C.U.L.T.I.V.A.R.T.E. (Community Urban Landscapes Transforming through Interactive Vital Art and Therapeutic Engagement)
C.U.L.T.I.V.A.R.T.E. is a community-driven urban design and public art initiative that reimagines a GreenThumb community garden in East Harlem, New York, as a site for ecological learning, creative expression, and social healing. The project brings together faculty and student researchers from the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) with neighborhood gardeners and local residents participating in drug addiction recovery programs. Through collaborative workshops focused on urban farming, artmaking, and community health, the initiative advances several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
The project integrates urban agriculture, sustainable materials, digital fabrication, and AI-assisted design within a participatory design framework to co-create a living ecological installation rooted in community narratives and food justice. The installation will incorporate carved pockets and integrated planting beds designed for growing small edibles alongside native plant species selected to support urban biodiversity.
Envisioned as a series of sand binder-jet printed modular elements arranged at varying heights, the installation will function as an experimental habitat system. Over the course of a full year, the project will observe whether these intentionally designed cavities, varying in size, depth, and geometry, can support diverse species commonly found in New York City community gardens, including pollinators, birds, beetles, and other beneficial insects.
Community gardeners play a central role in identifying appropriate plant species and guiding cultivation practices. The project also partners with The Pillars, a local drug addiction recovery organization, to encourage creative expression and gardening as therapeutic practices that support personal recovery and community connection. By introducing advanced design tools and sustainable practices in accessible ways, the project challenges traditional hierarchies of expertise with shared authorship, empowerment, and mutual respect.
Projected Installation Timeline: Summer 2026; design and engagement in progress
