Throughout the world, the emergence of modernized cities has often come at the expense of the wellbeing of lifelong residents. Many people, typically from low-income and minority communities, have been driven out of their homes by means of gentrification, eminent domain, socio-cultural isolation, and other external forces. In his discussion of urban planning in New York for Sale, Tom Angotti disproves a series of misconceptions and instead puts forth a starkly different voice. He specifically draws attention to the overlap of community engagement, public policy, and the forces of the broader international arena when it comes to shaping an urban landscape. As Angotti says, “Community planning is rarely politically neutral at the local level and often addresses citywide, regional, and global political issues” (8). The interaction these seemingly independent agents complicates the conversation and raises the stakes of the potential outcome.
This is particularly the case with the ongoing backlash to Columbia University’s expansion plan. Residents and activists alike have exposed the shortcomings of Columbia’s mission, specifically its lack of concern over the socio-economic implications of its encroachment into surrounding communities. Through its grassroots initiatives, the Coalition to Preserve Community (CPC) strives to defend the interests of the public by combating Columbia’s seemingly one-sided agenda. According to the CPC, the main grievances expressed by the community include the lack of accountability and transparency in the development process, the threat of displacement of residents, and the failure to ensure the health and safety of all those involved in and implicated by the demolition and construction. Drawing leverage from the existing network of wide-scale social movements, the CPC actively calls for policy reform that brings justice to the community. As Angotti points out, many cases of social backlash that we see today trace back to a longer, unified lineage of struggle that initially began in the early 20th century.
As we embrace the ever-developing urban landscape, we must be conscious and critical of the implications of our actions. The crippling process of displacement that often ensues as a result of development disrupts the livelihood and erases the authenticity of a neighborhood, as Sharon Zukin discusses in Naked City: The Death and Life of Authentic Urban Places. The way in which we resolve the competing interests of different parties speaks to what we value as a society, and what we intend to teach future generations.
