The Story of the BQE

The Story of the BQE Film and Oral History Project, produced by the Institute for Public Architecture (IPA) with NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate, expands upon the IPA’s ongoing effort, since 2020, to help raise public awareness of the historical exclusion of disadvantaged communities in decision-making about their physical space and highlight the institutional segregation and environmental impacts created by the highway. The project facilitates opportunities for communities to express their visions for the future of neighborhoods near the BQE and empower the next generation of civic leaders to have a voice in making decisions about their neighborhood, community district, and city.

Oral History Archive

The oral history project, led by StoryCorps veterans Mitra Bonshahi and Adriana Gallardo, records intergenerational audio interviews between families, friends, and neighbors in Brooklyn and Queens, providing opportunities for those affected by the BQE to preserve memories of their lives, community, and stories of living near the highway, as well as their hopes and dreams for the future.

Partnering organizations receive special resources, including a short documentary about the BQE by Segregation by Design, and training from facilitators to assist them in incorporating the interview model into their existing programs. Mitra Bonshahi and Adriana Gallardo facilitate intergenerational 40-minute audio interviews with participants, including students and their parents, grandparents, and/or neighbors. Interviews recorded with The Story of the BQE are available online and a corridor-wide community listening event will be held at the conclusion of the project to share these stories to a wider audience in New York City and beyond.

Audio interviews are archived online and shared at Community Listening Events. ︎︎︎Listen

If you or someone you know has stories to tell about growing up near the highway, please reach out to info@the-ipa.org

Documentary

The Story of the BQE is a documentary tracing the history of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway by Adam Paul Susaneck of Segregation by Design and produced by the Institute for Public Architecture and NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate. Using archival footage and photography, this 30 minute mini-documentary shows how the construction of the 35-mile-long BQE demolished historic neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens, divided communities, and displaced hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers across the two boroughs.

Check the What’s On page and subscribe to our newsletter to learn about future opportunities to watch the documentary.