128th Street Harlem: An Open Approach to Social inclusion

Abstract

During the 1960s in New York City, the urgency of a solution to urban congestion was reflected in a sociopolitical proposal which launched a new concept for the generation and maintenance of new collective space. The proposal promoted a focus on small scale interventions and the recycling of abandoned lots throughout the city. The result was revolutionary asa formula of improving the inclusion of social diverse spaces and reducing the plague of poverty and pollution suffered by entire neighborhoods. Politicians, members of the Park Association of the city, architects, planners and philanthropists decided to focus on new ideas to deploy on one street which became an experimental field for new open space: 128th on Harlem.