Street Lab

What Street Lab does

Street Lab is a Brooklyn-based 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2006 (originally in Boston, re-established in NYC in 2011) that operates a portfolio of pop-up public space activation programs across New York City streets, plazas, parks, and other civic spaces. Its core technology is a set of custom-designed, lightweight, modular, weatherproof portable infrastructure — including the patented Uni Reading Room Cart (US Patent No. D744,773), Uni Cubes, Uni Benches, Tri-Tables, the OASIS misting cooling station, and the PLAY no-touch obstacle course — designed in-house and with partners such as Höweler + Yoon Architecture, Jaywalk Studio, and Büro Koray Duman. Programs including READ, PLAY, SOLVE, IMAGINE, EXPLORE, DRAW, WRITE, BUILD, OASIS, Soccer Streets and Open Street Development are deployed roughly 500 times per year across 501 locations, with 94% in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, serving an estimated 120,000+ New Yorkers cumulatively.

The organization is co-led by Executive Director Leslie Davol and Creative Director Sam Davol with a small full-time team (~7) augmented by 30+ part-time staff and seasonal support. Revenue is diversified across five streams: individual donations, foundation grants (Pinkerton, Lily Auchincloss), corporate sponsorships (ConEdison, Airbnb, NY-Presbyterian, AARP, Chobani, etc.), government funding (NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NYS Council on the Arts, NYC DOT in-kind support), kit/program sales, and fee-based services. Kit and program-sales extend distribution globally: 70+ kits have shipped to cities, public libraries (DC, Seattle, Brooklyn, NYPL, Calgary), and organizations including the U.S. State Department, while the Equipment Library (the city's first for public space, built with NYC SBS) enables free local lending.

Name

Street Lab

Legal name

Street Lab Inc.

Website

https://streetlab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Street Lab is a Brooklyn-based 501c3 nonprofit that designs and deploys pop-up public space programming and custom portable infrastructure across NYC streets and parks, and ships its Uni kits globally to libraries and cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Public Space Activation Services

NAICS

Facilities Support Services (56121)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Active Transportation & Micromobility Infrastructure (Bike/Ped Networks, Shared Mobility Programs) (BPAIALAI)

Keywords

• Pop-up public space
• Open street activation
• Portable programming kits
• Urban community programs
• Public space design

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Street Lab relies heavily on individual donors who contribute at various levels. The organization mentions that individual donors support their work across the city.
2. Foundation Grants: Funded by foundations including Pinkerton Foundation, Lily Auchincloss Foundation, and others for specific programs like youth engagement.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Support from corporations including ConEdison, Airbnb, New York-Presbyterian, AARP, McDermott Will & Emery LLP, Ridgewood Savings Bank, Buro Happold, and Chobani.
4. Government Funding: Funded by government including NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and New York State Council on the Arts, and receives in-kind support from NYC DOT.
5. Program Fees: The organization earns revenue from program fees for services provided to partners.
6. Kit Sales: Fabricates and sells programming kits (Uni infrastructure) to cities, libraries, and organizations across the globe. Includes carts, cubes, benches, and custom designs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels16 records

Core offering

Street Lab is a nonprofit that activates NYC streets through pop-up programming deployed ~500 times per year in low/moderate-income neighborhoods (94%). It designs and fabricates its own portable infrastructure (Uni Carts, Cubes, Benches, Tri-Tables, One Big Bench/Table, PLAY Kits) for these activations and also sells those kits globally to other cities and libraries. The organization additionally runs Open Street Development services, an Equipment Library that lends gear to community groups, and youth engagement programs.

