Exhibition Analysis: “Living in the Shade” and Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

A new exhibition at the National Public Housing Museum, titled “Living in the Shade,” provides a critical examination of the role of open spaces within New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments. This report analyzes the exhibition’s themes and content, with a significant focus on their direct alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning urban living, health, and community well-being.

Core Objectives and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

The exhibition’s primary objective is to explore how open spaces—including lawns, gardens, paths, and recreational areas—contribute to the creation of sustainable and healthy communities. This aligns with several key SDGs:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The exhibition directly investigates how access to green spaces, play areas, and safe seating areas within public housing developments promotes physical activity and mental well-being for residents.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: By focusing on making urban housing more livable, inclusive, and resilient, the exhibition serves as a case study for SDG 11. It assesses the successes and failures of providing safe and accessible green and public spaces in a high-density urban environment.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The exhibition highlights efforts to improve the quality of life for public housing residents, thereby addressing inequalities in access to healthy and well-designed living environments.

Exhibition Content and Historical Scope

The narrative of “Living in the Shade” is conveyed through a variety of media, offering a comprehensive assessment of NYCHA’s landscaping efforts over a 90-year period. The exhibition’s methodology includes:

1. Large-scale architectural models
2. Archival and contemporary photographs
3. Renderings and site plans
4. Community testimonials and resident-provided photographs

This historical analysis traces the evolution of open space design from its inception in the 1930s to modern reinterpretations, demonstrating a long-term effort to meet changing community needs and advance the principles now encapsulated in the SDGs.

Conclusion: A Framework for Sustainable Urban Development

The “Living in the Shade” exhibition effectively documents the vital connection between public housing infrastructure and resident quality of life. It underscores that the thoughtful design and maintenance of open spaces are not amenities but essential components for achieving sustainable urban development. By chronicling the history of NYCHA’s open spaces, the exhibition provides valuable insights for urban planners, policymakers, and community advocates working to implement the Sustainable Development Goals in cities worldwide.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article primarily addresses issues related to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  This goal is central to the article, which focuses on public housing in an urban environment (New York City). The text explores how “open space” such as “large lawns and tenant gardens, paved paths and play spaces” contributes to creating “livable, healthy, and thriving communities.” The entire exhibition is an assessment of urban planning and community living within the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The article explicitly connects open spaces to well-being by stating their role in creating “healthy… communities.” The provision of “play spaces,” “shady seating areas,” and “tenant gardens” directly supports physical activity and mental health, which are key components of this goal.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s focus, the following specific targets can be identified:

• Target 11.7: Provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces.

  This target is directly addressed. The article is entirely about the provision and design of “open space” within public housing developments. It mentions various types of public spaces like “large lawns,” “tenant gardens,” “play spaces,” and “shady seating areas,” highlighting their importance in the “daily lives of millions of public housing residents.” The exhibition’s purpose is to explore the role of this access over a 90-year period.

• Target 11.3: Enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management.

  The article touches on this target by discussing how open spaces “have been reimagined over the years to meet changing community needs.” This implies a process of planning and management that evolves with resident input. The mention of “community testimonials” as part of the exhibition further supports the participatory aspect of managing these human settlements.

• Target 3.4: Promote mental health and well-being.

  This target is relevant because the article emphasizes the creation of “healthy, and thriving communities” through well-designed open spaces. Access to green areas, gardens, and recreational spaces like “play spaces” is a recognized method for promoting mental well-being and reducing stress, which is a key aspect of this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not mention official SDG indicators with specific data, but it implies several qualitative and quantitative measures that align with them:

• Implied Indicator for Target 11.7: The availability, accessibility, and quality of public and green spaces in residential areas.

  The article’s focus on “large lawns,” “tenant gardens,” “play spaces,” and “shady seating areas” serves as a qualitative indicator of the types of open spaces available. The exhibition’s assessment of the “successes and failures of NYCHA’s landscaping efforts” implies a measurement of the quality and effectiveness of these spaces for residents.

• Implied Indicator for Target 11.3: The existence of participatory processes for planning and managing urban spaces.

  Progress can be measured by the degree to which community needs are integrated into planning. The article implies this through its reference to how spaces are “reimagined over the years to meet changing community needs” and the inclusion of “community testimonials and photographs” in the exhibition, suggesting that resident feedback is a metric for successful planning.

• Implied Indicator for Target 3.4: The provision of community infrastructure that promotes health and well-being.

  The article implies that the existence and use of “play spaces,” “tenant gardens,” and “shady seating areas” are indicators of a community’s capacity to promote health. The success of these spaces in creating a “healthy” community, as mentioned in the text, could be used as a measure of progress.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: choosechicago.com