All posts by hillcaldwell

Takeaway: Situating NYC

Announcements, Situating New York City

On Wednesday we took a more focused look at the history of NYC.  We created a timeline of major events and shifts in shaping forces, which we will continue to develop throughout the semester.  A few things of note that make NYC unique (or as the authors say “outstanding”) among U.S. cities?
1.    It is the biggest (over 8M people) and almost 3x that counting the surrounding region.
2.    It has the greatest concentration of business and finance.
3.    It has the largest port and has dominated American commerce since the early 1800s.
4.    It is a sophisticated mosaic/pressure cooker of diverse people and cultures.

We began to discuss more recent trends in the development of NYC, which the authors describe as: “Economic restructuring,” “Upgrading the City,” and “Changing Population;” and characteristics, namely “Contradictions, contracts, and inconsistencies.”  Many of you focused on these dynamics in your reading responses: Brianna, Minhal, and Nick noted the paradoxes, trade-offs, and pros and cons of the city’s development; Sam and Ashley had a darker take on the situation/pressure cooker, especially given the changes we’ve since since this chapter was published in 2003; while Libby, Adrian, and Claudia were more optimistic, noting the importance of community and construction for economic growth.

Here are some articles that related to this week’s readings and discussions that you might find interesting:

elizabeth graham

 

Takeaway: Situating North American Cities

Announcements, Situating North American Cities

On Monday we discussed the development of North American Cities, primarily in terms of major economic shifts from the pre-industrial (colonial, trade) city to the industrial (factory, production) city to the post-industrial (service) city.  We focused on significant shaping forces like immigration, industrialization, technological advances, competition between cities, and how these have formed the foundation for the social and economic inequalities that we see today.

We also discussed several themes and points from your reading responses, including

  • How “freedom” has remained a central aspect of the so-called “American Dream” but that the meaning of freedom has changed somewhat.. As Patrick said in his reading response, “Looking at many of the first colonists, the American dream originally focused on freedom: freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the freedom to conduct business and pursue a better life,” which was reflected in the shape of the colonial city.  Today, however, the American dream is much more associated with individual freedom and success, as reflected in the shape of the service city and its contemporary housing programs and ideologies that emphasize individual responsibility, ownership, etc.  Meanwhile, Black freedom and the legacies of slavery and racial discrimination remain hot topics.  Most recently there has been a lot of discussion around reparations, given that the UN Panel Suggests Slavery Reparations in the U.S., Ta-Nehisi’s Case for Reparations, and why Ta-Nehisi Coates is Voting for Bernie Sanders Despite the Senator’s Opposition to Reparations.
  • That North American cities differ from other, i.e. European, cities, in the extent to which immigration and significant racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity have been present from the start (as well as anti-immigrant bias, as Mohomad pointed out).  In this way, as Sonia noted that globalization was going on even then, although it is often associated with more recent decades.  Check out this animation of globalization: The Atlantic Slave Trade in 2 Minutes. 
  • And of course, domestic migration has significantly shaped North American cities as well.  Check out this article with analysis and visualizations of the largest internal movement of any group in U.S. History: The Great Migration: The African American Exodus from the South.
  • The deep roots of the challenge to plan and fund major public infrastructure projects in and between cities (as noted by Edwin) given the system of Federalism in the U.S. (as opposed to cities like Toronto, which receives much more investment from the Canadian national government, as pointed out by Adrian); and also due to the persistence of anti-urban sentiments in the U.S (as noted by Nick). This topic (and a contemporary example) is the explored in a recent article in the NY Times: What Happened to the Great Urban Design Projects?
  • Relatedly, the long history of corruption in city government, especially when cities were growing fast.  As Ashley said, “city officials became corrupt with bribes and dictatorial political figures began to take control of the city governments. The citizens were outraged and pushed for reform. This could be compared to the current problem in New York City where those in power are not the ones who are suffering. The growing difference between the rich and poor in the city that began decades ago can lead to a decline of a working city yet again.”  Check out this article on The Forgotten Virtues of Tammany Hall.

 

 

Group Project Coordination

Announcements

The Group Project Coordination section of our site is now up and running (thank you Aaron)!  Each group has its own page that can be used for communication between classes, posting updates, sharing articles and other resources, etc.  Throughout the semester I will add links related to your projects under “Related News and Events” on the “sticky page” (first post) for each group.  Please work as a group to keep up with current news and events, by reading and reflecting on what I post and through your own inquiry.  When you want to make a post, just be sure to select your group category so it appears in the thread.  You can also use the comments section for conversations related to particular posts.

4 Exciting Project Groups!

Announcements

UPDATE!  We now have 4 exciting projects, each with 5-6 students.  Please start tuning in to your focus issues and how they are playing out so you can help shape the projects over the next few weeks and become experts on the issues over the course of the semester.  And, in case you missed it, here’s a highlight reel of Mayor DeBlasio’s State of the City Address last week, which speaks to many of them… 

