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The most useful “good neighbor” strategy is practical, two-way and place-specific: listen to residents, communicate in the languages and formats they already use, and coordinate temporary access to streets, storefronts and vacant lots. The 2021 “Be A Good Neighbor” project in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, shows how a construction or design team can turn that principle into meetings, multilingual materials, wayfinding, planting and negotiated resource sharing.
This was not a universal program or a standing service. It was a project created during the COVID-19 reopening period by James Corner Field Operations with Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, through the Neighborhoods Now initiative of Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute. Its documented methods remain useful, but its 2021 award record does not establish that the guidebook, consultation or other services are available in 2026.
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What “Be A Good Neighbor” actually was
The project received a 2021 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Professional Awards Honor Award in Communications. It connected Central Brooklyn residents with design firms so neighborhood knowledge could shape responses to reopening during the pandemic. Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation served as the client, while James Corner Field Operations led the design work within Neighborhoods Now.
That origin matters for construction organizations. The work did not begin with a preselected streetscape package or a generic public-relations campaign. Residents helped identify immediate problems, workable opportunities and longer-term aspirations. Designers then translated that input into communication tools and small physical interventions that people could see and use.
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ASLA’s awards jury described the approach this way: “The Good Neighbor program seeks to connect residents of central Brooklyn with design firms to develop neighborhood-appropriate COVID-19 responses through robust community dialogues. These conversations identified strategies for reopening, which were distilled into a digital guidebook, posters, and pamphlets that were distributed through existing community networks.”
Why the approach matters on construction projects
Construction changes how people move, work and use property. A technically correct traffic plan can still fail if residents cannot understand it, if a notice is available in only one language, or if a temporary closure removes a needed gathering place without an alternative. The Bedford-Stuyvesant project treated communication, access and physical cues as one connected task.
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- Who experiences the change most directly, and how do those people describe the problem?
- Which languages, reading levels and communication channels are trusted locally?
- Can a temporary use of space protect access or support a local business while permanent work is under way?
- Who will approve, insure, maintain and remove a temporary installation?
The project offers methods for answering those questions; it does not provide a current legal template or guarantee an outcome in another neighborhood.
Start with resident-defined needs
Use recurring conversations, not a single hearing
The Restoration Team held weekly team meetings, virtual conversations and customized workshops. Focus groups and community conversations were used to identify challenges, opportunities and aspirations before strategies were selected. For a construction project, a similar rhythm can be built into the preconstruction schedule: a standing neighborhood check-in, a focused session for directly affected tenants and businesses, and a follow-up after the first changes are installed.
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Keep a decision log that records the concern, the location, the proposed response, the responsible party and the date for review. This prevents a meeting from becoming a one-time listening exercise and gives residents a way to see what changed because of their input.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsInvite people through existing networks
The documented event was promoted through Restoration’s networks, with invitations distributed to 21,000 residents. More than 820 people watched live on Restoration’s Facebook page. ASLA reported those figures in 2021; they show distribution and live reach for that event, not long-term participation, representativeness or measured impact.
A project team adapting the method should therefore track more than impressions. Record how invitations were delivered, which blocks or user groups were reached, who attended in person or online, what languages were requested, and which suggestions were adopted. A high view count cannot substitute for access by people most affected by construction.
Turn input into communications people can use
Design for several audiences
The team produced customized pamphlets for tenants, users, residents, small businesses and office workers. Each audience has different questions. A tenant may need a safe entrance and elevator route; a shop owner may need delivery timing and a way to tell customers about access; an office worker may need a clear detour and hours of work.
For a building site, create a core fact sheet and audience-specific versions. Keep dates, contact methods and emergency information consistent, while changing the examples, map and action required for each group. Put the “what changes today” information first, then provide background for people who need it.
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Provide language access at the point of use
Partner & Partners designed project posters in Arabic, Bengali, English and Spanish. They communicated health, wayfinding and reopening protocols and could be customized by businesses. The lesson is not simply to translate a finished English poster. Ask residents which languages are used locally, test whether the wording is understood, and place each version where that audience will actually encounter it.
For construction notices, combine large-print signs at entrances with handouts for tenants and businesses, a mobile-friendly page, and direct outreach through community organizations. Use maps, icons and color consistently so someone can recognize a route even with limited reading proficiency. Remove obsolete signs promptly; conflicting instructions damage trust faster than a short delay.
Use a guidebook as a shared operating reference
The project’s digital guidebook included reopening guidelines, pop-up design ideas and longer-term partnership strategies. A construction adaptation might include a current site map, accessible routes, delivery windows, contact escalation, rules for temporary events, maintenance responsibilities and a date for the next review. Label every item with its effective date and owner so a downloaded document does not become misleading after conditions change.
Share space without assuming it is free or simple
In this project, “resource sharing” referred to practical ways that existing spaces and relationships could support reopening and community life. These ideas can be valuable around a construction site, but each requires permission, safety review and a clear agreement.
