Thank You

WorkitOut

CREATE

NEGOTIATE

IMAGINE

CREATE

YOUR CITY

NEGOTIATE

IMAGINE
YOUR CITY

workitout-nyc.weebly.com
Shannon Bush, Cornell Univeristy, smb493@cornell.edu
Claire Flurin, Cornell Univeristy, cmf235@cornell.edu
Emily Hackerson, Cornell Univeristy, efh43@cornell.edu
Anni Zhu, Cornell Univeristy, az332@cornell.edu

December 16, 2014

Shannon Bush, Claire Flurin, Emily Hackerson, Anni Zhu

December 16, 2014

Shannon Bush, Claire Flurin, Emily Hackerson, Anni Zhu

WorkitOut
Why Use Our Learning

WorkitOut

Tool?

New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) helps create homes for
over 600,000
New Yorkers. Their buildings and programs span the five
.

boroughs and are integral parts of countless neighborhoods. But NYCHA's

ability to provide safe, affordable housing is in jeopardy. Due to drastic and
increasing reductions in Federal funding, NYCHA is looking at new financing
options to help them provide residents with the quality housing they deserve.
One solution being discussed is infill; creating developments on
unders-used NYCHA land that will generate revenue to be re-invested in
NYCHA communities.

While NYCHA struggles to sustain public housing for New Yorkers, Mayor Bill
de Blasio highlights the citywide crisis of affordability in his ambitious new hous
ing plan, pledging to build and preserve 200,000 affordable units in the next ten
years. New York City has housing on its mind, and everyone should
feel empowered to be a part of the conversation and solution.
WORKitOUT uses principles of experiential learning to help youth understand
the basics of urban development and how it shapes their communities and city
as a whole. Taking the concept of infill, students begin solving the challenges of
NYCHA housing campuses across NYC, including maintenance deficiencies, lack
of livability within the campus and funding gaps. WORKitOUT introduces
students to key development concepts with emphasis on tradeoffs and the various stakeholders involved in decision-making.
With WORKitOUT, students use their city as a laboratory for understanding
complex urban and social processes. Through a holistically designed curriculum,
WORKitOUT encourages students to use a variety of skills ranging from
abstract conceptualization to active experimentation, resulting in sense of personal agency over the subject matter.

Who Should Use WorkitOut ?

WORKitOUT is an inclusive tool meant for high school aged audiences,
though it could be adapted for younger students. In order for WORKitOUT
to have the most impact, we partner with Community Based
Organizations interested in implementing the tool, believing they are
the experts in how to best reach their local constituency.
Once a CBO indicates an interest in the tool, we provide a 3-hour facilitation
training with staff members, including an introduction to the physical game
board as well as a course-packet with detailed information on how to structure the 5 day workshop. While we provide facilitators with a curriculum of
study, we encourage adaptations to the game where appropriate to best
meet the needs or learning objectives of the students. While the CBO or
school facilitator will be leading the 5 day course, someone from
WORKitOUT will be available in the classroom on 'game day' to help assist.

Development Process & Affordability in NYC

ET S TAKEH
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WorkitOut
The Workshop

OL

DAY Meet Stakeholders & Learn about

DAYS TO BUILD A
FOUNDATION OF
KNOWLEDGE

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PERFORM
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DISCOVER
ING
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AFFORDABILIT
REAL ESTATE
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PERMITTING PROC

BUDGET
ZONING

T
DOCUMEN

DAY

INTERACT
ONLINE

DAY

Discover and document Livability & Urban Design

in your community

MakeitWork
WorkitOut
WorkitOut
The
The Workshop
Workshop

DAY IN THE FIELD: Students apply what theyve learned to their local neighborhood, investigating its shape, look and feel through:
TYPOLOGY TREASURE HUNT

DEFINING LIVABILITY
Students will also examine what it means for a
community to be livable,
first by photographing what it means to them:

Using their WorkitOut FIELD GUIDE,

students document their neighborhood,
exploring questions such as:
What TYPES of buildings are in your neighborhood?
What are the USES in these buildings?
How do WorkitOuts buildings compare?

then sharing the qualities they identified in a class discussion.

vs.
walkability
safety
In your neighborhood,
where are the uses concentrated?
where is the public or green space?

parks & green space

schools
equity
jobs
fresh food

Finally, the class will negotiate and determine the five most important
qualities for GAME DAY.

DAY

WorkitOut

DAY Game Simulation and Debriefing

Final Presentations!

PLAY!
CITY

NYCHA

DEVELOPER

The Workshop

CLASS DEBRIEF + PROJECT!

RESIDENT

After your simulation is complete, your teacher will lead your class through a
debriefing exercise to discuss what youve learned, consider the alternative
development options that could have occurred and to answer questions you may
have. Finally, your teacher will assign you a short project to guide you in further
critical thinking about the workshop project.

Affordability
Livability
Development

Open Space and

New Building
Typologies

Game Play:

Game Board
Propose to
Build

Negotiate

Get
Permitted

Calculate
Impacts

ion

tat
n
e
s
e
Pr

or t

Rep
n
e
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INTERACTIVE WEBSITE & APP

GAME BOARD
t
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ork

OPEN SPACE
& BUILDING TYPOLOGIES

INFORMATION
PACKET

WorkitOut
ing Tool?

arn
Why Use Our Le

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ing Authority (NYC
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g
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principles of experi
communities and
WORKitOUT uses
how it shapes their
the challenges of
development and
students begin solving deficiencies, lack
the basics of urban
the concept of infill,
nance
as a whole. Taking
NYC, including mainte
duces
campuses across
WORKitOUT intro
gaps.
NYCHA housing
trade
funding
on
emphasis
the campus and
of livability within
concepts with
aking.
development
in decision-m
students to key us stakeholders involved
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use their city as a
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T,
ally
With WORKitOU
Through a holistic
ranging from
social processes.
use a variety of skills in sense of percomplex urban and
ages students to
g
WORKitOUT encour ion to active experimentation, resultin
abstract conceptualizat
.
the subject matter
sonal agency over

Who Should Use

MakeitWork?

aged audiences,
meant for high school for WORKitOUT
an inclusive tool
WORKitOUT is
r students. In order
adapted for younge
unity Based
though it could be
er with Comm
ng they are
impact, we partn
enting the tool, believi ituency.
to have the most
implem
in
ted
interes
their local const
Organizations
how to best reach
the experts in
ion
e a 3-hour facilitat
the tool, we provid
l game
es an interest in
ction to the physica
introdu
Once a CBO indicat
an
ng
strucmembers, includi
ation on how to
training with staff
with detailed inform
a curriculum of
a course-packet
e facilitators with
board as well as
to best
While we provid
op.
riate
worksh
approp
day
ture the 5
the game where
or
age adaptations to
ts. While the CBO
study, we encour
ives of the studen
ne from
or learning object
meet the needs
5 day course, someo day' to help assist.
will be leading the
school facilitator
classroom on 'game
be available in the
WORKitOUT will

LESSON PLANS