PARSONS CITED AS ONE OF NYC'S ECONOMIC INNOVATION HUBSNew Report Finds Architecture and Design Schools Fueling Growth in City Economy |
“New York design universities have been critical catalysts for innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth,” reads the report, titled Designing New York's Future and available in full at www.nycfuture.org. “Their graduates have produced dozens of start-up companies that set up locally—something that has eluded most of the city's scientific research institutions.” According to the report, nearly one in five graduates of Parsons, Pratt Institute and the School of Visual Arts launch new businesses. At Parsons, in addition to alumni like Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford and Donna Karan who have established personal brand empires, there are a number of graduates and former students who have established thriving companies. Among these are fashion labels Proenza Schouler, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu and Derek Lam; SoHo-based design firm BUILT (Parsons BFA Product Design alumnus Aaron Lown); online design retailer Fab.com (Parsons AAS Fashion Design alumnus Bradford Shellhammer); game design studio Large Animal Games (Parsons MFA Design and Technology alumnus Wade Tinney); and design studio Hyperakt (Parsons BFA Illustration alumni Deroy Peraza and Julia Vakser Zeltser). The relationship between design schools and the city is a true give and take, notes Parsons Executive Dean Joel Towers. “Parsons is very much a part of the creative economy here in New York,” he said. “New York City is a laboratory for our students, who participate in collaborative projects—ranging from city agencies and non-profits to some of the world's leading companies. Beyond the classroom, our alumni and faculty make valuable contributions to the art and design industries in the city.” Roughly 88 percent of Parsons graduates remain in the New York City area after graduation, and those who do not start their own businesses generally join the ranks of top local firms or businesses. According to the survey conducted by the Center for an Urban Future, 81 percent of the principals and executives of local architecture and design firms said they had hired at lease one New York City design school graduate in the last five years. The schools are also job creators. Forty-three percent of respondents indicated they had taught at a local design school, a finding mirrored in the Parsons faculty, which includes many practicing designers. The creative funding platform Kickstarter also was recognized for its role in launching new design talent. Parsons recently launched a Kickstarter page to further promote alumni, faculty and student projects. Cosmonaut, an iPad stylus designed by Parsons MFA Design and Technology alumnus Dan Provost, raised over $100,000 through this funding platform. While the report mentions that design schools are underutilized resources in the city, Parsons is one of a handful of schools with a long tradition of engaging city agencies, corporations and non-profit organizations to bring local projects to fruition. Through the Design Workshop, its signature design-build program, Parsons has embarked on a five-year partnership with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation to rehabilitate and enhance local facilities, which began last summer at Highbridge Park in Washington Heights. Parsons has also partnered with the city's Department of Education, and is currently partnering with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to help improve the design of its services. In addition, the NYC Economic Development Corporation and Parsons have collaborated on two initiatives, Fashion Draft NYC and Fashion Campus NYC, which focus on helping college students establish careers in the NYC fashion industry. These are part of a larger effort by the NYCEDC to plan for the long-term growth of the fashion industry in New York. In addition, while the report found that most of the schools have not integrated programs “that teach students basic business and entrepreneurial skills,” Parsons is a notable exception. In addition to its longstanding BBA program in Design and Management, Parsons is also launching an MS in Strategic Design and Management this fall. |
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