ABOUT STREET LAB

Street Lab creates programs for public space.

We're a 501c3 nonprofit organization, and we do this work because we care deeply about shared public space and shared public experiences. It’s more important than ever that our towns, cities, and communities make successful public spaces. We're working on new ideas to contribute to that effort.

Jump to:

 

Our Offices

New York: Street Lab, Inc
6 Varick St #10B
New York NY 10013
(212) 941-5084

Boston: Street Lab, Inc
360 Harvard St #1
Cambridge MA 02138

CURRENT FOCUS

139x101xUNI_logo_1801

Since starting this work in 2006 and incorporating as a nonprofit in 2009, we’ve executed a range of projects, from small, one-day events to complex installations that operate as mini-institutions over several months. We’re currently working on a specific challenge: how to bring books and learning to street-level, and we’ve designed a new project called the Uni to do this.

Sponsors

This SlideShowPro photo gallery requires the Flash Player plugin and a web browser with JavaScript enabled.

MORE ABOUT US

We experiment, and we think this is a useful role for our small organization. We focus on piloting program ideas in public space, evaluating them, refining them, and reporting back so that others can learn from our work. We like new ideas, but we love new ideas put into action so they can be experienced today.

We're driven like entrepreneurs to create a competitive organization and outstanding projects. But the point is to create replicable solutions that others can use in our cities and towns. The more people doing this work and doing it well, the more fulfilled we are.

We’re evaluators. We measure everything we do in an effort to do it better.

We look for "lighter, quicker, and cheaper" ways to improve the public realm and provide public resources, in the spirit of Project for Public Space's "Eleven Principles for Place-making."

We have a small team that scales up during project production. For example, during the operation of the Storefront Library, Boston Street Lab hired a full-time program manager and part-time assistant, and recruited a rotating staff of 40 volunteers.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Willard Donham
Jared Eigerman
Laura Fleder
Ken Gordon
Leslie Davol
Sam Davol

STAFF

Leslie Davol, Co-Executive Director
Sam Davol, Co-Executive Director
Maggie Husak, Intern

Volunteer Librarians UNI 2011:
  • Lindsey Danis (Simmons GSLIS ’12)
  • Chelsea Gunn (Simmons GSLIS ’12)
  • Madeline Kelly (Simmons GSLIS ’12)
  • Molly McInerny (Simmons GSLIS ’12)
  • Helen Schubert (Simmons GSLIS ’13)

 

Leslie Davol, Co-Executive Director.

Leslie focuses on partnerships, strategy, fundraising, and administration. Prior to starting Boston Street Lab, Leslie was a consultant to the Boston Society of Architects on development of its Common Boston program. Prior, she was an Assistant Vice President at the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, working on memorial, cultural and civic programs for the revitalization of Lower Manhattan after September 11. She has also worked in museums, including the Secretary and General Counsel’s office of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the New-York Historical Society, where she oversaw development and construction of the Henry Luce III Center for the Study of American Culture. She has a MA in American Studies from the George Washington University and a BA from Barnard College.

Sam Davol, Co-Executive Director.

Sam focuses on program development, communications, and production. Prior to founding Boston Street Lab, he was Staff Attorney at the Legal Aid Society in New York City, conducting public interest class action litigation, and also working on community legal education and technology projects for the firm. For over 20 years, Sam has also been a professional cellist, recording, performing, and touring as a member of The Magnetic Fields (Nonesuch Records). He has a law degree from New York University and an AB from Harvard College.

Margaret (Maggie) Husak, Intern

Maggie is working on developing and implementing one of Boston Street Lab's current projects, Work in Progress. Maggie is a candidate for a Master's from Tufts University in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning (anticipated Sep 2011). Prior to enrolling at Tufts, Maggie was the Coordinator of Communications for the Harvard Green Campus Intiative at Harvard University. She is also a professional modern dancer and dance educator. She performs regularly with EgoArt and Weber Dance (based in Somerville), and with the Falling Flight Project (based in Cambridge). She has a BA from Brown University.

