Architecture
and
Community
New York is the mecca of larger than life developments and architecture; home to some of the most iconic buildings and neighborhoods in the world.
But at what cost?
WIth a rising cost of living, high displacement rates and rapid shifts in demographics. What is the impact of these large scale projects and beautiful architecture. How the design of buildings, among, other factors changes a neighborhood has come to the forefront over the past few decades.
Through this website I will be tackling this issue through three case studies- Columbia: Manhattanville, Pacific Park, New York Public Library- answering the question:
What is the role of developers and architects in ensuring the design and vision of their buildings can support and uplift the communities in which they reside?
Columbia: Manhattanville
Located on 125th the prestigious university’s brand new expansion in West Harlem has garnered many a criticism given the University’s storied past in Morningside Heights and the expected impact on Manhattanville residents. On the other hand, because the area was mostly industrial, few residents were displaced and some local residents have adopted the campus’s vibrant and open work spaces and cafes.
Pacific Park/ Atlantic Yards
Home to the Barclays Center and hundreds of broken promises to this neighborhood, this large scale neighborhood development has displaced hundreds and completely reshaped the landscape of Downtown Brooklyn. At the same time Atlantic Yards has undoubtedly generated revenue for local retail businesses.
History of Developments
As a historical counter-example, take a look back on how developments took shape in New York during its infancy, examining one of Midtown Manhattan’s most iconic buildings: the New York Public Library’s Stephen a Schwarzman building. No community involvement was even considered in New York’s Gilded Age.
“Instead of asking what the design should look like, I wish we’d asked, ‘What can we do for you?’
-High Line Co-Founder, Robert Hammond
What is the role of developers and architects in ensuring the design and vision of their buildings can support and uplift the communities in which they reside?
While the answer in the early 20th century was that the patrician elites of NYC could make decisions about architecture and planning in a vacuum, the Atlantic Yards and Columbia Manhattanville projects reveal that our expectations have changed. Large scale developments have a responsibility to accommodate the communities they inhabit as well as the residents and business they displace. And while Barclays makes an effort to fit in with the surrounding buildings, and Columbia has attempted to open up their campus through the “Urban Layer,'' neither of these developments truly serve the population of people they have displaced and impacted the most.
This analysis suggests that in the future, the process for addressing community concerns should be more nuanced in marginalized communities and the approach of high end “starchitects” in their design should contextualize this buildings in order to better serve these communities.
Atlantic Yards
History
The area proposed for the Atlantic Yards development resides at the convergence of four prominent Brooklyn neighborhoods: Prospect Heights, Park Slope, Fort Greene and Boerum Hill. These neighborhoods are majority residential and historically, Prospect Heights, the neighborhood Barclays technically resides in, was very ethnically diverse with a large African American population. However, like many neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Prospect Heights started to suffer from a decline in their population and economy during the mid 20th century due to white flight and as a result the city began to propose a multitude of redevelopments throughout the neighborhood. Ultimately more than 4 separate proposals for redeveloping the Atlantic Yards area never saw the light of day. The proposed site was originally used as rail yards for the Long Island Railroad and served as a transit hub as commuters would naturally funnel through the area in order to access the rest of Brooklyn.
Atlantic Yards a month before construction began in 2007
Process
The Atlantic Yards Development began in 2003 with an initial 22-acre plan to develop the former Atlantic Avenue rail yards. The proposed 6 billion dollar plan by developer Forest City Ratner consisted of a multi-use sporting arena with a capacity of 19,000 (The Barclays Center) accompanied by sixteen towers four of which have been completed. These towers were planned to accommodate both business and residential facilities alike with a plan to incorporate 4,500 apartments. This plan was also in conjunction with Empire State Development Corporation via the use of a General Project Plan where, under the Urban Development Corporation Act, they were able to override local zoning regulations and use eminent domain to force residents and businesses out of the neighborhood without the use of the community centered ULURP process, funding it mostly through tax payer money.
Shortly after the project was announced, the people of Brooklyn were ready to fight it, anti-Atlantic Yards groups such as BrooklynSpeaks and Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn were formed. These groups called for the advocacy of the hundreds of people and businesses such as beloved establishment Freddies Bar doomed to be displaced by the development. After the initial announcement in 2003, Forest City Ratner would hold multiple public hearings on the required Environmental Impact Statement. It was in these hearings where the Community Benefits Agreement was initially drafted by Forest City Ratner. This agreement was put in place as an attempt to remedy some of the displacement caused from the project and hold Forest City Ratner Accountable with organizations such as Association of Community Organization Reform Now (ACORN) and Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development (BUILD) established in order to ensure the integrity of the agreement.
