Artist Workspace Strategy & Organizational Learning

New York, New York

Established by the Bloomberg administration and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Spaceworks is a hybrid nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding long-term, affordable workspace for artists in New York City.

CSC partnered with Nick Rabkin and Spaceworks leadership to design and implement a comprehensive research and organizational learning strategy to inform the organization’s next phase of development.

The engagement addressed two interconnected challenges:

1. Understanding the evolving supply and demand for affordable artist workspace across the region; and
2. Strengthening Spaceworks’ organizational capacity to operate at the intersection of arts infrastructure and community development.

The work included:

• Synthesizing regional research and data on artist workspace
• Examining how mixed-use development strategies might more equitably serve artists and broader community stakeholders
• Clarifying Spaceworks’ institutional strengths and strategic positioning
• Identifying opportunities to enhance long-term resilience and field relevance

Rather than treating workspace as a discrete real estate issue, the inquiry examined how cultural infrastructure shapes neighborhood vitality, economic opportunity, and equitable development.

Through strategic analysis and facilitated reflection, the process supported adaptive planning and organizational evolution — helping Spaceworks refine its role within a rapidly shifting urban landscape.

This engagement reflects CSC’s broader commitment to aligning cultural infrastructure, community equity, and structural design — ensuring that creative ecosystems remain accessible, resilient, and responsive to the cities they inhabit.