Taking Back the River in New York City

18:30 - 19:00

La Centrale, Nuvola Lavazza

A symbol is transforming urban swimming: the +Pool project wants to make the East River accessible to all.

In 2026, the prototype of +POOL—a floating pool with unmistakable design—will launch in the East River, restoring public swimming to New Yorkers after more than a century. This achievement follows ten years of research, crowdfunding, and collaboration between architects, engineers, and institutions, all working to make the river an inclusive, multifunctional space where leisure, play, sports, and education come together in a single infrastructure. +POOL’s innovation goes beyond design: the pool will filter up to 4,000 cubic meters of river water each day (the equivalent of nearly two Olympic-sized pools) without using chemicals. At Utopian Hours 2025, Kara Meyer—Managing Director of +POOL—will share the journey, experience, and lessons meant for all cities aiming to reclaim their own waterways.

Image: Family New York. Courtesy of Friends of + POOL.
+ POOL Rendering. Designed by Family New York & Playlab, Inc.

 

New York

Kara Meyer Managing Director

Plus Pool

Kara Meyer is the Managing Director of Friends of Plus Pool, the nonprofit established in 2015 to develop the floating pool initiative. She oversees strategy, fundraising, programming, and stakeholder partnerships. Prior to Plus Pool, Kara led external relations at Storefront for Art and Architecture, organizing U.S. representation at the Venice Biennale and managing major cultural funding programs.

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