Skip to main content
Group 7 Created with Sketch.
Group 3 Copy Created with Sketch.
April 14, 2022 - September 3, 2022

Visit the Digital Exhibition here >

Contemporary American society has become increasingly fragmented, with people separated both physically and socially based on ability, age, income, and belief. This fragmentation is built into the urban fabric of cities, suburbs, and rural areas, which wittingly and unwittingly isolate certain groups from larger communities through the design of spaces according to specific needs. A host of colliding crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, embedded structural racism, and deepening political polarization, have only exacerbated these divisions.

Reset: Towards a New Commons aims to open dialogues that foster more diverse and inclusive solutions to building community. Rather than designing specific spaces for specific needs, the exhibition considers how spaces may be designed for all, addressing the importance of barrier-free environments and practices rooted in “Universal Design.”

The majority of the exhibition will be dedicated to four projects developed by interdisciplinary design teams—one focusing on New York City, one on Cincinatti, Ohio, and two in the San Francisco Bay Area—which were selected by an advisory committee through an open call for proposals in the spring of 2021. The projects envision environments that encourage new modes of living collaboratively and more holistic approaches to inclusion, with special attention paid to ameliorating the divisions of age, race, and ability. Read more about the teams here.

Co-Curators:
Barry Bergdoll, Meyer Schapiro Professor of Art History and Archaeology, 19th- and 20th-century Architectural History, Columbia University
Juliana Barton, Director, Center for the Arts, Northeastern University

Exhibition Designer:
Natasha Jen, Pentagram

  • Sponsors

    Reset: Towards a New Commons is made possible through support from a grant from the Ford Foundation.

  • Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation

  • Reset: Towards a New Commons is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

  • Reset: Towards a New Commons is supported by a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts

"Reset:Towards a New Commons" Logo

Images

Videos

"Reset:Towards a New Commons" Logo

Images

Videos

April 14, 2022 - September 3, 2022

Visit the Digital Exhibition here >

Contemporary American society has become increasingly fragmented, with people separated both physically and socially based on ability, age, income, and belief. This fragmentation is built into the urban fabric of cities, suburbs, and rural areas, which wittingly and unwittingly isolate certain groups from larger communities through the design of spaces according to specific needs. A host of colliding crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, embedded structural racism, and deepening political polarization, have only exacerbated these divisions.

Reset: Towards a New Commons aims to open dialogues that foster more diverse and inclusive solutions to building community. Rather than designing specific spaces for specific needs, the exhibition considers how spaces may be designed for all, addressing the importance of barrier-free environments and practices rooted in “Universal Design.”

The majority of the exhibition will be dedicated to four projects developed by interdisciplinary design teams—one focusing on New York City, one on Cincinatti, Ohio, and two in the San Francisco Bay Area—which were selected by an advisory committee through an open call for proposals in the spring of 2021. The projects envision environments that encourage new modes of living collaboratively and more holistic approaches to inclusion, with special attention paid to ameliorating the divisions of age, race, and ability. Read more about the teams here.

Co-Curators:
Barry Bergdoll, Meyer Schapiro Professor of Art History and Archaeology, 19th- and 20th-century Architectural History, Columbia University
Juliana Barton, Director, Center for the Arts, Northeastern University

Exhibition Designer:
Natasha Jen, Pentagram

  • Sponsors

    Reset: Towards a New Commons is made possible through support from a grant from the Ford Foundation.

  • Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation

  • Reset: Towards a New Commons is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

  • Reset: Towards a New Commons is supported by a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts

Group 6 Created with Sketch.
Group 6 Created with Sketch.

BROWSER UPGRADE RECOMMENDED

Our website has detected that you are using a browser that will prevent you from accessing certain features. An upgrade is recommended to experience. Use the links below to upgrade your exisiting browser.