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Temporary closures for pop-ups and events
Off-peak closures were proposed as places for pop-ups and community events. A builder could coordinate a short closure of a loading area or frontage when deliveries are not scheduled, provided the street authority, property owner and emergency-access requirements allow it. Publish the exact hours, barricade plan, accessible path and person responsible for reopening the space.
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Slow or green streets
Secondary streets were identified as opportunities for slower movement or greening. On a project, that could mean a carefully marked pedestrian-priority route beside a work zone, with planters or other visual cues separating people from vehicles. Do not imply that a neighborhood can change traffic rules informally: obtain the relevant city approval and coordinate with transit, emergency services and adjacent property owners.
Land swaps and vacant-space partnerships
The account describes “land swaps” in which vacant lots or storefronts could serve adjacent businesses, public resources, services or community-building initiatives. A temporary arrangement needs written control of the premises, permitted use, opening hours, utilities, cleaning, security, accessibility and restoration. If a business moves activity to another property, document who bears damage, injury and lost-goods risks rather than relying on an informal promise.
Sidewalk-right swaps and agreements
The team worked with city agencies on sidewalk-right swaps and on agreements and insurance structures. Those examples highlight the administrative work behind a seemingly simple shared space. Before announcing a swap, identify the public agency with jurisdiction, confirm the right-of-way limits, obtain permits, name the insured parties and set an end date. A construction manager should keep the approval in the site file and brief every subcontractor whose deliveries or barriers could affect the arrangement.
Make small physical changes that clarify movement
Combine wayfinding with planting
Community build days included graphic wayfinding, planting and greening. Planting was used as both a physical and visual cue to guide visitors, while the first phase of Adopt-a-Square Murals was developed with RestorationART. Planters, plants and soil were donated for the public-space work.
A modest construction-site version can use outdoor planters and planting supplies at approved edges of a route. Position them so they guide rather than narrow an accessible path, protect them from vehicle strikes, and assign watering, replacement and removal duties. The project specified no brand or model, and its use of planters was an implementation example, not product testing or endorsement.
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Pair signs with a human explanation
The project’s wayfinding message, “You’re home, not alone,” expressed an encouraging tone attributed by ASLA to Restoration. A welcoming message works best when it accompanies precise instructions: where to enter, what is closed, when the route changes and whom to contact. Avoid optimistic language that appears to minimize disruption or safety concerns.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A practical implementation sequence for builders and community partners
- Map affected users and spaces. List residents, tenants, small businesses, office workers, delivery operators, visitors and people with mobility or sensory access needs. Mark entrances, loading points, transit stops, vacant spaces and likely conflict locations.
- Set a listening schedule. Hold an initial conversation, focused workshops for directly affected groups and recurring check-ins during changing phases. Offer virtual and in-person options where feasible.
- Record needs in plain language. Group feedback into access, safety, business operations, public space, communications and longer-term opportunities. Note which requests are within the project’s control and which require an agency decision.
- Choose the smallest workable intervention. A translated sign, a revised delivery window, a temporary pop-up or a planter-guided route may solve a specific problem without creating a new maintenance burden.
- Secure permissions and responsibilities. Confirm permits, property rights, insurance, emergency access, accessibility, cleaning, maintenance and removal before publicizing a shared-space tactic.
- Produce and test materials. Prepare language versions and audience-specific formats. Ask local reviewers to test the map, directions and terminology before printing or posting.
- Install, brief and monitor. Train site staff and subcontractors, install signs and physical cues together, and check the route at different times of day. Correct blocked paths or conflicting notices immediately.
- Report back. Tell participants what was adopted, what was declined and why. Publish the next review date so the relationship continues beyond the first event.
How to compare possible approaches
The Bedford-Stuyvesant account describes one project, not a ranked comparison. Organizations selecting their own approach can use the following decision grid.
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|---|---|---|
| Resident participation | Are people involved in identifying needs and reviewing solutions? | A finished plan is presented as consultation. |
| Language access | Do materials match languages used locally, with tested wording? | Translation is added after design and never checked. |
| Distribution | Which trusted networks, sites and digital channels reach each audience? | Success is measured only by online views. |
| Space tactic | Does the proposed closure, swap or slow street solve a specific local use problem? | The tactic has no named user, location or time window. |
| Operations | Who handles access, maintenance, insurance, safety and removal? | No written owner or end date exists. |
| Learning | Is there a review point and a way to change the tactic? | Signs and agreements remain in place after conditions change. |
Limits of the documented evidence
ASLA’s 2021 project page establishes the award, the participants, the methods, the reported invitation and live-viewer figures, and the jury’s assessment. It does not provide an independently measured long-term outcome, a comparative study or a current service directory. It also does not establish that the guidebook, posters, pamphlets or ongoing consultation remain available in 2026.
Use the project as a design precedent rather than a promise of results. Before copying a tactic, verify current city requirements, property control, insurance, accessibility standards and neighborhood priorities. The strongest adaptation is one that keeps the original discipline—resident-defined needs, inclusive communication and coordinated use of space—while updating the details for the people and regulations at the actual site.
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