When the Atlantic Yards project was first announced, there was a lot of controversy surrounding the issue. On one hand, many believed that the development would lead to gentrification and the alteration of the neighborhood as a whole. They believed that new housing, as well as the Barclays Center, would lead to increased rents, the arrival of national tenants and the driving out of low and moderate income residents. However, there were also many who saw the Atlantic Yards mega-project as an opportunity to revive the area and neighborhood. It would provide more housing around the area and allow for the resurgence or rejuvenation of Downtown Brooklyn. It would also increase traffic to the area, and in turn allow local businesses to thrive and prosper. Although I believe that the development of Atlantic Yards would be great for the area, it must be implemented correctly, so that it doesn’t take away from the “character” of the neighborhood.
In the article, “Opposing Atlantic Yards: Fails to Accomplish a Delicate Balance,” Kent Barwick provides reasons for why he is against the Atlantic Yards development. The first issue that he states is that the city is offering incentives for developers to build affordable housing, stating that if they do they can build taller buildings. Although they are providing more affordable housing, they are increasing the density of the neighborhood as well, thereby “sacrificing neighborhood character.” Another problem with the project is that due to the fact that it is developer driven instead of city driven, they are proposing to take away many public places or streets. Instead, he argues that they should not only keep existing streets but add new ones as well, in order to improve the circulation around the area and provide for the free flow of traffic in the neighborhood.
When I first read Barwick’s article I was extremely surprised by his perspective on the Atlantic Yards project. When I first looked at it, I thought that by providing affordable housing for low and moderate income families, the area can avoid the issue of gentrification. However, Barwick saw it a different way. He believed that by providing affordable housing the developer receives incentives to build taller buildings and more units that are on the free market. This would then increase the density of the area and the proportion of the units that are free market, thereby altering the identity or makeup of the neighborhood. Another point that I found to be interesting was when he stated that in order for this project to become successful, the city and state must be able to “demonstrate they can listen to New Yorkers, and establish opportunities for them to shape the major projects that will affect their lives.” After all, this project is directly interfering with their lives and in order to make it work you must have the support of the people who actually live in and take part in the neighborhood. Without the backing of the community members, there is absolutely no way that this project can become a success.
To demonstrate the other side of the argument we read the article, “Supporting Atlantic Yards: Simply Not Enough Housing in Brooklyn,” by the executive director of NY ACORN, Bertha Lewis. She argues that over the next 25 years New York City’s population is expected to rise 16 percent and that there is simply not enough housing to accommodate for the needs of this increasing population. Besides for increasing the housing stock, the apartments must be affordable for low to moderate income families as well as senior citizens. As a result, they have made an agreement with Forest City Ratner, to allow 50 percent of their 4,500 rental units to provide for affordable housing for low to middle income families. Furthermore, these units will be scattered throughout their many buildings and within the free market units to allow for a diverse neighborhood.
Although I believe that the Atlantic Yards development project would provide for a resurgence of the area, there are certain steps that must be followed in order to ensure that it doesn’t take away from the neighborhood’s identity. Firstly, a proportion of the housing must be set aside for low to moderate income families, providing for affordable housing. By doing so, it will allow the development to continue the “character” or demographics of the area. It also must provide for proper public spaces, as was one of Barwick’s suggestions. I believe that with the proper supervision and community participation the Atlantic Yards project can prove to be a success.