  1. The Future of Community Gardens: Community Gardens have a long and storied history in NYC.  According to the Community Garden Coalition, “These gardens are living symbols of unity built by neighbors who joined together to turn abandoned, trash-strewn lots into vibrant community oases,” but many are threatened by the Mayor’s Rezoning and Housing Plan. What’s at stake?  How can you help?   Suggested Community Contact: 596 Acres
    • Brianna, Amir, Nicholas, Minhal, Fanny, Ashley
  2. The Future of Public Transportation: Trains are overcrowded, buses are slow, cyclists and pedestrians are the least safe and last to get shoveled out of the snow.  DeBlasio’s Vision Zero Plan has mixed results so far.  Yesterday he proposed a Brooklyn-Queens Streetcar. Is it the folly we need?  What’s at stake? How can you help? Suggested Community Contact: Transportation Alternatives
    • Adrian, Patrick, Edwin, Mohamed, Sonia, Jeffrey
  3. The Future of Flushing West: Flushing West is one of the target neighborhoods in the city’s rezoning plans but there has been very little press about the plan or community responses.  What’s at stake?  How will the neighborhood change and how will current residents be affected?  How can you help?
    • Brian, Claudia, Erica, Christine, Wilian
  4. The Future of Mental Health: Apparently, “eighteen Yankee stadiums still wouldn’t be enough room to house every New Yorker wrestling with diagnosable depression. Officials say major depressive disorder is the single greatest source of disability in the city. Yet finding help can be hard.” Mayor DeBlasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray, called it a “public health crisis,” and at the end of last year, Mayor DeBlasio and Ms. McCray announced a major mental health initiative called Thrive NYC. It is meant to overhaul the city’s mental health care system, to be a “mental health road map for all,” and was cited as a success in the Mayor’s recent State of the City Address. It has also been criticized, along with a related initiative called NYC SAFE, for struggling to get off the ground, and being used to criminalize homeless people. What is at stake with these plans? How are they shaping the future of the NYC? How can you help? Suggested Community Contact: Urban Justice Center’s Mental Health Project.
    • Sam, Alex, Libby, Kashaf, Tony

 

 

Rezoning References, News, and Events

Announcements
  1. What is Zoning?  A super handy guidebook made by the Center for Urban Pedagogy
  2. DeBlasio’s Doomed Housing Plan (Fall 2014)
  3. Making Room for Housing and Jobs: A report by the Pratt Center for Community Development that examines how rezoning industrial areas to provide space for housing may undermine housing affordability if high-wage industrial jobs are replaced with low-wage jobs in retailing and neighborhood services. (May 4, 2015)
  4. Chinatown Zoning Plan Meets Resistance in DeBlasio Adminstration (Sept. 2015)
  5. Only 3,000 of de Blasio’s 20,000 affordable housing units are permanent (Oct. 2015)
  6. Here’s what you need to know about the Mayor’s citywide rezoning plan (Dec. 1, 2015)
  7. Will the City’s Rezoning Plan for East Harlem Heed Community’s Vision? (December 22, 2015)
  8. DeBlasio Housing Chief Rebuts Critics of East New York Plan (Jan. 7, 2016)
  9. DeBlasio Housing Plan Hung Up on Distrust as Much as on Details (Jan 14, 2016)
  10. DeBlasio’s Controversial Rezoning Plan Approved by Planning Commission (Feb. 3, 2016)
  11. Advocacy Group Pitches Plan for NYC Homeless Housing (Feb. 5, 2016)
  12. Why Bill’s zoning plan is in trouble (Feb. 6, 2016)
  13. DeBlasio Pushed to Include Local Jobs in Neighborhood Rezonings (Feb. 8, 2016)
  14. At Council Hearing on DeBlasio’s Housing Plan, Many Voices Rise (Feb. 9, 2016)
  15. The 10 Concerns Councilmembers Had About Mayor’s Inclusionary Housing Proposal (Feb. 9, 2016)
  16. City Council Fears Broken Promises, Gentrification With DeBlasio’s Rezoning Plan (Feb. 9, 2016)
  17. Progressive Caucus Priorities for MIH and ZQA (Feb. 10, 2016)
  18. Why DeBlasio’s Housing Plan is Nowhere Near Affordable for Low- and Middle-Wage New Yorkers (Feb. 16, 2016)
  19. For East New York’s Housing Crunch, Supply is Not the Solution (Feb. 18, 2016)
  20. The Secret History of AMI (Feb. 17, 2016).
  21. DeBlasio opposes City Council plan to protect tenants from slumlords over fear it will harm his push for affordable housing (Feb. 22, 2016).
  22. Groups Promise Civil Disobedience if Mayor’s Zoning Plan Isn’t Changed (Feb. 23, 2014)
  23. Four Wrong Ideas Driving DeBlasio’s Housing Plan by Susanna Blankely, Director of CASA! (Feb. 24, 2017)
  24. Hundreds of Protesters Rally Against DeBlasio’s Affordable Housing Plan (Feb. 24, 2014)
  25. Controversial East New York Rezoning Plan Approved by City Planning Commission (Feb. 24, 2016)
  26. The East Harlem Neighborhood Plan Final Report (released Feb. 24, 2016)
  27. Interactive Map of Mayor de Blasio’s Neighborhood Rezonings (Feb. 24, 2016)
  28. As Rezoning Looms, East Harlem Groups Craft Preemptive Plan (Feb. 25, 2016)
  29. Williamsburg warns East New York about Industrial-Strength Gentrification (March 8, 2016)
  30. Critics cancel protest against de Blasio’s zoning bid citing progress (March 9, 2016)
  31. The Whitening of New York City (March 10, 2016)
  32. Study behind signature de Blasio affordable-housing proposal comes under fire (March 11, 2016)
  33. De Blasio’s Toughest Affordable Housing Critics Reverse Their Position (March 14, 2016)
  34. Council Committees OK rezoning plan some fear would encourage segregation (March 17, 2016).
  35. DeBlasio’s MIH Plan Still Needs Work (March 14, 2016)
  36. Activists vow to fight mayor’s “gentrification plan” in the neighborhoods (March 23, 2016).
  37. Protestors denounce de Blasio’s housing plan ahead of vote: “the word affordability has been coopted by the government” (March 22, 2016)
  38. Developers are “Very, Very Excited to Pioneer” New Neighborhoods Under de Blasio’s Affordable Housing Plan (March 22, 2016)
  39. City Council passes mayor’s citywide rezoning changes (March 22, 2016)
  40. Activists vow to fight mayor’s “gentrification plan” in the neighborhoods (March 23, 2016).