From 2003-2024, Hester Street worked to ensure neighborhoods are shaped by the people who live in them. Offering planning, design and community development technical assistance, Hester Street worked alongside community-based organizations, government and other agencies to advance equitable, sustainable and resilient neighborhoods and cities. To learn more about the history of Hester Street, and the projects the organization led, visit hesterstreet.org.
Although the organization chose to sunset its operations in 2024, the legacy of Hester Street lives on, in the communities served and the projects completed, as well as in the leaders incubated by Hester Street who continue to advance the field of community development and design.
This website was developed by Hester Street board members, in collaboration with former staff members, in an effort to preserve and share the methodological tools developed by Hester Street. The tools included on this site represent a core sample of Hester Street’s approach to community engagement, and are intended to provide replicable models for practitioners and community leaders across the country to continue advancing community-led planning and design.
At a time when democracy is increasingly under threat, sharing tools for democratic decision-making couldn’t be more pressing. While we grieve the loss of Hester Street, it is our hope that these tools can support authentic civic engagement and movements for racial and economic justice moving forward.
In considering the long-term legacy of Hester Street, we acknowledge that the organization’s greatest contribution is the generation of staff members who contributed their time, creativity, and commitment to our work, and who in turn became sophisticated leaders in the fields of community development and design. It is with deep gratitude and acknowledgment of the brilliance of the Hester Street team throughout its 20 year history that we share these tools.
The development of this site was funded by Leroy Street Studio, the architecture firm which birthed Hester Street, and with generous support from the Surdna Foundation. We’re grateful for the vision and commitment of Leroy Street Studio partners Morgan Hare, Marc Turkel, and Shawn Watts, as well as for the founding leadership of Anne Frederick, without whom Hester Street would never have existed.
Hester Street’s board remains open to sharing lessons learned from sunsetting of the organization, and from its 20 year history. For inquiries related to this archive, or for potential partnerships, contact info@hesterstreet.org.