Encouraging Sustainable Behavior in New York City:
A Research-Driven Approach
Sustainability in NYC? Yeah, Right.
When I first started researching sustainable behavior in New York City, I honestly thought it was a joke.
Because let’s be real, getting New Yorkers to care about trash is like convincing pigeons to stop stealing pizza. But the deeper I dug, the more I realized that the issue wasn’t apathy—it was a lack of personal connection to the park. The goal? Make throwing out trash feel less like a chore and more like a shared experience
My Role
UX Researcher + Service Designer
Research Plan & Analysis
Personas
Ideation
Journey Storyboard
Stakeholder Involvement
Stakeholders
Research Type
Exploratory research
Descriptive research
Qualitative research
Research Methods
User Interview
Stakeholder Interview
User Observation
Contextual Inquiry
Prototype Testing
Tools
Figma
Miro
Outcomes
First place
Introduction of a membership program on their website
Sustainability in NYC? Yeah, Right.
When I first started researching sustainable behavior in New York City, I honestly thought it was a joke.
Because let’s be real, getting New Yorkers to care about trash is like convincing pigeons to stop stealing pizza. But the deeper I dug, the more I realized that the issue wasn’t apathy—it was a lack of personal connection to the park. The goal? Make throwing out trash feel less like a chore and more like a shared experience
Project Goal
Madison Square Park is a vibrant public space in New York City, but waste management remains a persistent challenge.
The amount of waste generated in the park is significant, expensive to manage, contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, and existing sustainability initiatives fail to engage young visitors.
To address this, the Madison Square Park Conservancy launched a design challenge to explore ways to encourage more sustainable behaviors among park visitors, especially young people
We set out to answer a key question:
How might we encourage visitors to be more sustainable at Madison Square Park?
The Challenge
Previous sustainability efforts primarily targeted local businesses and residents, and a major gap—young visitors was noticed. They represent a huge opportunity to influence long-term sustainability efforts, yet their behaviors and motivations in the park were largely unknown
Early Assumptions:
Young visitors don’t think about sustainability when they visit the park
They don’t feel personally responsible for waste or park upkeep
They are skeptical about whether recycling bins actually make a difference
Our challenge was to uncover why young visitors weren’t engaging with sustainability efforts and identify what would motivate them to change
Research Questions
Based on the initial assumptions and the stakeholders’s questions, I developed the research questions:
Methodology
Given the dynamic nature of a public park, traditional surveys wouldn’t be enough We needed methods that captured real behaviors, motivations, and pain points
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Conducted 40-60 minute semi-structured interviews with park visitors to understand how they engage with the park, their sustainability mindset, and what influences their behaviors
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Tracked real-time interactions with waste bins, recycling stations, and sustainability signage to see what actually happens versus what people say they do
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Engaged with park officials and sustainability experts to understand prior initiatives, challenges, and potential constraints
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Ran quick tests with student groups and park-goers to refine early intervention ideas
GrowNYC compost collection station set up in the south end of MSP
Informational signage on native plants in MSP
Trash, plastic recycling and cardboard recycling bins in MSP
Why We Chose Observation Over Surveys?
Instead of relying on surveys, we observed visitors in real-time, watching how they actually interacted with the park
Because in a constantly changing environment, what people say they do and what they actually do are often two very different things
How did I analyze the data?
Affinity analysis
We created an affinity diagram to document the insights and themes to prioritize working on problem-solving
Initial Results
"My Park" vs. "A Park"
I noticed a clear difference between people for whom the park is their “local backyard” and those for whom Madison Square Park is just a place to visit or pass through on occasion.
P6 sometimes goes out of her way to cut through the park even if not the most efficient route
... and neither is sustainability
Young people don’t associate the park with sustainability
Each participant had very different definitions of what sustainability means
Trash is not a concern...
