The Urban Conga, an award-winning multidisciplinary design studio led by Ryan Swanson and Maeghann Coleman, AIA, NOMA based in Brooklyn, New York, whose work explores how play can act as a catalyst for community interaction and social activity within the public realm. Working across the intersections of architecture, urban design, public art, and social practice, the studio focuses on creating inclusive, multiscale spatial opportunities that transform overlooked or underutilized spaces into stimulating environments that encourage curiosity, interaction, and free-choice learning. Central to the studio’s practice is the utilization of play methodologies as a critical tool implemented not just in the work itself but within the community-driven design process in which the work is created. The studio examines how participatory design and open-ended spatial systems can help cultivate more empathetic, responsive, and socially resilient environments. Their work worldwide often blurs disciplinary boundaries, combining elements of landscape design, public installation, architecture, education, and performance to create experiences that invite people to actively shape and reinterpret space together. The resulting work encourages spontaneous interaction and shared authorship, turning everyday environments into platforms for collective exchange and exploration. For more information visit: www.theurbanconga.com