This past Saturday marked the official start of Columbia University’s design studio in the City of Newburgh. Not only did they meet with city officials and seal the deal but they also took the opportunity to take a small walking tour of Newburgh. I was pleasantly surprised when I ran into them on Liberty Street. The group above (minus myself) makes up only a fraction of the actual class, but already they have good impressions of the city. One student said she already found a couple of homes she could see herself living in!

Everyone is highly anticipating the work they will complete for the fall semester. Their design studio will analyze environmental, social, economic, and infrastructure issues  of how Newburgh fits or operates within the Hudson Valley and NYC metro regions. Once completed, they will present their findings and recommendations to the city as well as a presentation at the university.