Former Staff

Storefront Library Paid Staff 2009-10
  • Amy Cheung, Storefront Library Program Manager 2009-10
  • Shujuan Yu, Library Assistant 2009-10

Storefront Library Interns:

Storefront Library Volunteers:

  • Devin Ashe
  • Brianna Belanger (Simmons GSLIS '11)
  • Lucy Borgheiinck (Simmons GSLIS '11)
  • Jing Cao
  • Kwan Cheung
  • Amalia Child (Simmons GSLIS '11)
  • Jewel Chin
  • Susan Chin
  • Michael Ho
  • Tony Huang
  • Julie Lam
  • Rebecca Lee
  • Cara Lei
  • Cindy Li
  • Heather Maclean
  • Astrid Müller
  • Patrick Murphy (Simmons GSLIS '10)

Storefront Library Volunteers (continued):

  • June Ng
  • Hope Nguyen
  • Jane Polson (Simmons GSLIS '11)
  • Sarah Price
  • Jerry Russo
  • Melissa Saggerer (Simmons GSLIS '10)
  • Amy Sloper
  • Sharon Tomasulo (Simmons GSLIS)
  • Dat Tran
  • Phoenix Wang
  • Maria Wong
  • Valerie Wong
  • Annie Wu
  • Emily Wu
  • Cynthia Yee
  • Shirley Yu
  • Maple Zou

 

PARTNERSHIPS

Partnerships are fundamental to our work, and we invest in developing and maintaining these relationships. We partner with private and public property owners and managers who want to improve the streetscape experience, increase foot traffic, and create community benefits. We partner with government entities and community groups who have ideas for improved public spaces that we can help pilot and evaluate. We partner with nonprofits and institutions seeking ways to experiment with new program ideas, and we showcase their work in public space, increasing their reach, effectiveness and experience.

Space Partners

A partial list of space partners, property owners and managers with whom we've worked to bring programs to public space since 2009.

Project Advisors

Program Partners

A partial list of program partners, individuals and organizations with whom we've worked to bring programs to public space since 2009.

PROGRAM PARTNERS

 

SPONSORS

Supporters

Special Thanks

  • Alice Hennessey, Special Assistant to the Mayor
  • Amy Ryan, President, Boston Public Library and Boston Public Library Staff
  • Christopher Adams, Boston Police Department
  • Kevin Cameron, Archstone
  • The Chinatown Coalition
  • Chinatown Residents Association
  • Frank Chin
  • Denny Ching, Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services
  • Stephanie Fan
  • Anne E. Gancarz
  • Courtney Ho Ha
  • Debbie Ho
  • Jerry Huang
  • Dr. Peter Kiang (江念祖), Professor of Education and Director, Asian American Studies Program, UMass Boston
  • Shirley Mark, Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University
  • Kenneth Morin
  • National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (Senior Community Service Employment Program)
  • Jeremy Osborn
  • Fernando Silva, Archstone
  • Woo Ching White Crane
  • Ben Stumpf & Concord Academy
  • Sarah Sze
  • Jen Wang
  • Cynthia Yee
  • Raymond Yu, Pandamonium Design
  • Tommy Yung, Boston Police Department
  • Amy Koo
  • Victoria Kuohung, in honor of Alden Shuen
  • The Learning Project Elementary School
  • Cindy Lee
  • Jeanne M Lee
  • John & Nancy Legates
  • Moying Li
  • Thomas W. Lincoln
  • Matthew Littell
  • Lisa Tang Liu
  • May Louie
  • Pong Louie
  • Jean Lukitsh
  • Thomas Ma
  • Dwayne Martin
  • Massachusetts Dept. of Children and Families
  • Liz McNerney
  • David Moy
  • Astrid K Müller
  • Northeastern University Asian American Center
  • Yvonne Ng
  • Yukie Ohta
  • Sarah Price
  • Deb Putnoi
  • Alexandra Quinn
  • Adam Robinson
  • Social Action Committee at Beth El Temple, Belmont MA
  • Susan Steinway
  • Siri Striar and Francisco Hernandez
  • Taipei Economic & Culture Office in Boston
  • Iris Tan
  • Lisa Thurau-Gray & Jack Gray
  • Sarina Tcherepnin
  • Irene Tsai
  • Tufts University Exposure Student Photojournalism Group
  • Emily Wade
  • Cindy Wang
  • Virginia Ward
  • Susan Wayne
  • Leah Williams
  • Chauncy Wilson
  • Lisa Wong M.D.
  • Rose Wong
  • Ziping Wu
  • Shirley Yang
  • Pai-Ling Yin
  • Peter Ying
  • Eva Young
  • Tommy Yung
  • Yali Zhang

Press

Storefront Library:

RADIO, TV, PRINT

LOCAL/CHINESE-LANGUAGE PRESS

STUDENT/INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM

BLOGS ABOUT LIBRARIES

OTHER BLOGS

Films at the Gate:

Street Lab, Inc:

Download 2-page organization summary.

UNI-PDF-icon2

(PDF 66K) Learn about the mission and approach of Boston Street Lab.