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May 8, 2008
It came from the Blogosphere...
Jeremiah's Blog, Imminent Domain
My project is called Imminent Domain. This essay will explain why there is such a rush to build so much- if even to build at all. My project exposes a third side to the ongoing dilemma of why so many building projects are being planned in the city, and more importantly, why aren’t they happening. It reveals why in the current time it may be perceived as best to plan as much as possible and get the land (while others can’t afford to keep it), and then to decide what to do with it later, and in the mean time throw up the most extravagant ideas. Imminent Domain explores new projects such as the West Side Stadium, Atlantic Yards, and our very own City Tech Tower project. It explains why the only true sense of imminentness is to get the land—not to build it.
Union-Sackett Block Association, May Event: David vs. Goliath: Neighborhood Planning in the Face of Large-Scale Development
Many observers opine that community-driven plans—official and approved through a city process or unofficial but widely recognized—are no real hedge against unwanted development. But in the cases of West Harlem, Midtown East, and Atlantic Yards, would developers have had carte blanche without community plans? How do community planners believe alternative plans can be more effective? How can alternative plans guarantee that future development will fit consensus-based neighborhood visions? We’ll look at some recent cases—West Harlem, Midtown East, and Prospect Heights/Fort Greene—where developer-driven plans threaten to undermine community vision, and examine the place of community-based planning in these struggles.
The Knickerblogger, McCain on Eminent Domain
Not that I believe, well, anything he says but its got to be embarrassing to be on the wrong side of John McCain on any human rights issue ....'progressive' Bruce Ratner and his Atlantic Yards supporters are just that. Maybe we could ship them to Gitmo bay...and brother Michael will come to their aid.
From the Burrow, BQE
Sufjan's honesty about the highway, not the hula hoops, is what made me a BQE fan-girl. While acknowledging that the BQE represents "bad planning, congestion, and pollution," he sees its more important role in social and economic development:
"[The BQE] is a good way to read the history of Brooklyn from pre-war to World War II to the postwar era. Originally, it was built for transportation purposes, but during the war it served defense purposes. After the war, it was there to create jobs. I think it's much more relevant now than ever, with the building boom around the city, and the Atlantic Yards project. It's hard to imagine we're living in an era with hundreds of projects going on simultaneously."
Posted by eric at May 8, 2008 9:40 PM