Much of the “rejuvenation” of Times Square to return it to the Great White Way was for what politicians claimed would be to make the area a family-friendly entertainment space, and to reduce violence, perversion, and prostitution.  In fact, Alexander J. Reichl, the author of Reconstructing Times Square: Politics and Culture in Urban Development, revered Walt Disney for what he saw as resolving these ongoing political, social and economic problems in Times Square, and for making it a desirable place again (Reichl, 1999.  160).  However, when digging deeper, if we were to discover that one of its many problems, such as prostitution, was not actually eliminated, but shielded from the public view, we would be left with a serious question.  Would the transformation of Times Square still be considered a success, or would its lack of a permanent solution for the social issues at hand be considered ultimately a failure?

Times Square is the famous, or infamous, plaza that was formed by the 1811 Commissioner’s Plan which shaped the city into a systematic grid.  It meets at the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, and it falls between Forty-Second to Forty-Seventh Street.  Moreover, it is renowned for its marquees covered in light.  However, during the 1930s, with the emergence of the Great Depression, Times Square’s lights began to dim.  The fall of the theaters in the neighborhood brought burlesque entertainment to an environment already becoming known for its sex industry, violence, and prostitution.  With areas like Hell’s Kitchen and streets full of debauchery, many believed that only men, seeking sex, felt safe to roam these streets.  Groups such as the Committee of Fourteen and the 42^nd Street Development Project, claimed that the only way to cure Times Square of its brutality and corruption would be to redevelop it and to leave out sex shops and prostitution (Reichl, 1999.  43-157).

Nevertheless, although this perspective of Times Square was held by many, including The New York Times, this was not the attitude of all.  Samuel R. Delany, the author of Times Square Red, Times Square Blue, argued that Times Square was, in fact, not as raunchy, nor as destructive as the public claimed it to be.  He compared New York City’s Times Square to the same sort of environment found in segregated suburban life (Delany, 1999.  154).  His argument consisted of Jane Jacob’s ideals, arguing that it was because of the lack of mixed-utilities and diversity in its people that Times Square had been given its notorious reputation (Delany, 1999.  169).  Additionally, he used his own personal experiences to state that eighty to eighty-five percent of gay encounters were not commercialized sex at all, even if both acts did occur adjacent to each other (Delany, 1999.  145-6).  If Delany’s statements were true, perhaps he was correct in suggesting that the government and the Times Square developers had ulterior motives in constructing the “New Times Square.”

An article written in The New York Times in 1998 discussed an increase in the sexual service industry at the time.  Although it acknowledged that the Disney-styled redemption of Times Square may have depleted the streetwalking prostitutes found on sleazy corners, it stated that it did not actually diminish prostitution in the city itself.  Kit R. Roane, the author of the article, “Prostitutes on Wane in New York Streets But Take to Internet,” discussed how electronic technology was helping contribute to the sex industries economy, while actually making prostitution rings more difficult to be found.  Police that had tried to track these escort services down found themselves on wild goose chases against establishments with sophisticated technology.  Therefore, the rebirth of Times Square, did not eradicate prostitution, an argument held by many of its supporters, but forced it underground.  Thus, this forces us to reevaluate our concept of renovation.  Is renovation the renewal of a solely physical space, or does renovation also involve creating durable resolutions to issues like those found in Times Square?  If we can agree that the answer is the latter, then the development of the New Times Square did nothing more than waste money on gaudy tourist attractions and displace much of the city’s more vulnerable residents.

___________________________________________________________________

Delany S. 1999, Times Square Red, Times Square Blue.  New York University Press.

Reichl A. 1999, Reconstructing Times Square: Politics and Culture in Urban Development.

University Press of Kansas.

Roane K. 1998.  “Prostitutes on Wane In New York Streets But Take to Internet.”  The New York Times.  http://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/23/nyregion/prostitutes-on-wane-in-new-york-streets-but-take-to-internet.html

Since before it was even named Times Square, “the lower portion of the bowtie-shaped traffic islands formed by the diagonal intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, between Forty-second and Forty-seventh streets,” had been an entertainment center (Reichl 1999). It was home to a great number of theaters from the mid-to-late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, many of which later replaced live performances with the more-profitable movies (Reichl 1999). Even as financial crises drove New York City into economic decline in the 1960s through the 1970s, Times Square served as a place where illicit entertainment services such as prostitution could flourish (Reichl 1999 and Delany 1999). While many praised the “Disneyfication” of Times Square in the 1990s, others, including Samuel R. Delany, saw some of its resulting issues (Reichl 1999 and Delany 1999). Times Square had served as a public space in which many marginalized people felt comfortable to be themselves, but the development that transformed Times Square further marginalized these people, moving them to the waterfront (Delany 1999).

