Our Mission

DownCity Design (DCD) is a non-profit community design studio that empowers people

to imagine and create better futures for their communities, using the tools of design.

Our vision

DownCity Design is a community organization working to build a city of problem solvers. We empower students, educators, and community members to use design skills to improve the places where they live, work, and play.

DownCity Design was founded in 2009 by Adrienne Gagnon and Manuel Cordero, with the mission of improving Providence by getting young people involved in designing and building solutions for their communities.

Since our founding, DownCity Design has grown rapidly, transforming the lives of over 2200 youth who have participated in our programs so far.

Our Work

In our free youth programs, Providence teens design and fabricate new amenities to improve their communities. Since our founding in 2009, over 3000 participants in our free afterschool and summer design programs have collaboratively built more than 100 permanent amenities for public spaces in and around Providence, including community gardens, outdoor classrooms for public schools and creative play structures for parks.

Currently, our 18 free youth programs engage 450 underserved teens annually in creating structures and graphics for public spaces. Our programs help participants develop essential skills and habits of mind like collaboration, communication, creative problem solving, and persistence. In 2019, DCD was named Afterschool Program of the Year by the RI Afterschool Network.

More than 280 adults have also participated in our free professional development programs, learning to use the design process to generate innovative solutions for topics including affordable housing, community-based agriculture, creative placemaking and public education.