Dear class,
Please go to CITI certificate, take the CITI informed consent tutorial and exam- We are listed as City University of New York (CUNY)- and post your certificate to your group project page. This activity will introduce you to ethical considerations that are extremely important when doing research with/on human subjects. If needed, you may adapt and use this template according to your needs.
Hillary
Today we picked up where we left off last Wednesday, and worked in groups to distill the problems we are working on, the roots of those problems, and what can/should be done. We also wove into our analyses the most relevant and resonant concepts from recent readings. Here are some highlights from my notes:
From the Future of Homelessness Group: The problem is a lack of caring- people become dependent on sources/forces that are too controlling and abusive-i.e. invasion of privacy; we need solutions that give power back to communities. For example, Community Land Trust (CLTs) would do this by given communities the opportunity for – transformative community development and a sense of independence.
From the Private Development Group: The problem is uneven growth/development/distribution of $- which leads to lack of opportunities for some and privilege for others. In El Barrio there is a lack of $ and community vibe is really important. When private development occurs, wealthier people move in and further break down the sense of community. What can be done? We need a counter to place-less planning- with tighter regulations, case by case zoning, tax redistribution, better representation in government, access to public space- i.e. crack is whack park is now threatened by highway expansion.
From the Community Gardens Group: Oppression… The city planning commission/community planning boards are not very open to community involvement. As shown in the El Barrio film, people care but have no agency to impact decisions, and people outside the community have the power; CPC is not helping this situation, which silences the residents’ voices (also the CPC is not powerful enough- just advisory.) The gardens being closed down are in poor parts of Harlem and Brooklyn, where these spaces/resources are particularly important. Organizing seems most necessary at this point- Melrose Commons, Nos Quedamos, and Bronx United – are examples- but there is no recognized public policy group that unites them, so alliance organizing might be a good idea.
Great work everyone! Think of these as outlines for your projects- use them to dig more deeply, get more specific, and clarify the links between your issue, research questions, methods, findings, conclusions, and products.
Dear Class,
I want to bring a few things to your attention as you dig more deeply into your final projects.
First, a NY1 Online Panel Discussion of Development and Gentrification in East Harlem from earlier this week.
And second, a website archive of a CUNY graduate course held in 2013 called Reassessing Inequality and Re-imagining the 21st Century: East Harlem Focus. This website has a LOT of stuff that could be of help and interest- esp. the videos and final projects.
Enjoy!
Hillary
Monday we started the section of our course called “crafting a critical framework” by discussing the concept/importance/contradictory nature of community, community development, and community control (through DeFilippis, Saegert, and O’Connor). Today we incorporated the concepts of community organizing (through DeRienzo) and community planning (through Angotti) into our critical framework- making sure to be clear about what we mean by these different modes of community practice (and what we mean by community). After briefly reviewing each of these concepts (which were beautifully engaged in your reading responses this week), we took stock of our personal and collective view on the name of the problem(s) we are addressing in this course, the root causes of the problem(s), and of what can/should be done about the problem(s). Throughout this section of our course, we will engage with various concepts that should help us to enhance our abilities to understand, articulate, and engage with the above- in our class, in your projects, in our everyday lives.
Today we began our more conceptually oriented part of the semester, by talking about the theory and practice of community development. We discussed the central contradiction with which many scholars and activists are concerned, and that underlies the struggles of all your community contacts: (Place-based) Communities are necessary for our current mode of production/political economic system (global capitalism) to function; but that very system is making it increasingly difficult for communities to function- its priorities are not on meeting human needs or cultivating relationships that help meet those needs, but rather on economic growth and expansion. As capitalism grows and expands, place-based communities have less and less control over the means of production (the materials, relationships, and practices) used to produce capitalist goods and commodities) and of social reproduction (the materials, relationships, and practices) used to take care of, educate, etc. ourselves and each other, aka the labor force).
