Fully-Funded Urban Wild Writer Residency in the US 2018

Urban Omnibus is The Architectural League of New York’s online publication dedicated to observing, understanding, and shaping the city. The website raises new questions, illuminates diverse perspectives, and documents creative projects to advance the collective work of citymaking. Freshkills Park represents the transformation of Fresh Kills Landfill into an extraordinary 2,200-acre urban park that will be a model for sustainable waterfront land reclamation, a source of pride for Staten Island and New York City, and a gift of open space for generations to come.

Urban Omnibus invites nonfiction writers at any stage of their careers and of any nationality to apply for the Urban Wild Writer Residency in partnership with NYC Parks and the Freshkills Park Alliance. This new and unique experience for one writer-in-residence will take place at the 2,200 acre closed landfill on Staten Island that will become the second-largest public park in New York City. This writing residency seeks to bring a first-hand perspective to topics that include the environment, technology, urban life, nature and waste, and is designed to be short, flexible and out of indoors. The five day residency may take place continuously over the course of a week, or over a multiple weekends or days from August to September 2018.

Requirements include being a nonfiction writer to explore and interpret the contemporary urban landscape where highways meet gas wells, herons, and kayakers. In preparing their proposal, applicants are supposed to think creatively about how they would engage the landscape, including the people who work within it.

The writer will receive:

[1] A stipend of $1,000 and reimbursement up to $500 in travel and accommodation expenses (hotel accommodation is available near the Park and local transportation can be arranged)

[2] Personal access to the diverse ecosystems present in the unopened park in late summer and through this the writer will produce creative work engaging with the contemporary metropolitan landscape to be published online by Urban Omnibus in the fall of 2018

[3] Access to various parts of the site and the ability to observe and interview engineers, ecologists, researchers, groundskeepers, and others engaged in the work of making the Park

[4] Access to the indoors of Freshkills Park Studio and Gallery space for writing during agreed hours

[5] A wheelchair accessible space on paved roads, although there may be limited access to facilities