Common Corner

The Common Corner is a community-led revitalization of an existing underutilized concrete bleacher at Morris Houses, a New York Public Housing Development, in Bronx. Common Corner was co-designed by The Urban Conga, a multidisciplinary design studio, in collaboration with the Morris Houses residents, New York City Housing Authority, The Public Housing Community Fund, the Center for Justice Innovation, and The Jeffrey H. and Shari L. Aronson Family Foundation.

Through initial community surveying, the Morris Houses residents identified the bleachers as a priority for redesign. Decades ago, this area was lively and active, but over time, it had aged and fallen into disuse. The community’s goal for this project was to revitalize this open space and to foster renewed activity and vibrancy through multigenerational open-ended play and communal connection.

The Urban Conga co-designed the space through a variety of community workshops that used play methodologies to create a safe place for people to share and open up about their dreams, desires, and hopes for their community. These workshops ranged from passive gamified tabling at large community events to constructive and fantasy-play sessions with groups of resident stakeholders. From early conversations about the desires and hopes for the entire area, to the final design of the steps, the community gifted their stories, experiences, feedback, and more to shape every component of the Common Corner.

The transformed Common Corner now serves as a flexible gathering place where people can connect socially, exercise, rest, imagine, or even perform. The design is organized into three interconnected zones that draw from different play methodologies – social play, active play, and fantasy play.

In the social play area, seating was reimagined with greater accessibility in mind, including added grab bars and adjusted heights to improve comfort and ease of use. The active play area encourages physical engagement by offering opportunities for climbing, jumping, balancing, and fitness. The fantasy play area introduces a stage-like platform that invites performance, storytelling, quiet reflection, or even a table for food distribution.

A forced-perspective mural ties all the zones together, moving seamlessly across surfaces and wrapping around the rear wall to signal that the space is part of a growing, evolving vision. The upper portion of the site features reflective, color-changing mirrors and perforated panels designed for community-created paracord art, creating a dynamic, shifting environment that continues to evolve. Along the risers, affirmations chosen by residents – such as “We are the future”, “Dream big”, and “Stronger together” – add layers of pride, encouragement, and identity to the space. The Common Corner creates a renewed sense of communal connection, pride, and inspiration within the Morris Houses.

“Common Corner represents what we can achieve when residents’ voices are truly heard,” said Regina Carter, President of the Morris Houses Residents Association. “For years, these bleachers sat empty, but through this project, they’ve been transformed into something beautiful and meaningful for everyone; a place where young people, older adults, and families alike can meet and play. For us, this is more than a space to sit; it’s a space to come together, to play, and to celebrate our community”.

The Common Corner has become a renewed point of communal connection, expression, and inspiration for the Morris Houses community. It is part of NYCHA’s Connected Communities program, which focuses on transforming and modernizing open spaces through public-private partnerships. The program’s efforts are based on participatory planning and design, striving to enhance physical and social connections between residents and their communities. Common Corner was developed for the community by the community. The co-design process ensured the residents developed an inclusive design that reflected the community’s wants, needs, and ideas.

“The transformation of the Morris Houses bleachers into the Common Corner is a perfect example of NYCHA’s commitment to our Connected Communities program and the power of resident-led design”, said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt.