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Brooklyn Design Boom

Data - May 2016

Brooklyn Design Boom

Our new data brief highlights the growing importance of the design sector to New York City’s economy, and details that a disproportionate share of the growth in the sector is now occurring in Brooklyn. It shows that employment at architecture and design companies in Brooklyn increased by 86 percent between 2010 and 2014, significantly outpacing the growth citywide (23 percent) and in Manhattan (19 percent).

by Jonathan Bowles

Tags: economic growth creative economy creative design

Five years ago, the Center for an Urban Future published a report documenting the economic importance of the design sector to New York City’s economy. This data brief, published as the city’s fourth annual multi-disciplinary design week is getting underway at venues across the five boroughs, shows that the growth of the city’s design industries has only accelerated in recent years and that the fastest growth is now occurring in Brooklyn.

General operating support for the Center for an Urban Future is provided by the Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation; with additional support from the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation and the M&T Charitable Foundation.

Between 2010 and 2014, the city added more than 5,000 jobs in architecture and design, a 23 percent increase. New York City was home to 27,037 jobs in architecture and design in 2014. This includes jobs in architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, industrial design, graphic design and other specialized design (including fashion, costume, and jewelry design).

Manhattan remains the city’s principal hub for design companies, boasting 89 percent of all jobs at architecture and design companies in the five boroughs. However, Brooklyn is experiencing the fastest growth. Employment at architecture and design companies in Brooklyn increased by 86 percent between 2010 and 2014, significantly outpacing the growth citywide (23 percent) and in Manhattan (19 percent).

Between 2010 and 2014, the number of graphic design jobs in the borough increased by 94 percent, from 285 to 552. During the same period, the number of graphic design jobs in Manhattan declined by 6 percent. In 2004, Brooklyn was home to just 3 percent of all graphic design jobs citywide; by 2014, it was up to 14 percent.

In architecture, the number of jobs in Brooklyn increased by 90 percent, from 387 to 737. Manhattan also experienced significant job growth in architecture, with employment rising by 28 percent.

Brooklyn also experienced a jump in the number of jobs in landscape architecture (a 376 percent increase – from 21 to 100), industrial design (90 percent – from 67 to 127), interior design (40 percent – from 167 to 234) and other specialized design (65 percent – from 124 to 204).

All data in this analysis comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). Data is calculated through 2014, which is the most recent period for which QCEW data is available.

 

 
 
 
 
 


Brooklyn Employment in Architecture and Design
  2004 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Architecture 344 387 506 551 644 737
Landscape Architecture 39 21 82 92 86 100
Interior Design 114 167 130 139 195 234
Industrial Design 19 67 88 88 103 127
Graphic Design 147 285 335 425 498 552
Other Specialized Design 107 124 141 177 192 204
Total Architecture & Design 770 1051 1282 1472 1718 1954


Manhattan Employment in Architecture and Design
  2004 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Architecture 9538 10396 10788 11406 12233 13354
Landscape Architecture 350 346 304 323 352 398
Interior Design 2185 2166 2255 2399 2571 2797
Industrial Design 253 350 252 264 287 324
Graphic Design 4485 4260 4464 4317 4326 4004
Other Specialized Design 1973 2663 2563 2975 3142 3168
Total Architecture & Design 18784 20181 20626 21684 22911 24045


Bronx Employment in Architecture and Design
  2004 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Architecture 18 13 11 11 10 12
Landscape Architecture   15        
Interior Design 19 11 11 12 7 10
Industrial Design            
Graphic Design 6 9 14 13 21 25
Other Specialized Design   16 11 10 9 8
Total Architecture & Design 43 64 47 46 47 55


Queens Employment in Architecture and Design
  2004 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Architecture 248 297 287 323 372 423
Landscape Architecture   16 14 21 24 28
Interior Design 112 129 138 178 172 170
Industrial Design 16          
Graphic Design 143 132 135 195 206 195
Other Specialized Design 32 48 74 68 57 66
Total Architecture & Design 551 622 648 785 831 882


Staten Island Employment in Architecture and Design
  2004 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Architecture 109 72 74 75 79 83
Landscape Architecture            
Interior Design 18 15 14 17 19  
Industrial Design 17          
Graphic Design   10       9
Other Specialized Design     9   10 9
Total Architecture & Design 144 97 97 92 108 101


NYC Employment in Architecture and Design
  2004 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Architecture 10,257 11,165 11,666 12,366 13,338 14,609
Landscape Architecture 389 398 400 436 462 526
Interior Design 2,448 2,488 2,548 2,745 2,964 3,211
Industrial Design 305 417 340 352 390 451
Graphic Design 4,781 4,696 4,948 4,950 5,051 4,785
Other Specialized Design 2,112 2,851 2,798 3,230 3,410 3,455
Total Architecture & Design 20,292 22,015 22,700 24,079 25,615 27,037