BASKETBALL COURT
2019 / Wagner Houses, NYC / Design Assistantship for Center for Court Innovation CCI
Team: Gabriel Vergara, Ramon Caba (Community Coordinator)
The Wagner Houses NeighborhoodStat (NSTAT) Team proposes the renovation of the basketball court situated on Wagner grounds across 50 Paladio Av. The improvement of this space is seen as an opportunity to foster connections between youth and adults, strengthen community interactions, and create collaborations with community partners such as the Police Athletic League (PAL), and local basketball teams to organize basketball games/tournaments.
A physical assessment conducted by the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) subcommittee revealed that the space is underutilized due to poor maintenance and aesthetics. Existing conditions promote antisocial behavior, such as littering and drug-use in adjacent spaces.
The design proposal for the renovation of the basketball court was carried out during several meetings with community stakeholders, who defined three alternatives of intervention. Painting design for the new asphalt surface, new colors for fences that enclose the space, and improvements for the adjacent bleachers. The last one includes the addition of planters and trash cans.
