About

Living Lots NYC was built by the 596 Acres Team. It is based on best practices identified through a pilot project they built and used from August 21, 2011 to March 1, 2015. In that time, a combination of accessible information and committed facilitation led to the official transformation of 32 NYC vacant lots into community spaces.  

Living Lots NYC is a clearinghouse of information that New Yorkers can use to find, unlock and protect our shared resources. 596 Acres started with vacant lots and remains committed to helping fill these holes. 

Living Lots NYC is flexible and designed to both broadcast what is know-able and to help people find one another on a property-by-property basis. 596 Acres welcomes institutional partners who want to facilitate access to other types of spaces through information and advocacy: from the lawns of public housing campuses and closed-off municipal observation decks to post offices, libraries and every type of public space in between. Contact us if you to suggest a data layer and an access strategy.

Living Lots NYC is designed by Cleis Design. Development made possible by a Sunlight Foundation OpenGov Grant. Legal support is provided by the Berkman Center for Internet & Society CyberLaw Clinic.

About the Sunlight Foundation
The Sunlight Foundation is a nonpartisan nonprofit that advocates for open government globally and uses technology to make government more accountable to all. 

About Cleis Design
Cleis Design is a one woman design shop, fronted by graphic designer, Jennifer Hughes. Based in New Orleans, Jennifer first worked with 596 Acres on the design for Living Lots NOLA. 

About the Berkman Center for Internet & Society Cyberlaw Clinic
Harvard Law School‘s Cyberlaw Clinic, based at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society, provides high-quality, pro-bono legal services on issues relating to the Internet, new technology, and intellectual property.