 

At the heart of the conflict over what to do with the 1970s Times Square was a dispute over what is meant by public space, and furthermore what people can do in this space. Is a public space an area in which everyone can freely express himself or herself? Or is a public space a place where safety trumps freedom of expression?

 

Although Times Square has retained its status as an entertainment center since its transformation beginning in the 1980s, the concept of a public space has changed. During the 1970s, Times Square was a public space in which people could freely express themselves, especially marginalized groups like homosexuals (Delany 1999). However, during this era many people felt that Times Square was not a safe place, though those who often visited the area knew how to avoid trouble (Delany 1999). Those who felt Times Square was unsafe only saw Times Square’s homelessness, prostitution, illegal drugs, and violent crime, pushing for its transformation into a safer area and the “Disneyfication” of Times Square in the 1990s that turned it into a tourist attraction accomplished that goal (Reichl 1999). Today, Times Square has become a place where safety trumps freedom of expression. Reacting to Mayor Bill De Blasio’s 2015 suggestion to remove pedestrian plazas in Times Square, columnist Aaron Betsky writes that “in a true public space you might find yourself confronted by others not like you. You might be offended by something or somebody, or by some behavior that is not familiar, like in the case of the current controversy, exposed female breasts. It is where you might encounter sex or violence. It is where state violence meets public resistance on those rare occasions when regulation and repressions becomes so evident as to evoke revolt” (Betsky 2015). In short, public space is meant to have “an element of danger” (Betsky 2015). He goes on to say that “to [him], the heavily policed precincts of Times Square are not true public space. They are performance arenas, a free and low-quality extension of the museums and theaters that are so much of New York’s attraction. They are staged. Regulations and policing have removed all danger and all ‘otherness’ from the sphere” (Betsky 2015). At some point during its transformation, Times Square lost its character as a public space.

 

If De Blasio were to remove the plazas from Times square and thus “remove Times Square as a tourist attraction” and “give it back to the city and its inhabitants,” it would “force visitors to crowd on sidewalks again, where they cannot avoid panhandlers, pickpockets, or rubbing shoulders with office workers and delivery people going out on their business. They will see real people of all races, degrees of decorum, and income levels” (Betsky 2015). Times Square would no longer be the tourist destination that creates “a Disney version of Manhattanism,” but an honest display of New York City (Betsky 2015).

 

Sources:

Betsky A (2015) Times Square and the Reality of Public Spaces.

http://www.architectmagazine.com/design/times-square-and-the-reality-of-public-spaces_o (last accessed 16 March 2018)

 

Delany S R (1999) Times Square Red Times Square Blue. New York and London: New York University Press.

 

Reichl A J (1999) Reconstructing Times Square: Politics and Culture in Urban Development. Kansas: University Press of Kansas.

Times Square has been defined in multiple different ways: from literally referring to the “lower portion of the bowtie-shaped traffic islands formed by the diagonal intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, between Forty-second and Forty-seventh Streets” or simply being the center of the city of lights.

It was officially created when the Times Square station of the city’s first subway line opened. After the creation of this first subway line, many more transportation methods were constructed around Times Square. For instance, the first Grand Central Terminal at Forty-second Street and Fourth Avenue was built in the late 1860s. This terminal served as a “magnet for commercial development in midtown, drawing hotels and restaurants and other commercial activities that formed the basis of an uptown business district” (Reichl 1999). Furthermore, as commercial activity centered in Times Square, mass transit systems centered there as well: “by 1928, five subway lines, four elevated train lines, eleven surface lines, five bus routes, and a ferry all had terminals or stops on Forty-second Street” (Reichl 1999). As more transit methods built around Forty-second Street, making it more accessible, Manhattan, specifically Times Square and Forty-second Street became the focus of the entire metropolitan area.

As Times Square became the center of the booming economy, several individuals travelled to and from there. However, as the Times Square subway station became a link for the commute of multiple individuals, it also became a target for terrorists. There have been a couple bomb threats broadcasted on the news in Times Square. In a New York Times article called “‘The Tunnel.’ Depressing, Claustrophobic and Now a Terror Target,” Michael Wilson focuses on the emotions of the commuters in the tunnel and the threat the suicide bomber posed. Due to mass transit systems that were built to enforce the centrality of Forty-second Street and Times Square, it causes crowding in the station. As mentioned in the article, “the tunnel squeezes together thousands upon thousands of human beings moving from one borough to another. Traffic lanes are as rigid as those on an interstate highway” (Wilson 2017). Was it effective to have multiple subway lines to cross through Times Square? Though it is efficient to have connection from one borough to another, is it worth the traffic and crowded nature within the Times Square station today?

