CoDesign at the GSD

“CoDesign at the GSD” showcases engaged-design pedagogy and methodologies to improve Boston public realms in partnership with local organizations. Foregrounding collaborative design research by interdisciplinary student teams at the GSD and the Place Leadership Network, 8 Boston area organizations including cultural districts, main streets, parks conservancies, business improvement districts, and CDCs, the exhibit explores challenges and strategies to promote inclusive, democratic, and vibrant public spaces within an urban and regional context of racialized, classed, and gendered im/mobility and access. In addition to mapping socioeconomic and other demographic disparities, cultural assets, and art and creative strategies at the regional scale, it makes a case for networked strategies for place leadership among local communities, organizations, and anchor institutions that leverage the transformative power of design. The exhibition’s interactive nature invites viewers to annotate its living map with suggestions for creative, interconnected strategies.