Placemaking Specialist

The Placemaking Specialist will lead a community-driven revitalization of the New Roots Community Garden in Woodside, Queens, focusing on community ownership, shared stewardship, and leadership development to ensure long-term sustainability. The role involves community engagement, placemaking design, infrastructure coordination, and programming activation to create an inclusive and welcoming community food space.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships with gardeners, neighbors, local organizations and businesses, and City agency partners
• Convene inclusive planning sessions, block parties, and workshops to align stakeholders around shared values and goals
• Facilitate participatory processes (e.g., asset mapping, visioning, consensus-building)
• Coordinate community-informed design and implementation of physical improvements to the garden
• Translate community vision into priorities for infrastructure, layout, signage, and accessibility
• Organize volunteer workdays that bring gardeners, community members, and partners together to build and maintain the space
• Ensure physical changes support long-term shared use, stewardship, and governance of the garden
• Develop and manage programming
• In collaboration with community partners, support workshops and cultural events

Requirements

• Self-starter with excellent problem-solving skills combined with the proven ability to multi-task, prioritize duties, and manage time effectively
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and an overall ability to be clear and concise in all communications
• Demonstrated success working and communicating effectively in a multicultural environment
• Bilingual and/or experienced in working with interpreters
• Ability to work independently and in a dynamic, cross-functional team structure
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels

Skills

• Community Engagement
• Placemaking Design
• Infrastructure Coordination
• Program Activation
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Multicultural Communication
• Bilingual Communication
• Time Management
• Problem Solving
• Cross-functional Teamwork

Languages

English