Though those are questions we can raise, ultimately, the urban developers and planners of the past, especially those who constructed subway lines, are the ones who shaped our transit to and from Times Square today. The construction of the transportation system revolving around Forty-second Street and Times Square in the 1930s influence the number of New Yorkers today who have to go through the Times Square subway station to go to other places in the city.

Reichl R J (1999) Reconstructing Times Square: Politics and Culture in Urban Development. Kansas: University Press of Kansas.

Wilson M (2017) ‘The Tunnel.’ Depressing, Claustrophobic and Now a Terror Threat. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/12/nyregion/subway-tunnel-passageway-bombing.html (last accessed 15 March 2018)

Group Members: Nabila C., Allison E., Jacqueline K., Sarah S.

Our Initial Proposal

Research Question: How is homelessness viewed in NYC, specifically by the MTA system, and how does it affect the people of the city? And what is the government doing about it, if anything?

Methods: Online research, personal observation

Data we hope to find: MTA’s policies for homeless people (if they have any), stats on how many (if any) of the homeless are sent to shelters or dealt with in other manners by the MTA, including hostile architecture. If possible, we’d also like to look into why the MTA is such a magnet for the homeless (“uncle ACE”). We hope to find information about the cause of the rise in homelessness as well as possible alternatives such as affordable housing.

How and why is it important to contemporary NYC? – New York is one of the most expensive American cities to live in but also has a wide range of class diversity within it. The wage gap and income inequality is a palpable problem that is illustrated quite clearly in this dense metropolis – those in extreme poverty live side by side with those who have lived in wealth all their days. In addition to that, this city prides itself on its core values of acceptance and diversity – a welcoming environment for anyone from anywhere, but if we cannot care about and take responsibility for homelessness, are we truly living up that image? This issue of homelessness and the way in which our government deals with it touches upon the values that our society acts upon: the comfort of the upper class taking precedence over the basic necessities of the poor. We’ve chosen to concentrate on the MTA which is a public space and system that most New Yorkers interact with on a daily basis.

Research Areas:

-policies on the homeless (NYC in general, MTA)

-hostile architecture and the funding that goes into it

-the rise of homelessness/causes of homelessness in NYC

-how we can combat homelessness (affordable housing)

Group: Destany, Cheyenne, Joe, Daniela, Shira

Possible Issues to Touch Upon

• Dilapidating Infrastructure/Features of Rikers
• Overcrowding
• NIMBY (Not in my backyard) – the issue of jails in each outer borough
• Broken Windows Policy
• Alcatraz comparison
• Violence against prisoners by prisoners
• how inmates with mental issues are not properly treated
• Mental Health of Prisoners
• How is Rikers Island Funded
  • Are there any private sector involvements?

Initial Proposal: The issue our group has decided on the various overarching issues within Riker’s island.  Destany plans to research institutional racism and the effects it has on who gets imprisoned. In addition, Destany will research the ideology of “not in my backyard” through the controversy surrounding implementing new jails or prisons into each borough. Cheyenne will research the mental health issues within the prison, specifically the treatments available for mental health and the mental problems that solitary confinement create.  Joe will research violence within the prison, including both prisoner on prisoner violence and officer on prisoner violence. In doing so, he will confront Riker Island’s reputation with police brutality. Daniela will focus on prison conditions and the deteriorating status of the prison, in terms of infrastru. Shira will research rehabilitation efforts, focusing on how these programs affect prisoners both short-term and long-term. We plan to organize our research through a blog post that mainly consists of written research, but has the potential to include relevant videos, pictures, and graphs.

 

Individual Research Assignments

Destany

Main research point(s): Institutional Racism + NIMBY

Institutional Racism/Quality of Life Issues

What I plan to discuss: The school-to-prison pipeline is relevant in the cases of people of color in New York. The issuing of bond prevents lower income people from escaping the system while upper income people are able to issue the $500 bond more easily. In addition to analyzing this, I want to analyze the discrepancies of how people of color and lower income people are treated.

Resources:

Baker, E. (2009). Rikers Island: Theories of Racism. Bloomington, IN: Xlibris Corporation.