Construction of Barclays center
Eagle eye view of Atlantic Yards original plan
Key components of the agreement included: Half of the 4500 apartments were required to be “affordable”, discounted reservations for use of the Barclays Center by community organizations, as well as promises of secure jobs for lower income individuals and individuals impacted by the development. Fast forward to 2012 and Barclays Center is completed (to a crowd of over 200 protesters and the lowest attendance rates in the NBA) and the four residential towers surrounding the arena are completed a few years later with a rate of 42% affordability.
Despite the commercial success of the Barclays Center, its design flaws began to show shortly after its construction. To begin with, 20 years on and a majority of the Community Benefits Agreement was and still has not been fulfilled, with only 4 of the 16 “affordable” residential buildings being built, and a majority of residents for whom those apartments would have accommodated, have been priced out of the neighborhood. Furthermore, a majority of the founding organizations, such as ACORN and BUILD, have completely disbanded and the ones that do remain aren't required to make any reports to the public on the promised jobs, progress on construction, etc. as they were initially required by Forest City Ratner. And finally, Forest City Ratner does not even exist any more as they were bought out by a developer named Brookfield Properties who then sold Atlantic Yards to Chinese developer Greenland Group.
So where is Atlantic Yards, now known as Pacific Park, now? I had a chance to talk to Gib Veconi, a member of Brooklyn Community Board 9 and BrooklynSpeaks. He said “Right now, the project is completely stalled… They're overextended in debt. They don't have access to capital. They're in a lousy interest rate environment and there's no tax abatement, they basically can't, they can't build.” He went on to tell me about BrooklynSpeaks successful lawsuit in which they settled on an agreement where each apartment unit that does not get completed by 2025, Greenland Group will have to pay around two thousand dollars a month to a affordable housing trust fund which equates to about 1.7 million dollars per month until they are completed. Ultimately, after 20 years, the Atlantic Yards Development has grinded to a standstill and is left with two options - either finish the development or foreclose.
Design
The Barclays Center was initially expected to be designed by world renowned architect Frank Gehry However, Forest City Ratner opted last minute for a cheaper alternative SHoP. Which is still a very well respected firm but they had no experience designing arenas at the time. Despite its long and arduous development, Barclays Center is one of the most interesting and unique buildings in all of New York City. The state of the art stadium sits atop its own very convenient transit hub which serves the 2,3,4,5,N,W,Q,R,B and D trains, the shape of which leads and completes the form of the arena. Upon ascending the stairs out of the station, Barclays greets you with its iconic donut shaped awning and a spacious pedestrian plaza complete with lighting and public access to the pizza restaurant inside.
Regardless of the history of its development, the arena was designed with the community in mind; its circular awning almost reaches out and beckons public use of the plaza and its rust weathered steel exterior gives it that familiar Brooklyn brownstone look. Adorning the roof of the building and subway entrance is a green lawn of sorts intended to help with rain runoff while contributing to its rustic look. However, Barclays' design is not without its flaws; many at the time (and to this day) criticized its design, calling it “alien-like” or “the bathtub” and arguing that it does not fit the context of the neighborhood. Furthermore, since the Arena sits at the convergence of four different neighborhoods and four streets it has become a traffic nightmare for commuters moving to and from, and for residents of the local neighborhoods. Despite this, Barclays Center stands today as one of Brooklyn's premier buildings and one of the most unique arenas in the world
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Analysis
From its inception, the Atlantic Yards Development has overlooked its community and time and time again failed its needs. It was no surprise to the people of Brooklyn that the development was built upon the false promises of affordable housing, premier architects. The promise for a better Brooklyn did not fulfill its promises. The project's flaws started with the failure to accurately gather community input and take into account the impact a large-scale development would have on a community. While the use of the uniform land use procedure would have been extremely difficult and slow, Forest City Ratner's feeble attempt at community engagement was a huge misstep, and creating the Community Benefits Agreement with organizations that they founded themselves doomed their efforts from the start. Moreover, the use of public and taxpayer money to effectively price the community out of their neighborhood is nothing more than a rapacious attempt at “bettering a community”.
