This project is organized by the Chinatown Partnership, NYC Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) and Van Alen Institute.
New York City Department of Transportation
NYC DOT’s mission is to provide for the safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible movement of people and goods in the City of New York and to maintain and enhance the transportation infrastructure crucial to the economic vitality and quality of life of our primary customers, City residents.
With over 5,000 employees, NYC DOT oversees one of the most complex urban transportation networks in the world. NYC DOT’s staff manages an annual operating budget of $900 million and a five-year $10.1 billion capital program, along with 6,000 miles of streets and highways, 12,000 miles of sidewalk, and 789 bridges and tunnels, including the iconic East River bridges.
Van Alen Institute
Van Alen Institute believes design can transform cities, landscapes, and regions to improve people’s lives. Building on more than a century of experience, VAI develops cross-disciplinary research, provocative public programs, and inventive design competitions to address the most pressing social, cultural, and ecological challenges.
Gateways to Chinatown is one in a series of Van Alen Institute initiatives seeking to create new, design-driven public spaces for cities and communities around the world. Also included in this series is Van Alen Institute’s annual Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Design Competition asking interdisciplinary teams to design and build a highly visible temporary landmark at the heart of the Flatiron District that is the centerpiece of the Partnership’s annual holiday programming; Opportunity Space, an international design-build competition challenging multidisciplinary teams to propose a temporary, mobile structure that will support economic opportunity and social inclusion in Malmö, Sweden; and Crossroads Conversations, a public program series hosted at the base of the Red Steps in Times Square that invites passersby from all walks of life and political convictions to engage in thoughtful dialogue on some of the most pressing issues of our time in an iconic public space.
Chinatown Partnership
Chinatown Partnership, led by Wellington Chen, was formed in 2006 as a start-up to bring residents, business owners and community groups together to rebuild Chinatown following 9/11 and to preserve the neighborhood’s unique culture while ensuring its vitality in the future through strategic positioning.
With the highly popular Weekend Walks street festival series; Mid-Autumn Festivals and Night Markets at Village Square; Labor Day Staycations; One Day in NYC; annual Beautification/Earth Day; East West Parade with Little Italy; Double Valentine’s Day to promote the softer side of Chinatown and the Jewelry District and all the cafes, eateries in the area. Explore Chinatown marketing initiative, Summer of Love outdoor film screenings, and “SEE” and Taste of Chinatown street events, Chinatown Partnership helps promote the area as a special destination to live, work, and visit.