Today we discussed “What’s taking shape in NYC?” from the perspectives of the readings, video, and bits and pieces of our own experience. To sum up, we talked about how people are trying to change the way things have pretty much always been in NYC regarding the gap between the rich and poor/inequality- an issue that is not new, but has grown worse under Mayor Bloomberg’s private/corporate oriented agenda, and that Mayor DeBlasio has promised to address through a more public oriented approach.  Some specific issues on our radar include:

• Labor Policy/Rights i.e. raising minimum wage, unionization- i.e. giving workers an organized voice/representation in relationship to their bosses/the city

• Poverty Policy- i.e. Making affordable housing more accessible by addressing stigmatization, underfunding, and securitization

• Government Regulation/Taxes- i.e. on banks/Wall St. and the very wealthy

• Policing/Criminal Justice- i.e. Reassessing the “broken windows,” theory as practiced by the NYPD, which involves targeted, aggressive policing of low income and minority neighborhoods/communities.

• Sustainability/Environmental Justice- i.e. addressing the disproportionate vulnerability of certain communities to “natural” disasters and the inequality of resources available to those impacted by those disasters.

As we go through the semester, we’ll be digging more deeply into these issues, taking careful note of how they have been shaped by specific events, policies, and practices, at the scale of the city and through particular shaping efforts that are playing out in East Harlem.