A partially colored map of a parking lot or similar area with various craft supplies, including scissors, markers, tape, and paper crafts, placed around it.

plan-it!

plan-It! is an engagement kit created through my internship at open plans. the kit is used by open plans at their tabling events with the purpose of educating and empowering individuals in visualizing pedestrian-centric streetscapes in their own communities.

the engagement kit includes flat paper templates that can be cut out, customized, and folded to create common street objects that make new york city streets more pedestrian-friendly and people-centered.​

each object also contains a short blurb about open plans as well as a qr code to their linktree.

A small paper model of a rectangular box with printed lines and text, labeled 'LinkNYC', featuring a Wi-Fi symbol, standing upright on a white surface.

linknyc kiosk

Stack of paper cups with black outline drawings of various flowers or petals on top.

planter

A paper model of a building with windows and structural lines, labeled with 'I ❤️ NY', on a white surface against a plain white background.

mta bus

A white, rectangular cardboard model with a transparent front, resembling a display case or building facade, with painted black lines on the top surface, placed against a plain white background.

outdoor dining structure

A small box featuring a black and white illustration of a bicycle on all sides.

citi bike

Three chairs and a round table with holes in the center, all made of white paper or cardboard with black outlines.

tables and chairs

after customizing and assembling their own object, the participants are encouraged to interact with it and others' objects on the street placemat.

the kit also includes laminated bus and bike lanes that can be attached to the street, educating participants about alternative, people-centric modes of transformation.

Several sign stickers on a white surface, with orange and green backgrounds, indicating bus and bike directions.
A white paper craft model of a bus with black outline details on a white background.

food cart

Paper model of a rectangular building with four doors and trash can icons on each door, drawn with black lines on white paper.

trash container

A white paper craft model of a partial house or building, featuring a sloped roof, open front, and visible interior details, set against a plain white background.

bus shelter

Hand-drawn illustration of a person dressed in a jacket and pants, with a simple, faceless outline, mounted on a clear stand.

people

A small rectangular open box made of white cardboard with black dashed lines, set against a plain white background.

public bench

A paper object with a black outline illustration of a street map on top. The side of the box has a QR code and some text about a food vendor and about using grassroots advocacy via the OpenPlans initiative in New York City.

info on bottom

A placemat of a parking lot layout with marked parking spaces, driving lanes, and direction arrows, titled "Plan-It!" in the top left corner, with a QR code in the bottom right corner.
A man helps a child with Plan-It! t at an outdoor table covered with colorful paper and boxes, with trees and a brick building in the background.

paper, the main material used in the engagement, is not only inexpensive and replaceable - perfect for use in a public space - but is the perfect material for customization through coloring and drawing, and also allows for a tactile interaction through the action of folding and creating a 3d object from a flat template.

A young boy playing Plan-It! on a table outdoors at a park. He is focused on the game, with stacked colorful pieces in front of him. In the background, a person wearing a face mask is sitting on a white block and looking at their phone.

different levels of engagement also allows for those with varying levels of education and language efficiency to equally engage with the kit.

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because the engagement itself doesn't require the use of words, those whose first language isn't english can also equally participate.

A woman and a young girl are engaged in craft activity at a table. The woman is leaning over, helping the girl with colorful paper crafts, with items like small cut-out figures, a box of Crayola crayons, and markers on the table. Other people and trees are visible in the background, indicating a community or park event on a sunny day.

the design of the engagement allows for flexibility in terms of timeframe and usage;

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if the engagement event only allows for quick interaction, the facilitator is able to quickly hand them a flat template they can customize and assemble at home, taking open plans' information with them.

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for those with more time at the engagement, after assembling their own object, they are encouraged to interact with it and other objects on the placemat.

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