 

Goodman, J. D. (2016, January 20). New York City Is Set to Adopt New Approach on Policing Minor Offenses. Retrieved March 07, 2018, from www..nytimes.com/2016/01/21 /nyregio/nyregionn/new-york-council-to-consider-bills-altering-how-police-handle-minor-offens es.html es.html

 

O’Donohue, A. (2014, November 11). Race and Rikers. Harvard Political Review. Retrieved from http://harvardpolitics.com/united-states/race-rikers/

 

Walker, D. (2017, May 09). Lessons From Rikers Island. Retrieved February, 2018, from www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/rikers-island/525858/

“Not In My Backyard”

What I plan to discuss: Riker’s Island will close within 10 years, and city officials have proposed a plan to disband inmates, close the prison, and then open one smaller jail in every borough of NYC. While this could be beneficial to the overall city, local residents do not want a jail and inmates near their homes, families, and communities. I would be interested in further researching how community members feel about this, and the pros and cons of establishing jails in each borough.

Resources: I would like to interview the president of the College Point Civic Association. College Point has been considered as a location for a new jail location, and the residents of College Point are strongly opposed. At community meetings, President Joe Femenia has voiced his opinions many times on his opposition to a jail in College Point.

Badger, E. (2018, January 03). How ‘Not in My Backyard’ Became ‘Not in My Neighborhood’. Retrieved March 07, 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/ 2018/01/03/upshot/ zoning-housing-property-rights-nimby-us.html

 

Fanelli, J., & Mays, J. (2016, March 31). City Hall Quietly Eyes Neighborhoods for New Jails to Replace Rikers Island. Retrieved March 07, 2018, from www.dnainfo.com/new-york/ 20160331/college-point/ city-quietly-eying-sites-for-new-jails-replace-rikers-island-sources

 

Neuman, W. (2018, February 14). Mayor and Council Agree on New Jail Sites to Replace Rikers Island. Retrieved March 07, 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/ 2018/02/14/ nyregion/rikers-close-nyc-bronx-jail.html

Daniela

Main research point: Conditions in the Jail

 

Resources:

https://grist.org/justice/a-sinking-jail-the-environmental-disaster-that-is-rikers-island/

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/06/inside-rikers-island-interviews.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/14/nyregion/mayor-de-blasios-plan-to-shrink-rikers-population-tackle-court-delays.html

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/dp59yq/how-rikers-island-became-the-most-notorious-jail-in-america

http://www.centernyc.org/hazards-rikers-island/

 

Cheyenne

Main research point: Treatment of the prisoners and their mental health

What I plan to discuss: I plan to look into how the prisoners with mental illnesses are treated and what kind of treatments (if any) are available to them. I will also be looking into how the treatment of the prisoners might exacerbate their mental health issues or create them, especially with their common use of solitary confinement at Rikers Island. 

Resources:

• Morris, N. (April 18, 2016). What I Learned Treating Psychiatric Patients at Rikers Island.

Retrieved February, 2018, from

http://time.com/4286829/mental-health-care-prisons/

• Schwirtz, M. (March 18, 2014). Rikers Island Struggles With a Surge in Violence and Mental Illness.

Retrieved February, 2018, from

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/19/nyregion/rise-in-mental-illness-and-violence-at-vast-jail-on-rikers-island.html

• Shwirtz, M. and Winerip, Michael. (July 14, 2014). Rikers: Where Mental Illness Meets Brutality in Jail.

Retrieved February, 2018, from

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/14/nyregion/rikers-study-finds-prisoners-injured-by-employees.html

• Ford, E. (May 17, 2017). Why We Shouldn’t Stigmatize Mentally Ill Prisoners.

Retrieved March, 2018, from

http://time.com/4782404/prison-mental-health-stigma-suicide/

Lewis, C. (April 27, 2016). NYC to Invest in Mental Health at Rikers Island Jail.

Retrieved March, 2018, from

http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20160427/NEWS/160429934

• Buser, Mary. (December 9, 2016). What I Learned Treating the Mentally Ill on Rikers Island.

Retrieved March, 2018, from

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/exv9y4/what-i-learned-helping-mentally-ill-people-in-rikers

• Clarke, M. (August 4, 2016). Rikers Island Guards Treat Mental Illness with Violence.

Retrieved March, 2018, from

https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2016/aug/4/rikers-island-guards-treat-mental-illness-violence/

 

Shira

Main research point: Rehabilitation efforts/programs, facilities

Resources: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/opioid-treatment-at-rikers-island-is-a-long-standing-success-but-few-jails-adopt-it

 

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2016/06/05/forget-closing-rikers

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/rikers-inmate-overdosed-wanted-rehab-treated-article-1.3597547

 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/opioid-treatment-at-rikers-island-is-a-long-standing-success-but-few-jails-adopt-it

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/04/nyregion/reading-writing-rehabilitation-rikers-helps-inmates-whose-schooling-was-once.html

 

Joe

Main research point: prisoner on prisoner, officer on prisoner violence.

