In most areas of the 5 boroughs, dumpsters are not allowed on the sidewalk, forcing businesses to either store their dumpsters inside, risking unhealthy and possibly dangerous conditions. Some businesses leave their dumpster on the sidewalk - illegally. These small businesses, crucial to the financial health of the city’s middle class, now incur thousands of dollars worth of fines each year. This financial burden is forcing some to take their businesses to other cities.

The process of obtaining a permit for a dumpster shed is expensive and lengthy. We estimated the process at least 18 months, cost over $5000 and require navigating an arduous process. As a result, in 30 years no business has even attempted to get a permit and see the fines as a cost of doing business.

The project was an opportunity to create both a product and a service that would improve the New York City’s environment and economy. The Incubator saw the opportunity to help local businesses, while at the same time transforming an obsolete system through design.

THE PROCESS

Phase One: Design Research and Concept Development
The team targeted the industrial areas of North and East Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Project director for design research, Lillian Shieh, a Pratt Alumni and faculty, directed a twelve-person team to investigate legal issues, survey and photograph neighborhoods, interview stakeholders, including waste carters, small business owners and residents, and identify the effect of birds, rats and vagrants on public sanitation. This phase lasted 8 weeks. The insights and design opportunities from this process prepared the team for the second phase of the project.

Phase Two: Present for Stakeholders' Critique
The team presented their research and preliminary designs to the City's stakeholders: The Department of Transportation, The Department of Business, The Department of Sanitation and the Arts Commission of New York, each of whom is required to approve a business owner's applications for a dumpster permit. Though they were aware of the problems involved, our fresh approach revealed insights and opportunities. [A user-friendly shed would make it easier to neatly store trash for pick up. A user-friendly permit application process would reduce the number of businesses fined for violating of city sanitation laws.] Though originally a bit cynical after years grappling with this perpetual problem, the stakeholders were impressed with our findings. We took their critiques along with the results of our research and concept development and moved into the third phase.

Phase Three: Design and Build
Design Director Jose Alcala joined the team to develop preliminary concepts for the shed and the permit acquisition guide. Our team designed, built and tested several life-size dumpster shed prototypes on the Pratt campus, finally arriving a one that resolved the issues uncovered in the research phase and met the tough criteria outlined by the Department of Business, The Department of Sanitation and the Arts Commission of New York. Concurrently, we developed workbooks for small business owners to streamline the complicated permit acquisition process and shorten the 18 month process to 4 months.

Phase Four: Completed
The incubator team met with various city agencies to gain the approvals necessary to realize this project. Each agency has special needs and requirements that needed to be met in order to streamline the process.

• Department of Buildings – Application process, engineering/architectural feasibility
• Department of Transportation – Public access, site restrictions and hazards
• Department of Sanitation – Health and safety
• Arts Commission of New York City – Aesthetic considerations

Each of these agencies has approved the incubator’s design as well as the workbooks.

Phase Five: Active Phase
Beta testing has now begun and we have been commissioned to build two working prototypes for two small businesses in the East Williamsburg industrial zone.

Team
• Jose Alcala, Director – Design Development
• Lillian Shieh, Director – Design Research
• Danny Alexander – Legal Team, Project Manager, Design
• Valerie Haynal – Environment Team
• Jeannie Choe – Legal Team
• Sam Cochran – Stakeholder's Team
• Bernardo Guillermo – Stakeholder's Team
• Jude DeLeo-Heslin – Environment, Presentation, Design
• Brad Ascalon – Stakeholder's Team
• Noah Bolton