February 24, 2020
Sasaki Foundation Launches 2020 Call for Proposals
Alexandra Lee
The Sasaki Foundation announced today its call for proposals for the 2020 Design Grants. The Design Grants are an annual program held by the Sasaki Foundation to showcase projects that support and drive interdisciplinary innovation and empower our local communities. Up to three teams will each be awarded $15,000.
The challenges in addressing environmental resilience, displacement, affordable housing, access to mobility choices, meaningful public engagement, and other social equity considerations in planning and design are so broad and complex, they require a shared approach to facilitate all the necessary conversations and deliver actionable solutions. Most of these challenges faced by Boston communities are not limited to local neighborhoods—their effects are felt and shared across the Commonwealth and beyond. Multiple futures are at stake, and we can make a difference by acting now. The Sasaki Foundation recognizes the need for interdisciplinary approaches, diverse community voices, and regional cooperation as key drivers to find shared solutions and create shared impact.
The focus areas for this year’s Design Grants are 1) proactive approaches to climate adaptation, 2) new models for housing, 3) innovation in transit & access to mobility choices, and 4) creative community building, under a theme of Shared Futures: Charting a Course for Action.
Teams will be tasked with addressing these challenges within various communities in Massachusetts.
- What is your vision for a collaborative approach to mitigate the impacts of climate change?
- What is your innovative solution to provide better access to affordable housing and improve public health for more people?
- What actions can improve your community’s mobility choices and transportation access, particularly in communities of color and low-income communities?
- How do we preserve cultural identity while reinvigorating the social and economic well-being of a given community?
Over the past two years, the Foundation received over 40 applications from more than 35 Greater Boston communities and Gateway Cities. Read more about last year’s winning teams here, and 2018 winning teams here.
If you have ideas on how to tackle climate adaptation, housing or transit inequities, or to foster community building, apply today for one of our design grants and feel free to share with your networks.
We encourage you to attend our Open House on Wednesday, April 1st from 5:00-7:00pm in the Incubator at Sasaki to learn more.
Teams working in the Incubator at Sasaki