What I Plan to Discuss: I plan to look at the rate of violence that occurs on the island. Breaking it down between violence between prisoners and violence between officers and prisoners. With that breakdown I will look to see what spurs these situations, whether it is a hate crime due to race and religion or any other reason for violence. I also will look at how the situations were handled in order to prevent further incidents.

Resources:

Hu, Winnie (May 29, 2016) Gang Violence at Rikers Seizes Spotlight During Guards’ Trial in

‘12 Beating. The New York Times.

Shwirtz, M. and Winerip, Michael. (July 14, 2014). Rikers: Where Mental Illness Meets

Brutality in Jail.

Gonen, Yoav (February 27, 2017) Rikers anti-violence consultant’s bill balloons despite spike

in assaults. NY Post.

New York City Board of Correction Reports (2018). Board of Correction Reports.

http://www1.nyc.gov/site/boc/reports/board-of-correction-reports.page

Scott M. Stringer (2016). Comptroller Stringer: Violence in City Jails Continued to Soar, as

Costs Climbed and the Inmate Population Dropped. https://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/comptroller-stringer-violence-in-city-jails-continued-to-soar-as-costs-climbed-and-the-inmate-population-dropped/

 

Thesis (It won’t be absolutely complete until all the research is done)

This thesis will be mentioned towards the end of the project and will act as a conclusion and consist of recommendations:

The various issues discussed in this paper have allowed for Rikers Island to be placed in its current situation. Going forward, x y and z can be done to prevent this from happening in the future and a b and c should happen right now to Rikers Island.

GENERAL Resources

Goodman, D. J. (2017). Mayor Backs Plan to Close Rikers and Open Jails Elsewhere. The

New York Times.  

Goodman, D. J. (2016). New York Council to Consider Bills Altering How Police Handle Minor

Offenses. The New York Times.

Lippman, J., Aborn, M. R., Cartagena, J., D’emic, J. M., Denerstein, L. M., Gilmarten, M.,…

Sterz, H. (2017). A More Just New York City: Independent Commision on New York

City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform. More Just NYC, p. 67.

Morris, N. (April 18, 2016). What I Learned Treating Psychiatric Patients at Rikers Island.

Retrieved February, 2018, from

http://time.com/4286829/mental-health-care-prisons/

Schwirtz, M. (March 18, 2014). Rikers Island Struggles With a Surge in Violence and Mental Illness.

Retrieved February, 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/19/nyregion/rise-in-mental-illness-and-violence-at-vast-jail-on-rikers-island.html

Shwirtz, M. and Winerip, Michael. (July 14, 2014). Rikers: Where Mental Illness Meets Brutality in Jail.

Retrieved February, 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/14/nyregion/rikers-study-finds-prisoners-injured-by-employees.html

Walker, D. (2017, May 09). Lessons From Rikers Island. Retrieved February, 2018, from www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/rikers-island/525858/

*Urban Studies adjunct

Larson Proposal Hnrs 226

Taxi/Uber/Lyft (T.U.L.) Dilemma

Leah, Melissa, Kimberly, Jennifer, Shifali

 

We are focusing on the conflict that occurs between rideshare drivers and those who employ them, namely the big name corporations and the city.  Moreover, this problem seems to escalate as the competition between rideshare and taxi drivers increases. In fact, the worth of the taxi medallion has decreased by one-fifth in the past four years due to its competition with companies like Uber and Lyft. “In 2013, some medallions sold for more than $1.3 million” (Furfaro, para. 3). Taxi drivers are not protected nor aided by the city during their struggles to attract customers, even though they’re a growing competition for this particular transportation service. However, the Uber corporation is known to poorly treat their drivers by not giving them many benefits, taking 35% of their profit, refusing to report criminal offenses, and not carrying out proper background checks on drivers. New York City taxes taxi drivers for accepting customers off of the street, which is obviously an impediment for the drivers in earning enough income, since uber and lyft drivers are not constrained by this rule. New York City is not the first location to be facing these issues.  In Rio de Janeiro and Rome, the government banned ride-hailing companies to protect the taxi employees. Furthermore, London refused to renew Uber’s licence due to a “lack of corporate responsibility” (Butler and Topham, para. 11). We are elaborating on this issue by:

• Seeing how the courts responded to taxi drivers suing the city for not protecting medallion owners

https://nypost.com/2017/12/06/judge-tosses-taxi-medallion-owners-case-to-the-curb/

• Is the city responsible for protecting the taxi drivers, as they are the ones who are employing these taxi drivers?

