PeopleACT: Prioritizing Residents in New York City Public Housing Renovation
Award-winning participatory research and engagement project examining the evolution of public housing in the United States and critically exploring the NYC PACT/RAD public-private partnership model.
The project centered resident perspectives and lived experiences through interviews, conversations, and community-based research, creating space for residents to document and reflect on how redevelopment was changing their homes and communities. The research connected individual experiences with broader questions about public housing policy, preservation, displacement, and the role of private partners in the redevelopment process.
Client: NYCHA/ Columbia University
Award: Incubator Prize, 2025
Evaluating Street Vendor Carts in NYC, Pratt Institute
Participatory research project conducted in partnership with Pratt Institute to explore the feasibility of introducing new cart designs for street vendors in New York City.
The project engaged vendors directly through stakeholder interviews, community meetings, and on-street conversations, creating opportunities for vendors to share their experiences, needs, and priorities. Insights from the engagement process were used to identify challenges within existing cart designs and opportunities for improvement, informing the development of more responsive design concepts grounded in the realities of street vending.
Client: Pratt Institute
Year: 2023
Washington Heights Housing Research & Planning
Participatory research and planning project examining housing conditions in Washington Heights, a densely populated neighborhood in Northern Manhattan.
The work combined research on housing demand, affordability, public perceptions, and local economic development with an exploration of community perspectives and neighborhood priorities. By connecting quantitative research with local knowledge and lived experience, the project identified key challenges and opportunities and developed strategies to better align housing policy and planning with the needs of the neighborhood.
Client: CLOTH/ Columbia University
Year: 2025
Read full report here.
Coney Island Business Improvement District (BID)
Participatory research and evaluation project supporting the development of the Coney Island Business Improvement District (BID).
The work examined local economic development, public perception, marketing, and retail conditions while engaging businesses and other neighborhood stakeholders to better understand their experiences and priorities. Stakeholder perspectives were analyzed alongside broader neighborhood and market research to identify opportunities and challenges and inform recommendations for a BID model responsive to local conditions and the needs of the business community.
Client: Coney Island BID/ Columbia University
Year: 2024
Read full report here.
Diversity House Program Evaluation, London, UK, 2023
Participatory program evaluation for a London-based organization providing educational services to underserved youth.
The project centered the experiences of program participants and key stakeholders through facilitated focus groups, creating opportunities for participants to reflect on their experiences, share feedback, and identify strengths and areas for improvement. Iris Collaborative analyzed the qualitative findings to identify recurring themes and patterns, combining community perspectives with broader evaluation findings in a final report with recommendations to strengthen program effectiveness and better respond to participant needs.
Client: City of London
Year: 2023