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August 31, 2007
Changing the Face of NYC: The Mega Development Roundup
The Indypendent
By Chris Anderson
New York City is in the mood to expand. While the recent death of Jane Jacobs and the rehabilitation of Robert Moses may signal the passing of the “livable city” zeitgeist, the real impact of the city’s newly assertive development policies will be felt by ordinary New Yorkers in neighborhoods across the five boroughs. Here’s a look at three mega-development projects and the issues involved.
Atlantic Yards
Possibly no development battle has been more bitter than the fight over the Forest City Ratner Atlantic Yards project in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. The centerpiece of the project, according to supporters, will be the Barclays Center, which will serve as the new home of the NBA ’s New Jersey Nets. Along with the basketball arena, the Atlantic Yards development includes retail and commercial space and 6,430 units of mixed income residential housing.Controversies: By far the most controversial aspect of the Atlantic Yards project is the expected use of eminent domain to clear remaining residential holdouts out of Prospect Heights. An additional major criticism is the size of the project. At 6,430 units holding a New York City average of two people per unit, the resulting population increase would make the area around Atlantic Yards the most densely populated
census tractresidential community in North America. Project supporters, which include the nominally left-leaning community group ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), contend that project opponents are little more than a middle-class clique of NIMB Ys (Not In My Backyard).
NoLandGrab: Officially, Bruce Ratner's controversial megalopolis is so big, it spans more than one census tract, thus diluting the definition, if not the effect, of the extreme density of the project. The Atlantic Yards proposes an historic experiment in residential density — the proper expression is, if built, the project would be the densest residential community in the nation by more than a factor of two.
One more thing. Is it just us, or is the NIMBY-card played when project supporters run out of nice things to say about the project?
Posted by lumi at August 31, 2007 7:55 AM