 

Thus our questions stands.  How is New York City addressing the competition between taxi businesses and ride-hailing apps, and how is it affecting the drivers?  

 

Our plan of action is:

 

Leah and Shifali will research effects of competition on the corporations themselves, as well as their drivers.  For example, there has been three suicides by taxi drivers in the last two months due to the rising competition and its resulting depletion of clients (Furfaro).  Additionally, ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft have been paying their employees subpar wages with little to no benefits.

• http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/cabbies-rally-city-hall-suicides-drivers-article-1.3815948
• https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/13/opinion/taxi-drivers.html?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=16F91074C2FDB08ADC94868307BA355C&gwt=pay&assetType=opinion

 

Melissa will research how the municipal government runs taxi businesses, and what their responsibilities to medallion owners are legally. (ex: what kind of background checks the city runs, limitations on where taxi drivers could pick up hailers, etc.)

 

Jennifer will research comparison between taxi and uber, and which one people prefer and why.

 

Kimberly will research policies that NYC has done to help its taxi drivers and what they could do in the future (which has already been done by other countries and cities) (ex. Taxi drivers suing the city is an example of the lack of action taken by NYC)

 

Feedback:

• Intersection between Uber drivers and taxi drivers (they do actually take up jobs from both to make higher wages)
• Legality of using taxi cars while being an uber driver
• Ethnic enclave – taxi drivers had been majority specific ethnic groups (South Asians) taxi conflicts starts affecting a whole ethnic community
• What are the social and economic ramifications of this, not upfront but a certain layers deeper?

Jane Jacobs analyzes big cities by focusing on their inner-cities: the essential parts that create the whole. She consistently raps the mantra of diversity, density, and design, all key factors that should have one priority in common: the users. For Jacobs, the people who dwell and live in the city should hold power when it comes to change, especially in their own neighborhoods. This was not the case when it came to the incredible and erupting change brought to New York under Moses’s reign. He seldom served the needs of the people, focusing instead on maintaining power by harboring relationships with wealthy politicians. Jacobs notices this and is unafraid to address it in her book, The Life and Death of Great American Cities.

 

Another group of people who are willing to listen to the theories of Jane Jacobs are (surprisingly) the Spanish. Chapter 9 of Contemporary Perspectives on Jane Jacobs: Reassessing the Impacts of an Urban Visionary focuses on her principles that stray away from otherwise mainstream ideas about cities. “It stressed the value of public space, especially in the traditional city, favoring social contacts, lively streets, neighborhood relationships as well as the importance of density, complexity, and diversity.” (Hynds) Her theories were often debated in University lectures on urban planning, most professors favoring her perspective. An example of the importance of street design centers around a building in Madrid. It was located in an area that was thought to increase profit and traffic flow due to its abundance of courtyards, concealed corners, and multiple exits. But those characteristics turned out to impact the residents negatively. “What Jane Jacobs had predicted actually came true in these interior courtyards, the neighbors were unable to control the activities that went on there and even the police could not return them to their intended use.” The Spaniards, in this case, first handedly saw the impact that a flawed design could have on the city and its people.

 

Unlike New York, Spain is an historic city, bursting with a culture indigenous to the land. One of its people’s greatest fears is the removal of history for economic gain. Jane Jacob refers to this as “the sacking of cities,” a term that can be associated with violence, robbery, and destruction. “It refers to soldiers or pirates who conquer the city and take everything by force, stealing whatever they find, as well as destroying what they cannot carry or make use of (Hynds).” It alludes back to her point that outside forces hold power instead of those already inhabiting the land. But this is not an unfamiliar nor rare notion, just think of the Native Americans before and after the arrival of Christopher Columbus. Like Moses, he foresaw potential with the land and not the people.

 

But the main point that the Spanish have taken away from Jane Jacobs is that it is not enough to be aware of the changes around us. Like American cities, Spanish cities and their people have maintained a passive voice as though they have no choice or say. Is it that we are lazy? Or do we expect politicians and urban planners to better our lives for us even though they lack an understanding of ours? Are we aware that we even have an option? Maybe New Yorkers listen to Robert Moses because we didn’t think we had a choice. After all, his rise was not democratic. That is why Jacobs carries the voice of an activist, she gave herself the choice on whether or not to remain silent to change. We, the people and city dwellers, are just as much as a problem as those in power. Jacobs reminds us that we have a choice in whether or not to listen. And once we listen to the streets and its people, what will we do about it?

