This afternoon, the Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation named seven recipients of its inaugural Knight Public Spaces fellowship program. The fellowship aims to award innovators and experts “who have created or influenced great public spaces that strengthen community engagement and connection,” according to a press release, offering a prize of $150,000 in funding to advance each fellows' work.
Selected from 2,000 entrants, the winners were assessed for their existing portfolio of parks, plazas, and other community spaces.
Here are the seven winners of the 2019 Knight Public Spaces fellowship:
Anuj Gupta, Philadephia
Bio: General manager of Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, one of the largest and oldest public markets, Gupta has brought new and innovative distribution and engagement models to the market. In particular, he has spearheaded engagement initiatives focused on connecting cultures and bringing people of different backgrounds together around food.
Robert Hammond, New York
Bio: Co-Founder and Executive Director of the High Line, Robert had the vision and foresight to lead the effort to build an elevated park on an abandoned railway line in New York City 20 years ago. In 2017, he formed the High Line Network, which focuses on the equitable development of underused city infrastructure to develop new urban landscapes.
Walter Hood, Berkeley, Calif.
Bio: Hood is creative director and founder of Hood Design, a firm that practices at the intersection of art, design, landscape, research and urbanism across the country. He is also a professor at the University of California, Berkeley in landscape architecture and urban design. Hood Design Studio designs public spaces for institutions such as Cooper Hewitt Museum, Broad Museum and Solar Strand at University of Buffalo, as well as neighborhood community spaces such as Splash Pad Park in Oakland, California and Baisley Park in New York City (now Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson Community Garden).
Eric Klinenberg, New York
Bio: The Helen Gould Shepard Professor of Social Science at NYU and a practitioner working on urban public spaces, Klinenberg most recently served as research director of Rebuild by Design. The federal competition focused on generating innovative designs for 21st Century infrastructure in the region affected by Superstorm Sandy. In 2018, Klinenberg published “Palaces for the People”, a book about the essential role of social infrastructure (including libraries, playgrounds, and parks) in revitalizing democratic culture and civic life.
Chelina Odbert, Los Angeles
Bio: Odbert is co-founder and executive director of Kounkuey Design Initiative, a nonprofit design firm (with offices in Los Angeles, the Coachella Valley, Nairobi and Stockholm) that prioritizes community participation in public space development — designing side-by-side with residents. Odbert emphasizes that public space design must integrate not only environmental, but also social and economic strategies to address community inequities. Her recent work in Coachella Valley and Los Angeles showcases this approach.
Kathryn Ott Lovell, Philadelphia
Bio: Commissioner of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, Lovell oversees one of the largest park systems in the country, bringing a strong focus on innovation to the government sector. Her emphasis on “citizen centric” service, provides exceptional parks and recreation opportunities to residents and prioritizes community engagement. Since joining Parks & Rec, Ott Lovell has led innovative initiatives to activate municipal parks and engage residents and visitors city-wide. She played an integral role in the creation of Parks on Tap, a mobile pop-up beer garden; Swim Philly, a program designed to increase amenities and programming at neighborhood pools; The Oval+, an interactive mural installation, park, and event series; and the Philadelphia International Unity Cup, a soccer tournament that celebrates the rich cultural diversity of Philadelphia.
Erin Salazar, San Jose, Calif.
Bio: Executive Director of Exhibition District, Salazar heads a woman-owned and operated arts nonprofit creating economic opportunities for artists at the intersection of public art and community development in San Jose. Salazar is redefining what “public space” is and what it could be in a city full of large corporations, while working to maintain the community’s cultural authenticity.
Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled the name of fellowship winner Anuj Gupta.
