07/17/2026
🌿✨ A new chapter for Marlboro Houses.
We joined NYCHA, the Center for Justice Innovation, The Urban Conga, Field Form, iFixx, Cork Collective, residents, and an incredible team of partners to unveil more than $500,000 in resident-designed improvements to over 7,200 square feet of open space at Marlboro Houses in .
At the heart of the transformation is New York City's first community pathway made from approximately 450,000 recycled wine corks - 150,000 from NYC restaurants - creating a softer, cooler, and more sustainable walking surface while giving new life to materials collected from restaurants across the city.
But this project is about far more than cork. It's about what happens when residents lead the design process. Together, we created accessible pathways, playful sensory features, native plantings, rain gardens, and community gathering spaces that reflect the voices, experiences, and priorities of the people who call Marlboro home.
This marks the completion of the second phase of Green Space Connections, our $3.2 million initiative with the Center for Justice Innovation, funded by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. And we're just getting started—with the next phase launching this summer in Staten Island, Manhattan, and Queens.
Thank you to the Marlboro Houses Residents Association, NYCHA, The Urban Conga, Cork Collective, Field Form, Rockwell Group, Design Trust for Public Space, 3x3, iFixx NYC Builders, and every partner who helped bring this resident-led vision to life.
When communities lead, great public spaces follow. Much more to come! 💚
