Union Square Partnership
Union Square Partnership (USP) is a nonprofit organization that has been working to improve this vibrant NYC neighborhood for more than 45 years.
The opening spread of the USP Vision Plan showing a rendering of Union Square of the future and the Table of Contents.
Union Square Partnership is a Business Improvement District, or BID. They are responsible for both short-term upkeep and long-term planning for the District — which isn't just Union Square Park. The District includes major pedestrian zones, thoroughfares, subway stations, and plazas.
USP had been working with Marvel Architects to create a new Vision Plan for the District, with input from the community and business leaders. They came to us for content production with a 100+ page document full of images, renderings, maps, and written content. But with multiple contributors over time, it needed shaping before it was ready for public consumption.
Before copyediting, we:
worked with USP to understand the goals, key messages, and target audiences for the document;
restructured the document for better flow;
created a style guide; and
drafted sample content with recommended style updates.
The Plan needed to be scannable, with quick takeaways and detailed information for people interested in reading more.
It’s easy for experts to write for other experts. It's harder to bring urban design & planning concepts to a general audience. So we edited the document with a more plain language, straightforward style.
We also made visual updates to improve accessibility and readability. We increased color contrast and type sizes, added pull quotes and sub-headings, and made their existing visual styles more consistent throughout the document.
Since releasing the Vision Plan in January of 2021, Union Square has received press coverage in the Wall Street Journal and the Architect’s Newspaper.
An interior spread from the Vision Plan, Union Square: Past, Present and Future showing an aerial photograph of Union Square Park.
“Megan and Rachel exceeded all of our expectations in their ability to craft a strategic, intelligent, and well-informed final product. They not only bring technical expertise in writing and graphic communication, but their experience working in the civic life, policy, and design world proved to be an incredible asset to our project.”
— Ed Janoff, Deputy Director/Chief of Staff, Union Square Partnership
Interior spread showing the Evolution of Union Square since the 1890’s.
“The plan’s ideas are rooted in a growing citywide push to create park entrances and edges that merge into the urban fabric rather than allowing parks to stand apart like gated retreats.”
- Charles Passy, Wall Street Journal
Interior spread describing the four design values: sustainability, livability, mobility, and vitality.
Interior spread discussing Park Infrastructure with an aerial illustration from 1871.
SERVICES:Editorial strategy
Copywriting
Voice & tone guidelines
Editorial style sheet
Audience definition
Content production services