Shaping the Future of New York City
CHC 250 (004)
Spring 2009
Tuesday 5:30pm – 8:05pm
Room 1702C Hunter East
Instructor: John Phillips
Objectives:
Walking through almost any New York City neighborhood, the sense of ongoing change is almost palpable. Since its founding almost four centuries ago, the city has accommodated a multiplicity of immigrant groups, different social classes, changing economic and industrial influences, the development and expansion of the world’s largest mass transit system, a myriad of cultural institutions, various recreational and entertainment venues, along with housing for its economically, socially and culturally diverse population. What are the forces that allow this city to be in a constant state of reinventing itself?
In contemplating the future, students will examine the historical interplay of social, economic, cultural and political forces that have shaped the physical form, sense of place and social dynamics of New York City. Key areas to be examined include:
- The evolution of the city as one of the world’s foremost economic and cultural centers; the historic context of the city’s economic strengths; and the role of the city’s mass transit system in defining and accommodating this changing urban landscape.
- The interdependence of New York City and the greater metropolitan region including the role of transportation and technology in guiding development and land use patterns, as well as changing work relationships and social interactions
- The importance of New York City as a magnet for the creative arts, financial markets, medical and educational institutions and its effect on the region, nation and global economies, patterns of development and design trends.
- Institutional agents of change in the city – federal, state, city government, public authorities, private-sector interests, community boards, and community-based organizations – to understand the public role in the decision-making processes of government.
- The role of race, gender and ethnicity in the economic, social and cultural life of the city.
Seminar participants will gain a better understanding of New York City from an experiential level by maximizing the benefits of being a resident of one of the world’s most culturally diverse urban environments In addition to reading relevant materials, the experience will include, among other things, visits to museums, viewing of films that depict the city, and gathering empirical data from original sources through personal interviews, self-conducted surveys and attendance at public meetings, These activities will result in a clearer understanding of the confluence of elements that formed this unique urban environment and the tools necessary for it adapt for future generations.
Grades:
- a. Class participation (30% of total grade) is a vital component of this course, since conversations, debate, and expressions of opinions will be the primary component of each class. Throughout the semester, the instructors will observe the quality of student participation in class discussion. Feedback will be provided halfway through the semester.
- b. Assignments (30% of the total grade) occur regularly throughout the semester. These include reading guides that will assist students glean relevant points from readings, one essay on a movie that depicts the future of an urban environment, an essay on a public hearing, and museum visits.
- c. The final project (40% of total grade) will consist of a memo and presentation to Mayor Bloomberg on an issue facing the future of New York City. The memo and accompanying presentation should describe a problem facing the City, articulate a convincing policy approach to solve the problem, and evaluate alternative or contrary approaches toward addressing the problem. The memo should address all issues in ten pages (double spaced). The presentation should be 10 minutes in length. Details on the final project are below.
Please remember that Hunter College regards acts of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty. The college is committed to enforcing the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue cases of academic dishonesty according to the Hunter College Academic Integrity Procedures.
SCHEDULE
January 27: Introductions/Course Overview/Discussion of Final Project
- a. Assignment I: Film Review – See a film that either depicts a city of the future or one that uses New York City as a backdrop. In a 500-word review, discuss the image of the urban environment including but not limited to: the built environment; modes of transportation; occupations; means of communication; social structure; and the role of race and gender. (Due February 3rd)
- b. Assignment II: Personal Photo Essay of New York (Due February 17th)
- b. Assignment II: Visit the Museum: Visit the Museum of the City of New York. See “Timescapes: A multimedia Portrait of New York,” the adjacent “Trade” exhibit, and the “Times Square/Broadway” exhibit upstairs. The Museum of the City of New York (www.mcny.org) is located at 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street in East Harlem. Be prepared the address the following questions from the “Trades” exhibit: What innovative ideas fostered the growth of New York City’s port? What eventually led to the port’s decline? (Due February 24th)
- c. Assignment III: Attend any one of the following: a City Planning Commission (CPC) review session; a CPC public hearing; a Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) hearing; or a community board meeting; (Due March 10th)
February 3: Planning for New York City’s future in the context of global warming and other environmental challenges and the future of New York City as a pre-eminent world city. Discuss the following readings (reading guide is due):
- a. plaNYC 2030; http://www.nyc.gov/html/planyc2030/html/home/home.shtml
- b. Benninger, C.C. 2001. ‘Principles of Intelligent Urbanism’, Ekistics 69, 412: 39–65: Athens
- c. Film Reviews
February 5: Common Event at Graduate Center
February 10: No Class
February 17: Personal Photographic Essays of New York City
- a. Read White, E.B. 1949. Here is New York. New York. The Little Bookroom. [pp.17-56].
