Although it is a thriving institution of Greenwich Village, New York University (NYU) has consistently found itself at odds with Village residents. Since NYU announced its plans in April 2010 to expand its campus by over six million feet by 2031, residents have organized through local government, public rallies, and community organizations to protest the growth of the university, in an attempt to preserve the aesthetic character of their neighborhood.
The battle over land between Village residents and NYU has consistently focused on whether land should be left in the hands of the community, in order to serve its residents in a functional and aesthetic capacity, or whether NYU should be allowed to purchase and develop this land, with the growth of the university coming at the expense of residents. Because of this, the land that has been the most hotly debated between April 2010 and April 2011 has been seven small areas of land, totaling two acres, located on Mercer Street, LaGuardia Place, Bleeker Street, and West 3rd Street, which have been collectively referred to as the “parkland strips.” This land is of particular importance to the community because they are open, public spaces, something that is limited in Greenwich Village, which NYU seeks to purchase from its owner, the New York City Department of transportation.
As part of their protest against this transfer of land ownership, residents and local politicians, led by community organizations such as Manhattan Community Board 2 and the Community Action Alliance on NYU 2031. This rally, held on December 5, 2010, was an expression of solidarity against the proposed acquisition of the land. Over the course of the event public officials such as Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer urged NYU to “seriously explore alternative proposals,” to the acquisition of the land, as community leaders such as Terri Crude, co-Chair of the Community Action Alliance on NYU 2031, expressed dissatisfaction with NYU’s ability to accommodate Village residents in the past, insisting that “the only successful spaces are the ones created by dedicated community volunteers.”
At the center of this battle over urban planning lies the distinct goal of Village residents to not only make the best possible use out of individual parcels of land, but also, on a larger scale, to preserve the quaint character that they associate with their neighborhood. When fighting over the development of land the argument made by residents is not, as it is in many other areas, that the land should be used as commercial property, to stimulate the economy of the neighborhood, or that is should be used as residential space, so that affordable housing can be made available. Instead, residents insist that greenery must stay, open spaces must stay, older buildings must stay, implying that the neighborhood is not simply being developed the wrong way, but that it would be best if it were not significantly developed at all. Although growth and expansion are practices associated with a thriving metropolis, Village residents seek the opposite. They insist that NYU seek land elsewhere in the city, where such growth would be welcome, so that their residential community can be left in peace, ultimately rejecting the growth of a metropolis in favor of the amenities of a village.
If you wish to contact the author he can be reached by E-mail at ago0032@hunter.cuny.edu.
Tags: development, expansion, Greenwich Village, NYU, NYU 2031, parkland strips, urban planning
