Meet Fast Forward Presenter >> Verónica Ayala

What is your Big Idea for Philadelphia?

Beyond the Block Clean-up

Urban communities such as those in North Philadelphia are experiencing an ecological imbalance, problems including but not limited to blight, university-community tensions, and rapid inequitable development. A brick opened our eyes to this ecology, when in 2014 a group of adolescents
used a brick to assault our friends. This incident was one of hundreds of Temple University's TUalerts that year, which further fed an existing climate of distrust and fear. False narratives and dividing practices at personal, neighborhood and institutional levels get exacerbated by the lack of spaces for important and honest conversations to take place.

Nonetheless, we are optimistic and have developed an engagement model, named the Sharing Stories Initiative, that engages disparate communities in the creation of public spaces for dialogue. Places where we can share stories to get to know our neighbors and the issues that affect our communities, while celebrating the rich history around us. It is a type of civic engagement which deconstructs "us vs them" identities, thus providing an alternative to unsustainable typical types of service. With the abundance of universities in the city, Philadelphia can become a model to the nation and redefine "community service."

bric.community(at)gmail.com

Instagram: @phillybric

Twitter: @phillybric

Website: phillybric.org

Verónica Ayala is native to Puerto Rico, yet currently calls Philadelphia home. She studied Architecture at Temple University and possesses a tireless concern in urban affairs. She currently works at Philadelphia Local Initiatives Support Corporation and serves as chair for the Design Equity Task Force of The Design Advocacy Group. She is the co-founder of BRIC (Building Relationships in Communities) an organization striving to bring traditionally separate communities together, a mission that drives her as a professional. She is most passionate about how the built environment affects our daily lives, and believes in everyone's ability to participate in a greater conversation; one that affects the way we live and the pursuit to improve it.