the Laying the Groundwork publication invites developers and architects to think creatively about the ways buildings contribute to the life and health of neighborhoods encouraging attractive, active and resilient streetscapes. The publication includes clear objectives for effective