In addition to how the designing and architecture fields influenced the founding of both Pratt Institute and my high school, Brooklyn Technical High School, I also chose to visit Pratt Institute to gain a better understanding of the influences it had on the development of the two neighborhoods, Clinton Hill and Fort Greene, and New York City’s academic landscape. When Pratt Institute first opened, the only course works available were freehand, architectural, and mechanical drawings. As enrollment increased, however, not only did the curriculum expanded to include a Women’s Department that offered courses in fields, like fashion, sewing and cooking, but it also led to the construction of the Department of Commerce and Pratt Institute’s Free Library, the first public library in Brooklyn. …show more content…
Because Pratt Institute, like NYU, was located in separate building across different public streets, in the mid-20th century, as part of its urban renewal plan, Pratt Institute was able to gain the rights to the land over Ryerson Street, Grand Avenue, Steuben Street, and Emerson Place. Enclosing the four streets together, Pratt Institute was able to establish a true campus, which eventually led way to the construction of their School of Architecture. Along with the concomitant restoration of historic buildings in the Clinton Hill neighborhood, Pratt Institute’s expansion led to the gentrification, and subsequent revitalization of commercial and residential interests in the two neighborhoods. As Fort Greene and Clinton Hill develop into neighborhoods dedicated to the fine arts, this demonstrates the influences Pratt Institute had in the development of Brooklyn and its role in New York City’s academic landscape as an independent school dedicated to the arts and