The Hub & Street Deliverista Hubs
The first-of-its-kind Workers Center and rest stops for NYC delivery workers.
Studio Elsa Ponce is partnering with the nonprofits Worker’s Justice Project and Los Deliveristas Unidos for the planning and development of The Hub and the Street Deliverista Hubs. These new environments will support one of the most vulnerable workers' communities in New York City.
The Hub research and design concept is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Images © Studio Elsa Ponce
Thousands of day laborers live and work in NYC, most of them recently arrived immigrants. This invisible workforce experiences mistreatment, wage theft, and rampant workplace hazards. Day laborer corners (Paradas or Esquinas), lack access to development training, shelter, water, bathrooms, and other basic infrastructure. The lack of dignified, physical spaces to congregate and seek work with basic protections became critical in the face of the pandemic.
The continued labor of App-based delivery workers has allowed the rest of us to shelter at home, dramatically exposing the divide between low-wage day laborers and those that can work remotely. This divide manifests across the city through the experiences of domestic and construction workers who seek jobs at Corners where the power lies disproportionately on the employers; or delivery workers that engage in risky e-bike charging methods due to the lack of public-charging infrastructure.
Programming and Co-design practices
The Hub will continue to advance the study and practice of consensus decision-making in the design process, based on the belief that people can learn to cooperate and care about each other.
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In early October in 2022, Senator Chuck Schumer and New York City Mayor Eric Adams committed to invest a $1 million federal grant to build the first Hubs. The NYC Department of Park and the NYC Department of Transportation are partnering with the Mayor’s office in the development of this pilot program. This pilot project will transform underutilized newsstands into infrastructure for delivery workers; resting space, e-bike charging stations, bike repair, and shelter from the elements.
The Hub will continue to advance the study and practice of consensus decision-making in the design process, based on the belief that people can learn to cooperate and care about each other.
In early October in 2022, Senator Chuck Schumer and New York City Mayor Eric Adams committed to invest a $1 million federal grant to build the first Hubs. The NYC Department of Park and the NYC Department of Transportation are partnering with the Mayor’s office in the development of this pilot program. This pilot project will transform underutilized newsstands into infrastructure for delivery workers; resting space, e-bike charging stations, bike repair, and shelter from the elements.
The Hub & Street Deliverista Hubs aim to:
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The Hub + Plaza - Concept Design
Street Deliverista Hub - Concept Design
Through the Hub and the Street Deliverista Hubs, we are imagining alternatives to unsafe hiring sites and co-designing environments that connect, protect, and organize low-wage laborers. Essential workers deserve essential services.
Stay tuned for more!
The Hub research and design concept is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
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elsa@elsaponce.com