- b. E.B. White paints a picture and evokes a spirit of a particular time in the city’s history. Using your personal experience as a New Yorker, Document in a short photographic essay (about a dozen photos) your impression of the character of New York City. Focus on the similarities or differences between E.B. White’s New York of 1949 and the New York of today.
February 24: Historic Context and Infrastructure
- a. The development of the city is tied closely to the growth of mass transit. Originally a series of disconnected railroads, New York City’s subway is the world’s most extensive underground system. Nestor Danyluk, Senior Planner with the Department of City Planning, will chart its historical growth along with the development of housing in the adjoining neighborhoods.
- b. Planning policies and infrastructure investments in the mid and late Twentieth Century resulted in major changes in New York City’s built environment. Discuss the following readings:
- Caro, Robert A. 1974. The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York. Vintage Books. [pp. 837-894 – please use your own copy of the Power Broker].
- Jacobs, Jane. 1961. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Vintage Books. [pp.1-25]
- c. Assignment II due – museum visit.
March 3: Institutional Agents of Change
Andrew White, Director of the Center for New York City Affairs at Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy will discuss institutional agents of change, focusing on areas such as politics and government and the role of the media, the private sector, the nonprofit sector, and other actors. on shaping policy and the decisions of public agencies and elected officials.
March 10: Governmental and Non-Governmental Planners
- a. Justin Moore, Senior Urban Designer with the Department of City Planning will discuss the role of zoning and urban design in the planning process. Special emphasis will be placed on the current development plan for Coney Island. Review the following before class: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/coney_island/index.shtml
- b. Non-governmental planners play a significant role in shaping the city. L. Nicolas Ronderos, Senior Planner with the Regional Plan Association (RPA), focuses on the interrelation between Transportation, Community Planning and Real Estate Development. Review the following prior to class: http://www.rpa.org/2007/08/hunts-point-demonstrates-poten-1.html
- c. Assignment III due — attendance at a public hearing.
March 17: The Arts and Creativity in New York
What is the role of the “creative industries” in New York City? What is the future of New York City’s creative industries and what is the implication on the City’s future as a whole?
- a. Discuss the following readings (reading guides are due):
- Florida, Richard. 2005. Cities and the Creative Class. New York: Routledge. [pp. 27-45; 155-170]
- b. Arts Panel Discussion with a sculptor, a musician and an actor.
March 24: Gender and Planning
“Increasingly, experts recognize that gender has affected urban planning and the design of the spaces where we live and work. Too often, urban and suburban spaces where we live and work. Too often, urban and suburban spaces support stereotypically male activities and planning methodologies” Lisa J. Servon, Dean of Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy, will explore this premise put forth in a book she co-edited with Susan S. Fainstein: Gender and Planning: A Reader. 2008. Rutgers University Press. New Brunswick, New Jersey.
March 31: Reclaiming the Recreational Waterfront
Reclaiming the recreational waterfront: Parks and recreational space are a vital component of balanced residential neighborhoods. However, high costs for park construction and maintenance require creative approaches to new park development. We will meet at the offices of Regina Myer, President of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation, a subsidiary of the Empire State Development Corporation. Review the following prior to class:
- a. Modified General Project Plan, Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation; http://empire.state.ny.us/BBPDC/
- b. Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy; http://brooklynbridgepark.org/
April 7 – Planning Tools at Work: Walking Tour of the Theatre District
New York City’s theatre district is the product of historical development, but is its image is now largely maintained through effective government intervention. Innovative zoning mechanisms and landmark designation to preserve theatres combine to keep this area the iconic symbol of the city. Review the following prior to the tour:
- a. The New 42nd Street; http://www.new42.org/
- b. Times Square Alliance; http://www.timessquarenyc.org/
- c. Special Midtown District, Theater Subdistrict zoning regulations (to be provided in class)
- d. Fainstein, Susan S. 2001. The City Builders: Property Development in New York and London, 1980-2000. [pp. 123 –136]
April 14 – Spring Break
April 21 – Final Project Preparation – Draft Recommendations and Policy Proposals Due
I will review the status of these portions of the memo in class. Please be prepared to work independently while I’m working with other students.
April 28 – Final Project Preparation – Development of Recommendations and Proposals
May 5 – Practice Presentations
May 11 – Common Event: Conference at Graduate Center
May 12 – Final Presentation – Review Panel