Roosevelt Island Study
A research study analysing urban identity and the relationship between people and places in changing urban context.
Roosevelt Island is a 2.5-mile long, 147-acre sliver of land in the middle of the East River between Midtown Manhattan and Queens.
Originally intended as a mixed-income, car-free community planned around one main road and promenades utilizing the picturesque river and skyline views, until recently functioned as a bedroom community, providing accommodation for those work on the East Side.
Photograph by Max Touhey
The Island is undergoing a rapid transformation from suburban 'bedroom feel', with a high level of deprivation, through to thriving community today to become a 'tech' island monopolized by big tech companies, providing new employment and contributing significantly to the economy of NYC in the near future.
We conducted a number of interviews with residents to better understand how peoples' everyday experiences are shaped by the built environment and how regeneration affects communities; the social fabric and wellbeing of the area.