Albany 518 SNUG (‘guns’ spelled backwards) is an anti-violence program aimed at reducing gun violence by providing proactive intervention for gang activity or at-risk youth. SNUG mentors and directs youth from under-resourced communities to new healthy and formative experiences that allow them to envision a different life and future.

Albany Victory Gardens (AVG) is a project to upcycle vacant lots in low-income communities, transforming them into vibrant farmland that supports urban agriculture and circular economy training. The project began with the purchase of five vacant lots at the core of West Hill and quickly expanded to 20 lots for farming, training, and as their market space. The garden looks to provide trainings and resources to involved community members, turning a still-expanding swath of land into a network of individually-owned plots and a space for community organizing.

Bridge Tha Gap is a community outreach program with the mission to fill the gaps in our community. We aim to supply support to families and individuals that have a need. We at Bridge Tha Gap believe that the unity within the community is the key to reviving our community as a whole. Please come together with me to lift those up who have falling into the gaps of life. Lets do this together so that we can thrive as a strong united community.

Grateful Villages is a non-profit charitable organization focused on the design and implementation of community programs to help spur development, sustainability and empowerment at the local level, with lasting global effects.

The mission of the Rensselaer School of Architecture is to foster a new generation of pioneering, technologically advanced, and socially conscious architects ready to champion the sustainable stewardship of our natural and built environment, while empowering diverse communities worldwide.

Stantec is a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting. The diverse perspectives of our partners and stakeholders drive us to think beyond what’s previously been done on critical issues like climate change, digital transformation, and future-proofing our cities and infrastructure.

Stuart-Lynn Company is a construction consulting firm providing construction cost estimating and project management services.

The Albany Host Lions Club and the Troy Lions Club were both founded in 1925. The two clubs joined forces in July, 2006 to become the Albany & Troy Lions Club, which currently has 46 members – men and women who volunteer their time to perform a variety of community service activities. The group is one of approximately 45,000 clubs in Lions Clubs International, the world’s largest service club organization.

The Urban Conga is a Brooklyn, NY-based award-winning multidisciplinary design studio led by Ryan Swanson and Maeghann Coleman, AIA. The studio is comprised of a diverse group of creatives focused on sparking community interaction and social activity through open-ended play. We achieve this by utilizing play methodologies as a critical tool implemented not just in the work itself but in the participatory design process in which the work is created. Our work explores the idea of working with clients to create more playable cities as an ecosystem of inclusive multiscale playable opportunities intertwined with our existing urban fabric.

Van Alen Institute helps create equitable cities through community-led inclusive design. In an equitable city, communities are engaged in the conception and creation of their built environment, regardless of income or personal circumstances. Community-driven decision-making builds resilience, social infrastructure, and ultimately, more just cities.