The NYC Department of Transportation Street Seats program is a seasonal project that reclaims portions of New York’s streets for much needed public space. Since 2016, Parsons School of Design has collaborated with the NYC DOT to design and build a public parklet through an undergraduate elective class offered by the School of Constructed Environments. Over the course of the spring semester, the project is designed and constructed by students from Parsons in collaboration with their peers from other colleges at the New School.

Located in the heart of The New School urban campus, the site occupies two parking spaces on the corner of 13th Street and Fifth Avenue, and serves as a place of exchange between students and the general public. This year, focus on the user experience, site context, environmental factors and renewable materials has informed the final design of a multipurpose space to serve not only as a seating area, but a place to socialize, meet friends, and observe NYC street life.