Pratt Institute
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Our work is grounded in four core values: Equity, Sustainability, Local Knowledge, and Diverse Economy. EQUITY All New York City residents deserve access to affordable housing, open space, well-paying jobs, and a transportation system that greets them where they live and takes them where they need to go. SUSTAINABILITY We envision strong resilient neighborhoods characterized by healthy homes, clean air, an efficient built environment, and locally-made goods. LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Residents are the best experts to consult when it comes to their communities’ needs, challenges, and opportunities. Our on the ground partnership with community groups informs our policy work, and our policy platforms mirror community needs. DIVERSE ECONOMY Local economies should have inclusive pathways to prosperity with a broad variety of opportunities for people to secure their livelihood. Our programs integrate advocacy, research, and service toward a more sustainable, equitable NYC. Urban Planning Pratt Center provides urban planning services to community development corporations, grassroots groups, local coalitions, and other community-based organizations. We develop, co-convene, and facilitate planning workshops with diverse groups of local stakeholders to identify communities' needs and aspirations for open space, affordable housing, commercial corridors, zoning, infrastructure, public health, and environmental sustainability. We then work with our community partners to translate these findings into cohesive community plans. Research And Public Policy Pratt Center strives to understand the unique challenges that low- and moderate-income communities and small businesses face - and opportunities for overcoming them. Our research priorities are shaped by our on-the-ground work with New Yorkers in all five boroughs. Research methods include geospatial analysis, demographics analysis, qualitative surveys, focus groups, interviews, and community planning workshops. We then use the data gleaned from our research to develop pragmatic public policy recommendations toward a more sustainable and equitable New York City. Advocacy Our advocacy is largely shaped by our work in citywide and community-based coalitions, in addition to the recommendations that come from our research. We work with diverse groups of community-based organizations and small businesses to advocate for public policy and civic initiatives that advance community-driven ideas and create opportunities for marginalized New Yorkers to take part in planning processes that affect them. Small Business Assistance Pratt Center provides a range of technical assistance and support to local manufacturing companies and small businesses. Specifically, we provide assistance with local procurement and product sourcing, commercial energy efficiency, market surveying, promotional services, and connections to other business development, workforce, and financial services. We work with a diverse range of partners from the non-profit, private, and public sectors. COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS Community-based organizations are the backbone of many low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, providing critical social services and mobilizing local residents to address entrenched socioeconomic challenges. We work with community development corporations, grassroots organizations, and other local groups to plan for their neighborhoods’ future and advance community-driven policy. SMALL BUSINESSES Small businesses - especially in the manufacturing sector - create quality jobs, embody entrepreneurship and innovation, and give the city much of its character and soul. We partner with small businesses and manufacturers to catalyze sustainable, inclusive local economies. POLICY MAKERS We work with policy makers to develop innovative solutions to some of our city’s most pressing economic, transportation, energy, and affordable housing challenges. As a 501 (c)(3), we are non-partisan and committed to substantive public sector engagement without support for any political candidates. ADVOCACY GROUPS Across the city, we help to build and sustain diverse coalitions that fight for more sustainable, equitable policies in low- and moderate-income communities. PRATT INSTITUTE Pratt Center is committed to developing the planners of tomorrow. We train emerging planning professionals and strengthen our work through a close relationship with Pratt Institute’s Programs for Sustainable Planning and Development. Our student worker, fellowship, internship, and studio opportunities engage students from a variety of degree programs at Pratt - including those within the Schools of Architecture, Art and Design, and Information and Library Science - while deepening our capacity to achieve our goals. FUNDERS Our work would not be possible without the continued support, partnership, and input of our network of funders. WHY WE'RE DIFFERENT Our work leverages the unique resources of a university and is informed by our on-the-ground experience in low- and moderate-income communities. ON THE GROUND INSIGHT We develop innovative models for sustainable and equitable communities directly shaped by our on the ground experience with community-based organizations and small businesses throughout New York City. Our policy work is grounded in the day-to-day realities of a diverse range of New Yorkers. UNIVERSITY CONNECTION Our unique position as a department of Pratt Institute affords us the opportunity to work with professionals in urban and sustainability planning, architecture, liberal arts and sciences, art and design, and information and library science. In turn, Pratt Center provides a valuable bridge for students between theory and practice, a link that fortifies our capacity to achieve our goals. HOLISTIC APPROACH We believe that the challenges we face as a city - from rising sea levels to rising inequality - are deeply interconnected and in need of holistic responses. By connecting citywide initiatives with local projects, community-based organizations with small businesses, and planning theory with practice, we strive to foster integrated strategies for long-term change. https://www.prattcenter.net/our-approach https://www.prattcenter.net/projects/sustainable-community-development