WELCOMESBURG is a service design initiative that uses design as a trigger to stimulate discussion and awareness around gentrification. The project enables a better understanding for collaboration in order to solve a problem of such complexity. The project is inspired by the popular carbon “footprinting” and “offsetting” schemes and consists of a range of services designed to confront new residents with the unintended consequences of their presence in the community. By playfully challenging neighbors to directly support each other’s best interests and ‘offset’ their ‘gentrification footprints’. These offsets range from supportive to downright ridiculous.
