My project with West Village was both challenging and rewarding, it also had three different moving pieces which focused on different areas in West Village. After sitting down with my project partner initially we decided on these three because we believed they all correlated. We believed in order for one to be successful they must all be successful.
- The first leg of the project involved a very complex mobility strategy in the West Village Neighborhood. The goals were to decrease traffic speed in the neighborhood. Increase bus usage and change the perception of riding busses. Planning elaborate events to use as education opportunities and more. I provided West Village with bus stop designs used by previous fellows to first tackle the spaces used as bus stops and lack of seating or protection. These bus stops were also great for signage and providing material around reasons to use the bus. Some of the reasons included lower greenhouse gas emissions + better stability for the city’s infrastructure.
- The second leg focused on the compost business models. In partnership with The Youth Energy Squad, Eastern Market, and Midtown Inc. we focused on business models around composting. The idea was that both businesses and residents in West Village could earn profits from composting. I provided resources on what it looks like to compost and how you actually go through the process. I also researched other successful models to present to the (YES Squad).
- The third leg focused on business models in general as well as a feasibility study for a Co-Op in West Village. I wanted to help residents who were interested in starting their own business understand the process. This included providing resources on available funding, how to access that funding and what to do if you were to receive that funding.
Overall the project was very challenging and sometimes frustrating but overall worth it. I was hopefully able to impact both businesses and residents in the West Village community.