Two of the residential towers of Atlantic yards
Foundations for the unfinished residential buildings
The failed Atlantic Yards development is the epitome of corporate greed and a complete lack of care for a community. Regardless of the impressive and alluring architecture of the arena, it unfortunately serves more as a reminder of the damage it has caused to the neighborhood. Its steel facade almost seems to mock the surrounding brownstone buildings and the bright pink neon sign above the subway's entrance proudly exclaiming We Belong Here is nothing more than an alien's desperate attempt to homogenize with its environment.
Forest City Ratner did not just poorly assess the needs of the community but actively misguided them throughout the process. With the promise of esteemed architect Frank Gehry set to design the brand new sporting arena, it was easy to see how some of the public were even excited for the initial “community center” they were pitched, however, this did not last long as Ratner’s inability to make smart financial decisions led to a quick separation from Gehry. The plan moved forward despite the public’s distrust, and after the completion of the arena and 4 towers in 2012, Ratner had exhausted its funds. Prospect Heights was left with a quarter completed development and hundreds of people and businesses displaced with only sky-high housing costs to show for it.
“We Belong Here” Sign on top of the subway station entrance
Columbia Manhattanville
History
The area known as Manhattanville, or West Harlem, was originally home to the Lenape people until Dutch colonization in the 17th century. Throughout the 19th century the area was transformed into a fulcrum of industrial activity full of factories, railways and an impressive waterfront, as well as the establishment of Manhattan College on 131st Street. During the turn of the 20th Century the neighborhood continued to operate as a working class community as an influx of immigrants settled in the neighborhood and the neighborhood was full of family run laundromat, car washes, auto shops, and pizza stores. This rapid migration resulted in a natural boom in residential buildings, churches, and hospitals. Moving into modern day, Manhattanville is a largely Latino neighborhood (62.8%) with a sizable African American population as well (25.8%) and has, up until recently, maintained its industrial and residential identity.
Early industry—Daniel F. Tiemann Paint Factory, circa 1850 courtesy Columbia Neighbors Website
Process
Columbia's ambitious expansion into Manhattanville began in 2003, with an initial proposal to rezone the neighborhood of West Harlem through the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). ULURP is the process developers use to rezone certain areas to build developments that would not otherwise be permitted. The process starts with an application from the developer, which then works its way up through the local Community Board, Department of City Planning, and City Council to the Mayor. It was during this time in which public hearings were held to gauge the communities opinions as well as to achieve some sort of agreement. Colombia's goal with this proposal was to rezone the historic manufacturing district between West 129 st and West 134 Street to a mixed use special district. After long and heated public hearings in which community members opposed the plan Columbia decided to compromise by accepting a plan known as 197-a, which would rezone the area into a “Mixed Use Academic District”, restrict the use of eminent domain during the development, and provide better zoning policies for affordable housing, transportation, and community facilities. The plan was approved by the city council in December of 2007. Columbia, however, was not completely satisfied with the limitations that came with the new rezoning as well as the large amount of public backlash they received.
In response, Columbia, in conjunction with the Empire State Development Corporation (EDC), turned to a new process of development called the General Project Plan. This plan, unlike the city and neighborhood oriented ULURP process, does not go through any city organizations, nor does it have to abide by any city zoning regulations. This shift over to the State EDC controlled General Project Plan allowed Columbia to use eminent domain, a process that allows developments to force people out of their residence and businesses. It was a concern for this process that many community members had vocalized throughout the ULURP process. Jordi Reyes-Monteblanc, Community Board Chair and resident who was in support of Columbia's expansion, stated this during a Community Board meeting:
“Although I have great hopes for a close and fruitful partnership between Columbia University and West Harlem, there are many obstacles to overcome on both sides. The community must get over its suspicion and dread of the Columbia expansion and Columbia must overcome the feelings that they know better what is good for West Harlem and our people. The use of eminent domain or even the threat of eminent domain must be removed. Community Board 9 Manhattan stands firmly and unequivocally on that principle.” (Denniston, Judeen M. “PUBLIC HEARING on the Community Board 9 - Manhattan Columbia University’s 197-C Plan .” Community Board 9, 2007, pp. 6–6.)
Even though not every community member shared the same openness to Columbia’s plan that Reyes-Monteblanc had shown, the community was clearly adamant in their stance against eminent domain, which Columbia willfully ignored with their adoption of a General Project Plan.
