NYCHA’s developments have become both physical and so- cial dead ends. NYCHA’s char- acter and potential as a “so- cial agency” has been largely unrecognized, overshadowed by its specialized housing mis- sion.

This project creates a system to encourage residents from the public housing system to de- velop their entrepreneurial tal- ents on underdeveloped land holdings by creating new af- fordable commercial spaces, including small-scale, innova- tion hubs for residents, along- side market-rate commercial spaces.