Product overview

Street Lab is a nonprofit organization that transforms New York City streets into places for community gathering, learning, and play through a portfolio of physical programs and products. The core offering consists of pop-up activation programs (READ, PLAY, SOLVE, IMAGINE, EXPLORE, DRAW, WRITE, BUILD, OASIS cooling stations, Soccer Streets, and more) that deploy across NYC approximately 500 times per year. These programs are supported by a product line of portable infrastructure including the Uni kit family (Uni Carts, Uni Cubes, Uni Benches, Tri-Tables, PLAY Kits) which are also sold to other cities. The organization also provides Open Street Development services, Design and Fabrication capabilities, Youth Programs, and an Equipment Library enabling community groups to borrow gear. The approach combines physical programming with custom-designed infrastructure to serve low-income neighborhoods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Uni: The original portable reading room and cart system; also used as the name for programming kits (Uni Cubes, Uni Carts, Uni Benches)
• Soccer Streets
• School Streets
• Equipment Library
• Streets Alive for Small Business

Products and services

• READ Pop-up Reading Room Pop-up reading rooms that bring books and literacy activities directly to NYC streets, deploying reading spaces in underserved neighborhoods for community members of all ages.
• PLAY Pop-up Obstacle Course No-touch obstacle courses designed for outdoor play, initially created during COVID lockdown to provide safe physical activity on NYC streets.
• SOLVE Pop-up Puzzle Station Interactive puzzle stations that engage community members in problem-solving activities on NYC streets.
• IMAGINE Pop-up Community Engagement Community engagement activities that invite New Yorkers to share ideas and visions for their neighborhoods through interactive installations.
• EXPLORE Pop-up Nature Exhibit Nature exhibits and environmental education programs brought to street-level public spaces.
• Soccer Streets Pop-up soccer celebrations transforming streets in front of 50 NYC public schools into play spaces leading up to the 2026 World Cup, in partnership with NYC Mayor's Office, NYC DOT, NYC Public Schools, and Chobani.
• DRAW Pop-up Art Studio Open-air art studios offering drawing activities and creative expression opportunities for New Yorkers of all ages.
• WRITE Pop-up Writing Room Writing programs that bring literary activities and creative writing workshops to public spaces.
• BUILD Pop-up Building Station Hands-on building activities that engage youth and community members in construction and design activities in public spaces.
• OASIS Pop-up Cooling Station Pop-up cooling stations providing relief during hot weather, with misting elements deployed across NYC with ConEdison support.
• Uni Carts Portable rolling carts that unfold into sculptural bookshelves, featuring the patented stage case design (US Patent No. D744,773), available in mini and tall sizes, sold to other cities and libraries.
• Uni Cubes Modular cube structures that create 360-degree display configurations for books and materials; lightweight and stackable at 8 lbs each.
• Uni Benches Lightweight, stackable benches providing seating for two people, designed to work with other Uni furniture at 9 lbs each.
• Tri-Tables Communal tables that assemble quickly at two different heights and pack flat for transport, designed for NYC street deployments.
• Open Street Development Partnership program helping communities launch and operate Open Streets including School Streets, Play Streets, and Commercial Corridors across NYC.
• Design and Fabrication In-house design and fabrication of pop-up infrastructure for public space, with partnerships that streamline fabrication for partner organizations and cities.
• Youth Programs Youth engagement programs including Summer Internship, Weekend Leadership, K-12 Workshops, and Activation Kits for teens.
• Equipment Library NYC's first equipment library for public space, enabling community groups to borrow and deploy street furniture, equipment, and programming kits for free.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,046 deployments in 501 locations since 2011, engaging 120,000+ New Yorkers
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and secondary.

• OptymEdgeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2026Strategic collaboration to advance functional vision endpoints in clinical trials using VR technology. Combines OptymEdge's expertise in standardized visual function endpoints with Street Lab's real-life functional vision and mobility testing. Aims to create scalable pathways for integrating functional vision endpoints into global clinical studies.
• NYC Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration with NYC DOT for Open Streets program. DOT provides moving and installation services. Partnership has supported 150 Open Streets with programming and helped create 43 new Open Streets.
• NYC Department of Cultural AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment funding for cultural programming across NYC. Part of ongoing multi-agency partnership.
• NYC Department of Small Business ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding support for Equipment Library for NYC Public Space - the city's first equipment lending program for community groups.
• NYC Health DepartmentsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on health initiatives including Brownsville Bike Bus and other community health programming.
• NYC Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for School Streets program and Soccer Streets initiative. Working with 50 schools for Soccer Streets leading up to 2026 World Cup.
• NYC Mayor's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Soccer Streets initiative bringing pop-up soccer celebrations to 50 schools.
• ChobanisecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner on Soccer Streets initiative for 50 NYC public schools ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
• ConEdisonsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerSupport for OASIS pop-up cooling station deployment across NYC, including at NYC Pride 2026.
• Höweler + Yoon ArchitecturecoreTechnology or IntegrationOriginal design collaborators for Uni carts, tower, and benches (2011-2016). Created patented design for portable reading room cart. Project featured in US Pavilion at 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale.
• Bancroft Design (Bill Bancroft Furniture)coreTechnology or IntegrationFabrication partner for Street Lab designs, including adaptations to cart design (2015-2016) and ongoing fabrication work.
• Jaywalk StudiocoreTechnology or IntegrationFabrication partner since 2017 for bench designs and other Street Lab gear, streamlining fabrication for other organizations and cities.
• Büro Koray DumansecondaryTechnology or IntegrationDesign collaboration in 2020 to create colorful table system that could be flat packed for transport.
• Bridge Street Development CorporationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Open Street activations in Crown Heights, Brooklyn including Halloween events.
• Design Trust for Public SpacesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in Design Trust coverage of pop-up OASIS cooling station for NYC Pride 2026.
• High School for Teaching and the ProfessionssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for summer jobs program where 15 youth worked with Street Lab at Open Streets in Harlem and the Bronx.
• Equity Design IncsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Beaumont Ave Open Street with PS 32 and BX Health REACH.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The Trust for Public Land: Large national nonprofit focused on creating and conserving parks and public land. Comparable in mission (community access to public space) but operates at much greater scale and primarily on land acquisition/conservation rather than pop-up activation.
• Gehl: Global urban planning and public space consultancy founded in Copenhagen. Comparable in its people-centered approach to public space activation but operates primarily through high-fee consulting engagements rather than direct community deployment.

Direct peers

• Center for Urban Pedagogy: NYC nonprofit that uses design and art to increase civic engagement among historically underrepresented communities. Comparable as a small NYC civic-engagement nonprofit with a design-led, youth/community focus, and as a prior employer of a Street Lab team member.
• Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI): Nonprofit design and community development organization that builds participatory public spaces in underserved communities. Comparable in combining design, community organizing, and physical infrastructure deployment for low-income neighborhoods.
• Project for Public Spaces: National nonprofit that works with communities to plan and activate public spaces through education, consulting, and on-the-ground programs. Directly comparable to Street Lab's mission of activating streets and plazas for community use, but with a much larger consulting and education footprint.
• Design Trust for Public Space: NYC-based nonprofit that produces innovative public space projects through design fellowships and partnerships with city agencies. Directly comparable given the shared NYC focus, civic-tech/design orientation, and existing collaboration with Street Lab on OASIS cooling station coverage.

Others

• National Park Service - Rivers & Trails Program: Federal program that supports community-led conservation and recreation projects, including urban public space work. Comparable as a funder and thought-leader in public space activation but not a direct competitor.
• Rockwell Group: Architecture and design firm known for immersive, experience-driven public and commercial installations. Comparable as a design partner for experiential public installations, but is a commercial firm rather than a nonprofit.

Emerging players

• Better Block: Nonprofit that helps communities temporarily demonstrate how public spaces could be redesigned, especially around streets and walkability. Comparable in its tactical-urbanism, pop-up demonstration approach, though Street Lab's reach and IP portfolio are more developed.
• Tactical Urbanist's Guide / Tactical Urbanism Practitioners: Movement of practitioners (individuals and small organizations) doing tactical, often pop-up, public space interventions. Comparable in tactical urbanism approach but more diffuse and without Street Lab's branded kit IP.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/streetlab
• YouTubevimeo.com/streetlabnyc
• Facebookfacebook.com/streetlabnyc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/streetlabnyc
• Instagraminstagram.com/streetlab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Street Lab