People do not see trash as an issue in the park, nor do they feel responsible for it
This may be because the park is already doing a great job
Young people also don’t feel responsible for sustainability in the park
Ideation with HMW:
A Playful, User-Centered Approach to Sustainability
Rather than forcing behavior change, we designed an interactive, humorous approach that used elements of gamification and creative expression to inspire them naturally engage with it
Prioritizing Ideas
To refine our ideas, I spoke with stakeholders to understand their concerns and created a Minimal Viable Research (MVR) plan to test what would work best
Based on their feedback, I moved forward with a trash bin naming and design competition, incorporating sustainability tips directly on the bins This idea aligned with the park’s school partnerships, youth engagement goals, and existing sustainability initiatives, all while being cost-effective and easy to implement
To refine our approach, I conducted stakeholder interviews and built an MVR (Minimal Viable Research) Plan to test lightweight interventions before scaling up
Prototype
Part 1: Naming Contest for MSP's New Trash Bin
Part 2: Bringing the wining ideas to life
Invite park visitors and local schools to submit naming ideas for the new Big Belly trash cans, followed by an on the shortlist to choose the winners
Collaborate with local schools to have NYC's top young design each trash bin
Part 3: Using our Trash Bins as a Source of Sustainability Education
Considering stakeholder needs for sustainable behavior, I explored education beyond the design competition, adding a QR code for voting and an educational component to highlight resources and membership on the park's website.
Final Recommendations from User & Research
User Suggestions from Contextual Inquiries
In observations, park visitors typically throw trash in the bin without checking the signage
Half of the surveyed park-goers expressed interest in naming a trash can
Research Recommendations
We recommended MSP Conservancy pilot this idea with two trash cans
One to be voted on by the public
Recall insight 1 people feel affinity to “their park”; let’s improve engagement by voting on something permanent in the park!
One in partnership with a local school
Recall insight 3.1 Sustainability is a lifestyle learned from a young age
Deliverable Storyboard
I used storyboards to clearly communicate the proposed project goals and plans:
Visualize how different components (e.g., naming contest, collaboration with young artists, and ongoing education on the park's website) interconnected
help stakeholders understand the program's value and feasibility
Impact achieved at the garden!
☺ 1st Place
We finally won 1st place in the design challenge held by NYU and Madison Square Park Conservancy
Future Impacts
☺ Direct influence on sustainability programs
Our findings inspired the Mad Friends Membership Program, encouraging long-term community involvement
☺ Scalability of the solution
The trash bin naming competition was low-cost, replicable, and easy to adapt for other public spaces
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Impact Estimation Basis
→ Previous successful sustainability initiatives in parks like the High Line and Central Park
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Impact Estimate Basis
Research on community engagement strategies and behavioral nudges in public spaces
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Engaged with park officials and sustainability experts to understand prior initiatives, challenges, and potential constraints
Key Takeaways
⇧ Less is more
Instead of overwhelming visitors with sustainability messaging, making sustainability into fun, simple interactions proved far more effective
For example: During ideation, I proposed an interactive park map with a heatmap to raise awareness of trash issues. However, when communicating with clients, I learned that researchers must ensure recommendations are actionable and based on insights to guide effective design decisions.
⇧ Context-driven design decisions matter for “human-centric” design
In the contextual inquiry, I discovered most park visitors see the park as a “tech-free” relaxation space, making low-tech, physical interventions more effective than digital apps or maps
Example: I found solutions that use real interaction to raise visitors' awareness of using trash cans instead of relying on digital maps to remind them where the trash cans are located. Therefore, instead of relying on digital maps, I focus on physical reminders to encourage trash can usage of digital notifications
⇧ Involving stakeholders early
Collaborating with stakeholders throughout the research process, solutions were realistic, feasible, and aligned with existing sustainability goals
⇧ Use more visualization to strengthen communication
Storyboarding and prototyping helped translate abstract research findings into tangible, actionable solutions, making it easier to get stakeholder buy-in