Anne van Ingen, Director (212) 741-7013
Nancy Cohn, Associate (212) 741-7014
Marcy Shaffer, Associate (212) 741-5258

The purpose of the Architecture, Planning and Design Program is to stimulate and promote excellence in design and planning in the public realm for the benefit of all New Yorkers. The Program aims to increase awareness and appreciation of the designed environment of New York State and to advance innovation in the design and planning fields.

The Program's objectives are to:

Support the operations of those institutions that provide ongoing services and/or public programs in the design, planning, and historic preservation fields through institutional funding.

Encourage the development of design literacy among the people of the state through support of public education projects.

Create better communities, public spaces and cultural facilities by offering funding to nonprofit organizations and municipalities for the services of design and planning professionals.

Stimulate and support the evolution of the design arts through funding to individuals in these fields

The Program supports work in the fields of contemporary and restoration architecture, landscape architecture, urban and rural planning, urban design, historic preservation, graphic and industrial design, and architectural theory and history. The program also administers funding for the Council's Capital Projects.

The program has identified two areas of particular importance to the development of the designed and built environment. Special consideration is given to projects that address the following two areas.

Community design and planning
Intelligent, community-based planning and design are essential catalysts for the revitalization of New York State's villages, towns, and cities, particularly when the plans are part of broader efforts that seek to understand and incorporate economic and social needs. The Program is interested in projects that bring new thinking to the sensible design and planning of communities and regions. Projects addressing streetscapes, design of public spaces, transportation linkages, growth management at a community's edge and open space planning, among others are encouraged.

The Program is particularly interested in projects that recognize the diversity and complexity of their communities and that actively and meaningfully engage residents in the design and planning process in an effort to broaden understanding of design and planning issues.

Contemporary design and technology
Advances in technology are changing the process of design while construction techniques have remained largely unchanged. As a result, there is a growing gap between what is designed with computers and what is actually being built. New media technology as it applies to the physical realm – in particular, developments in virtual reality – is also affecting the design fields by altering the way people perceive and experience space. The Program welcomes projects that explore these issues that broaden both the professional and the public understanding of their impact and relevance, and that attempt to bridge the growing gap between some contemporary theory and practice.

NYSCA funding is made available for historic preservation documentation projects through a regrant program called Preserve New York. The Preservation League of New York administers the regrant program, which provided support for historic structure reports, historic landscape reports, and cultural resources surveys. Contact the League for application guidelines and the deadline. Applicants to this regrant program may not apply to the Architecture, Design and Planning Program in the same year.

Preservation League of New York State
44 Central Avenue
Albany, NY 12206
(518) 462-5658

Eligibility Criteria

Nonprofit organizations and municipalities of New York State are eligible for funding in this Program.

The Council is unable to fund the programs or properties of state agencies or departments.

Evaluative Criteria

Grant requests in this Program are evaluated in accordance with the relevant agency-wide criteria.

Artistic Evaluation

The Council must be able to evaluate an applicant's artistic quality on an ongoing basis. It is the responsibility of all current and prospective applicants to inform the Program of public programs at least four weeks in advance of the event date. This is required so that staff, advisory panelists, or program auditors may attend and evaluate the events.