Insider vs. Outsider: Challenges with Working With Local Communities

Moving Forward with the Park Projects

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This past Sunday, I had an opportunity to bring the first cultural programming activity to the site of Herbert von King Park where we hosted STEEM Park. A prominent local DJ, DJ Self, started a non-profit called GWININ Gives and invited local organizations to host activities and giveaways for local children before they return to school. We hosted our workshop alongside school supply giveaways, face-painting stalls, and booths filled with music and food.

Now just to give you a sense of what the neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant is like, “Bed-Stuy” is a historically and predominantly black/African-American neighborhood. It’s characterized, much like most of central and eastern Brooklyn, as a tight-knit brownstone area. Bedstuy’s proximity to major subway lines leading to Manhattan have made it somewhat a victim to rising property values and overall gentrification. Needless to say, it’s always obvious when my husband @hansikhouse and I do work in the area that we stick out like a blatant symbol of “change.”

What’s My “Presence?”

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I’m committed to the neighborhood as I live a few blocks north of the park and as an active member of the park conservancy. The race factor isn’t generally an issue but sometimes it does lead to some conflict. On one occasion, a passerby confronted me about what I was doing in the park. I explained that I was talking with park staff to pinpoint problem areas of the park’s development but he would hear nothing of it. To him, and a number of other confronters, I was an unwanted and potentially hostile presence.

This has been such a different experience than the one I was used to working in an architecture office. Behind polished office doors and a quiet desk, I never had engagements where I had to actually meet with the people I was affecting with my work. Unfortunately even today, ‘development’ comes down like an iron fist on unsuspecting and powerless communities, all according to the wishes one a select few powerful individuals. With my feet on the ground in this park, I find myself having real conversations about the real change I’m trying to cultivate with real people.

• A novel based on the idea of gentrification and racial tension in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn

When you start to engage communities like this, a real question emerges - do I really have the right or capacity to bring change to a place compared to locals?

This is the true insider vs. outsider debate. An insider obviously has a much deeper experience with the conditions at hand. They are more connected, trusted, and knowledgeable about the day to day lives of those living around them. For many of these insiders, an outsider is nothing but a threat.

Clearly understanding the benefits of hosting an outsider is the first step in ushering in positive change. Outsiders, despite being relatively “unfamiliar,” are more likely to see the forest from the trees. They can take on a more objective approach and bring in outsider experiences. Outsiders are often times more capable of nurturing change that those living within a community cannot bring about from the inside.

This doesn’t just apply to designers. Historians, anthropologists, government workers, police officers, and so forth all face this problem. It’s an issue of trust. The challenge is to “prove” that your presence does more good than harm and that your involvement won’t generate some negative impact.

Building Bonds Creatively

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I’m not entirely sure if the neighborhood will ever accept me as a local, even if I were to live in the area for another 10 or 20 years. But my hope is that my activities and work will be received the same way it was this past weekend, embraced as a beneficial effort. It’s difficult to be an outsider but I think this is a unique challenge that will really strengthen me for the future.

Thanks for reading & Stay tuned for the next story!
@Mintvilla, an ever-learning landscape architect