The readings for today provide an overview of this contradiction, and how it has been shaped historically by public policies and community development practices. The chapter by James DeFilippis focuses specifically on the issue of community control (over production and social reproduction), which can be seen in the context of today’s readings and discussion as both necessary and impossible- to achieve, institutionalize, inscribe into policies, infuse into organizing, etc. in order for things to change. As the semester goes on, we will keep coming back to these contradictory concepts and dynamics in terms of why they persist and what can be done about them, through the readings and your group projects.
In class on Wednesday we wrapped up our section on “Shapers of NYC past,” with an investigation into gentrification- its root causes, how it has changed over time, and what it looks like today (in your group projects especially). We ended by discussing a few alternatives that were raised by Sam Stein in his article on “DeBlasio’s Doomed Housing Plan.” These include improving/expanding public housing, rent regulation, and Community Land Trusts. We will explore these and other alternatives/”shaping strategies” as the semester goes on, through class readings and your projects. For a round-up of recent news on these topics, and some supplementary explanations of things we didn’t have time to cover completely in class, please see the announcements page.
Dear Class,
Every time I open my computer I see another article that speaks directly to the issues we are exploring as a class and to your specific projects. Below are some links to those that I’ve flagged over the past few weeks. It is important that our class discussions and your group projects are aware/critical of, and in conversation with, how these issues are portrayed and debated in popular media. Please investigate!
Some national perspective and activity around the rental crisis and the related issue of jobs/wages in cities
Interactive maps of 25 years of gentrification in NYC
20 ways not to be a gentrifier (according to this author)
Some insight into the public housing situation in East Harlem
DeBlasio’s official re-zoning plan
and his efforts to support residents threatened by landlord harassment and illegal evictions, which are anticipated in rezoned neighborhoods
City Council Speaker and East Harlem Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito on the defensive in response to criticism of the new housing and rezoning plans
Some insight into DeBlasio’s relationships with developers…
….DeBlasio’s 3 new appointments to the Rent Guidelines Board.
A recent report from the RGB on the costs of operating and maintaining rental housing
An official introduction to the Rent Guidelines Board and Rent Regulation System
The Rent Regulation system from a tenants perspective
How the Bay Area, D.C., and NYC are “dancing with rent control”
What happens when rent-regulated buildings are converted into condos
The difference between condos and coops in NYC
And Sam Stein’s take on Why Affordable Housing Remains a Struggle
The readings for today wrap up our historical inquiry into what has shaped/is shaping NYC. In class we continued to develop our collective and small group historical narratives, incorporating key concepts from the readings (pictured above). This main concept for today was ZONING, which is explained and critically interrogated by Angotti, Larson, and Stein. We’ll continue this discussion/narrative development on Wednesday, and begin to discuss some alternative shaping strategies as raised in the readings and by your community contacts.
In Monday’s class each group worked together to construct a historical narrative of what’s shaping NYC/your issue, drawing on key terms from this week’s readings, including: location/dislocation, fiscal crisis, neoliberalism, global capital, inequality, gentrification, growth machine, race, class, community planning/resistance, production/social reproduction, and post-industrial city. Think of these narratives as first drafts for the historical overview of your issue that will be part of your white paper. A few things we discussed in class that you should keep in mind and continue to work on in your projects:
Dear Class,
Happy film week! As stated on your syllabus, on Wednesday we’ll be watching and discussing a film about gentrification in East Harlem. I also encourage you to attend a film being screened at the Graduate Center this Thursday, March 5th. The film is about the rezoning of Harlem, which is particularly timely given our focus on zoning in this and next week’s readings. Please come if you can!
Right to the City Film Screenings: Rezoning Harlem
Screening and Conversation, 7:00 pm (please arrive early to get a seat!)
At the CUNY Graduate Center, Doctoral Students’ Council Lounge (Room 5414) || 365 Fifth Avenue (at 34th street). Free and open to the public.
See more at: http://centerforthehumanities.org/program/right-city-screening-series-presents-rezoning-harlem#sthash.c05TzXJ8.dpuf
