Between Rural and Urban Communities: New Models for Community-Engaged Design, Art, and Economic Development in Rural New York State

Over the last year, we have become increasingly aware of the lack of dialogue and understanding between city people and rural people in the United States and well beyond, and what this means for our politics, natural resources, climate and culture. 

The charismatic team of Jeff Barnett-Winsby and Bowie Zunino, artists and founders of the Wassaic Project, and Scott Anderson, entrepreneur and strategist in Wassaic Community Development Partners, will share their 11 years of art, invention, community-building, saving heritage structures, chairing the local zoning board, and running both the local fire department and the community bar and restaurant.

More recently, they have responded to the State of New York’s request for expressions of interest and bids from developers for a 600-acre defunct campus site on a MetroNorth train stop 2 hours north of New York City. Jeff, Bowie, Scott and their collaborators are seeking to take what they have learned about community-building and apply it to the design and creation of an out-sized new hub of community and industry.

This is PennPraxis’ first in a series of dialogues between rural and urban communities. The projects and ideas of this panel intersect strongly with the work of the 5 departments at PennDesign—Fine Arts, Landscape Architecture, Historic Preservation, City & Regional Planning, and Architecture—so we hope also to promote interdisciplinary conversation and input for the panelists. Currently they are seeking input on how their plan for Tenmile River could become a model for rural development driven by art, design, jobs and reciprocity between rural and urban. Please come listen to their stories and participate in the discussion!

See more about our Praxis Dialogues series here.