 

Bibliography:

“Jane Jacobs, City Planning and Its Rationale in Spain.” Conteporary Perspectives on

 Jane Jacobs: Reassessing the Impacts of an Urban Visionary, by Alan Hynds, Ashgate,

2014.

“The Generators of Diversity.” The Death and Life of Great American Cities, by Jane Jacobs, Modern Library, 2011.

 

Elizabeth D’Angelo

Jane Jacobs’ ideology was based in values that many today would probably agree with: diversity, variety, and gradual shifts into new things. In modern New York City, however, her views are often misrepresented as a conservative longing for a return to village-like life. In truth, Jane Jacobs’ desires for New York City reflect a want for architectural diversity that serve a variety of people and purposes, that maintains both the aesthetic and practical integrity of New York City’s neighborhoods.

 

In life, Jane Jacobs advocated for the kind of New York City many would like to see. She believed that both modernity and antiquity could coexist peacefully here, and that there was room for both without encroaching upon one another. Unlike the common representation of her ideas that cites her as wanting to remain only in old architecture with antiquated- or perhaps now non-existent- uses, Jane Jacobs would have wanted “a new and modern building that adds density and vibrancy to an older area, while replacing an unsightly and quasi-vacant lot” because it would not only be more aesthetically appealing than a lot, but because it would also add practicality to the space; the modern building could be used as an office space, residence, or other commercial endeavour to balance the existing spaces in the area. Simply put, Jacobs was not opposed to the construction of new or even expensive projects as long as they did not come at the cost of useful older buildings. However, in death, her ideology was twisted and misrepresented as an overly conservative desire to return to village life, and to preserve all historical buildings, even if they were no longer useful, beautiful, or preserved. Additionally, Jacobs believed in the value of taking community opinions into consideration when diving into new projects, as it was important to sustain to a certain extent the character and purpose of the neighborhood. This is in direct opposition to how Robert Moses went about building, as he and his committees rarely incorporated the opinions of the communities they developed in. 

 

 

This clash of ideologies between Jacobs and Moses reminds me of a video I recently watched in an Urban Studies 101 course I’m taking entitled My Brooklyn. The documentary followed the effects of a rezoning and community rejuvenation project in downtown Brooklyn, particularly the Fulton St. Mall area. Community members had deeply opposed the rezoning and construction of modern buildings because they did not want to lose the integrity of the existing shops there, which mainly served minority communities and had a rich history in the area, as well as being one of the most successful shopping areas in the city. However, the city council wanted to turn the area into a more modern shopping center, and despite the protests of residents and people who already frequented the area, the construction was approved. Instead of the public space revamp that was originally planned, though, there were built many high-rise, expensive condominiums, which would neither serve the general public nor be affordable enough to the people already living there that they could become new housing. Rather, existing residents and storekeepers were evicted or driven out by rapidly rising rent prices, and the neighborhood became more gentrified with every project, with no benefit to those who previously or still occupied the area. This is the kind of project that Jacobs would never have approved of, as it not only destroyed an already economically viable area, but also the historical significance of the area, as well as displacing the populations that had occupied it for several generations. The modern condominiums would, in this case, have been considered a blight upon the neighborhood for these reasons, instead of a fascinating and useful addition as they could have been had they been built with the community in mind, without tearing away the existing heritage and usefulness of the neighborhood. Meanwhile, it’s likely that Robert Moses would have been the person approving such a project, ignoring input from the community and going ahead with plans for modern construction anyway, even at the detriment of those living there already.

 

References:

My Brooklyn. Kelly Anderson, 2016. http://www.mybrooklynmovie.com/

“Who Wears Jane Jacobs’ Mantle In Today’s New York City?” David Halle, UCLA. 2006. Pg. 239

Whenever I hear the word, “saint,” I can’t help but wonder if someone’s life has been so, utterly, completely flawless. But is that really possible? Jane Jacobs believed that cities should be treated as living organisms, responsive to people’s interaction to them. Every part of a city matters, so it would be absurd to destroy any part of them at all. But what really does “city” mean? When I googled “city,” internet provided me with a definition of “noun: a large town.” Alright, so city is apparently a large town, but are slums also part of this definition? When people hear “city,” they almost always imagine clean, eye-grabbing, and bright scenery, such as the night view of Manhattan. But the truth is, cities also include slums that give rise to many problems.

