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November 1, 2009
One City, One Future: strategies for housing, jobs, and equitable growth (that Thompson has mostly ignored)
Atlantic Yards Report
The proposed Atlantic Yards project is certainly an example of poor planning. The project has morphed from a mix of office towers and housing to primarily a market-rate housing project plus the "who asked for this?!" arena. Instead of trying to stand on its head trying to please a developer, wouldn't it be better if there were a set of guidelines that government could follow to assure sound development?
The publication, "One City/One Future" (a collaboration between National Employment Law Project, New York Jobs with Justice and the Pratt Center for Community Development) shows how the city can do a better job of meeting citizens' needs and allocating precious resources.
Norman Oder digests this publication that espouses these principles:
Raise the Standards
Government should set clear standards for economic activity in New York City, especially activity that benefits from public spending or actions. Meeting these standards -- whether they concern the quality of jobs created or the environmental sustainability of new buildings -- must be a prerequisite for anyone doing business with the city.
Invest for Shared Growth
The city and state currently spend billions keeping New York's economy humming. These investments in housing, transportation, and employment need to be designed and managed with the explicit objective of improving opportunity and strengthening neighborhoods.
Reform the Process
Planning and development must take place in an open and democratic environment, in which communities and the city work as partners, not adversaries, with the objective of building a prosperous city on the strength of livable neighborhoods.
Read through Oder's take on "One City/One Future" and you'll see that it could be possible to have a more equitable system of development for New York.
Posted by steve at November 1, 2009 8:48 AM