A reoccurring theme in the reading was that much of the effective governance of New York was accomplished with the help of communities or by creating them. The concept of BIDs  is a really keen move to have businesses for communities of there own where they work together in order to improve their immediate area. This takes advantage of the fact that no one knows an area better than those who live and work there. In the case of businesses they work together in order to reduce crime and improve services in was they deem most effective. Efforts to create communities such as Battery Park, where housing is paired with business and entertainment, are also surely effective at stemming the tide of people who are leaving the city by creating little self sufficient havens. If someone feels secure with their job which is close to their home and surrounded by entertainment – there is little reason for them to leave.

The power of a community can also serve to revitalize an area. Efforts to take a community in decline and get it back in the right direction may take as little as people moving into and renovating run down properties. This helps not only the person doing the renovation by creating equity, but it also lifts the surrounding area as well. Given enough time once bad neighborhoods could become thriving communities with just a little investment.

Unfortunately the idea of community can be taken too far. Boss Tweed took advantage of the idea that immigrants formed their own communities and became an overwhelming power in New York City government.  He played the power of a community to stick together in rough times and was able to harness it in order to create an omnipresent political machine. Fortunately this is a bit of a stretch and we now see mostly positive outcomes of people organizing for reform – not just in New York communities but all around the world.

Discussion Question: Will minority groups be able to take advantage of the current economic revitalization or will it only serve to push them out?