One of the main criticisms of Moses lies on his removal of the poor minorities, and that he’s an ignorant racist. For example, Caro states in his The Power Broker, “To build his highways, Moses threw out of their homes 250,000 persons- more people than lived in Albany or Chattanooga, or in Spokane, Tacoma, Duluth, Akron, Baton Rouge, Mobile, Nashville or Sacramento. He tore out the hearts of a score of neighborhoods.” But before tearing your hairs off and screaming that Moses is an evil racist, let’s stop and think for a second. Is there really any benefit in maintaining slums, that give birth to many concerns, such as lack of education, unhealthy environment for children, alcohol and drug abuse and many more? Isn’t it much better to replace the slums with more cultural and admirable place of interactions? For example, Lincoln Center is one of the world’s most renowned performance locations, and a birthplace to music and opera.  Though some people assume that Lincoln Center was here from the very beginning, that’s not exactly true.

Before its construction, Lincoln Center was surrounded by slums that resided over 8000 residents who were mostly African American and Puerto Ricans. However, in order to create the Lincoln Center, Robert Moses had to destroy the slum, creating thousands of homeless people within months. Although many critics point out that this action was based upon Moses’s racist beliefs, this is all based on presumptions. No one was able to find Robert Moses’s handwritten note or other evidence stating, “Get rid of that slum, because I don’t like the minorities.” Moreover, the creation of Lincoln Center brought in many visitors from all over the world, adding to the income of the city. And more income means more jobs, so in the long-term, Moses did good for the city, even though the residents had to be relocated.

Jane Jacobs was also known for disapproving Robert Moses and his followers for making big decisions without incorporating the opinions of the people. However, Moses and his coworkers were all very educated, and experienced, and sometimes more opinions means that you won’t be able to establish anything. Jacobs also claimed that Moses greatly favored automobiles over people, but this necessarily isn’t true. For example, Moses clearly wanted buses to help his people, not to displace them, for his Jacob Riis Park. Although the park had the biggest parking lot in the world back then, Moses did his best to include people without cars. The original construction design of the park included “bus drop-off zones, and photographs from the era plainly showed buses loading and unloading passengers” (Campanella).

Though controversial, it’s undeniable that Robert Moses left lasting impacts on the modern world. Today, Lincoln Center continues to attract millions of visitors from all over the world, while serving as a valuable educational site for everyone. His creation of highways allows people to travel much faster and conveniently, and it’s nearly impossible to imagine the world without them. As time goes on, more people will own cars, and will benefit the society tremendously.

 

https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2017/07/how-low-did-he-go/533019/

http://sghistory.blogspot.com/2011/04/lincoln-center-robert-moses-and.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we first were exposed to the ideas of Jane Jacobs I felt that Jacobs was just an activist that wanted to stick it to the man. But after reading about her I see she was not just trying to be a nuisance, was fighting for the lower class and making sure they didn’t get trampled on by big business. Although there may not be a notable activist as herself, Jacobs’ ideology from the 50’s and 60’s is still carried today. Jacobs and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation were against building tall buildings, and tearing down old warehouses or factories to acquire the land to build the massive buildings (Hale 2006). This reminded me of a rezoning conflict from this past summer in East Harlem. The original rezoning plan was to build new apartment building complexes up to 35 stories high, but that plan was shot down (New York City Council 2017). Manhattan Community Board 11 was against the rezoning because of what the plan lacked and what it would do to the community. The rezoning plan would cut down on the amount of affordable housing in the area while increasing real estate prices would make it less affordable for most families to live in the area. Local activist Marina Ortiz went as far as describing the project as it was going to “accelerate gentrification to the thousandth degree.” (Chediac 2017). Jacobs was against the building of large buildings and wanted to have diverse neighborhoods. Manhattan’s Community Board 11 is doing the same thing by shooting down the proposed rezoning. The community wanted to keep its identity and not be whitewashed by people moving in for the new lavish condos that were planned on being constructed. The passing on of Jane Jacobs’ ideology is what kept the culture of this close-knit community alive. Although the restructured rezoning plan passed in November, it provided more affordable housing and capped the high of which building can be made (New York City Council 2017). Jane Jacobs has had a lasting effect on New York City, from fighting Robert Moses’ building plans to her beliefs on city planning effecting rezoning decisions in present day.

References:

David Halle (2006) Who Wears Jane Jacobs’s Mantle in Today’s New York City?. City & Community 5:3

New York City Council (2017) East Harlem Rezoning. https://council.nyc.gov/land-use/plans/east-harlem-rezoning/ (Last Accessed 2 March 2018)

Liberation “East Harlem community leader: ‘We need affordable housing now!'” 23 October 2017