Residents of NYCHA’s Harborview Terrace Houses in Manhattan used VR headsets to preview proposed outdoor-space designs during a participatory planning process. The previews let residents imagine planned amenities in the setting of their own housing campus. City Limits reports headset use on one occasion; resident association president Maria Guzman recalled the experience as “like science fiction”.
Grain Collective served as landscape architect and participatory design consultant, working with the Public Housing Community Fund, NYCHA and residents. VR was one part of a broader engagement process that included meetings, tenant-association discussions and votes on design details. July 2026 coverage also describes immersive presentations that let residents experience proposals before construction.
The resulting outdoor improvements were unveiled on 15 June 2026. They include a playground, an intergenerational plaza, outdoor fitness facilities and improvements to other recreation and garden areas. Pershing Square Foundation funded the wider redevelopment. The design process aimed to put resident priorities at the centre of the new spaces, making room for play, exercise and gathering across generations.
