TOXIC ECOLOGIES OF NEWTOWN CREEK (TEN-C)

TOXOS, a student-led organization at Columbia GSAPP, advocates for one of the most polluted waterways and toxic soil ecologies in the United States— Newtown Creek. Our project confronts toxicity as a dynamic system shaped by time, policy, ecology, and collective neglect. Here, we develop an evolving framework to re-envision the creek and its surrounding post-industrial landscapes. Our work unfolds through a series of interconnected archives and platforms. We began by constructing a digital database of existing conditions, mapping environmental data, industrial histories, and regulatory frameworks. This expanded into a living archive— documenting voices of local residents, workers, and non-human species through film and field recordings. In parallel, we build a material archive that engages the site’s soils, sediments, and waste as active agents in design research. This evolving body of work culminates in the development of a digital platform that advances public engagement through dynamic data visualization, and physical exhibition.