Zoning map from NYC.gov Executive Summary of Manhattanville Rezoning
Henry R Kravis (Left) and David Geffen Hall (Right) under construction in 2019
Design
Diller Scofidio+ Renfro Business center
The Jerome L Greene Science Center and the Forum, designed by the site's planner Renzo Piano are a pair of two contemporary glass, concrete, and steel buildings situated adjacent to the elevated 1 train. The Jerome Greene Building features a vibrant teal color on its steel frame as well an industrial style rooftop, a nod to the neighborhood's many warehouses. The Forum's monotone, jagged exterior and opaque upper level windows juxtapose the delicate and crystalline features of the Science Center. Both buildings also provide an “urban layer” ground floor, a concept coined by Renzo Piano which allows for the ground floor of all their buildings to be accessible to the public. The Forum’s first floor is a dedicated public space and houses a clean and quiet public workspace coupled with bathrooms and a space for a future cafe or bar. As for Jerome Greene it features a ground floor restaurant and bar as well as a rock climbing gym and coffee shop.
Henry R. Kravis Hall stairwell (inside)
David Geffen Hall
Renzo Piano Buildings
The Jerome L Greene Science Center and the Forum, designed by the site's planner Renzo Piano are a pair of two contemporary glass, concrete, and steel buildings situated adjacent to the elevated 1 train. The Jerome Greene Building features a vibrant teal color on its steel frame as well an industrial style rooftop, a nod to the neighborhood's many warehouses. The Forum's monotone, jagged exterior and opaque upper level windows juxtapose the delicate and crystalline features of the Science Center. Both buildings also provide an “urban layer” ground floor, a concept coined by Renzo Piano which allows for the ground floor of all their buildings to be accessible to the public. The Forum’s first floor is a dedicated public space and houses a clean and quiet public workspace coupled with bathrooms and a space for a future cafe or bar. As for Jerome Greene it features a ground floor restaurant and bar as well as a rock climbing gym and coffee shop.
Henry R. Kravis Hall
Henry R. Kravis Hall stairwell (outside)
Situated directly across the park from the Henry R. Kravis Building, David Geffen Hall follows a similar stacked or as Diller-Scofidio + Renfro has coined it “layered cake” design. A more candid building, Geffen Hall features an angular concrete facade and sharp edges. While not as intricate as its sister building's stairs, David Geffen incorporates a mesmerizing zig zag stairwell allowing pedestrian onlookers to view the daily going-ons of the university. Adding to Renzo Piano's goal of creating a campus that’s more open to the public as opposed to the walled acropolis of Columbia's main campus, the “urban layer” floor level provides a cafe open to the public with locally sourced products and goods.
Jerome L Greene Science Center
The Forum
Analysis
Columbia's expansion into West Harlem has been a complicated and complex journey over the past few decades. Starting with its original proposal, Columbia tried to gain support from the community through the ULURP process by compromising and removing the threat of eminent domain. This was an effort to remove the stigma Columbia had as an alien and destructive institution which they had gained over their notorious move into Morningside Heights. The community’s fears were eventually realized. Not even a year after their successful ULURP proposal, Columbia shifted to a General Project Plan where, under the Urban Development Corporation Act, they were able to use eminent domain to reshape the neighborhood. As a result, any trust the community had in the institution instantly vanished as they felt once again they had been sold out.
Columbia then hired Renzo Piano, an architecture firm that focuses on greenurban buildings and produced the idea of an “Urban Layer”. Which attempts to integrate the campus into the surrounding neighborhood by creating public space on the first floor over their buildings. After the completion of the first two buildings (The Jerome Greene Science Center and The Forum) in 2018, just over ten years after its shift to the General Project Plan, the community was still hesitant to interact with the campus. During a site visit with a group of fellow students, we interviewed people throughout the space to try and gauge the community’s response more than 5 years later. Dear Mama owner Zach Sharaga said “The first few years it was mainly just students and staff here but now [2023] the community has really started to accept us and we see a lot more people now”.
On our site visit, the Forum was full of people, students and general public alike, however, most of the individuals in these spaces were either students, professors, or people in white collar jobs. While spaces like these are necessary it begs the question: what community is being served?
Displacement Risk* for Non-white residents
Displacement Risk for population with income below 200% of federal poverty rate
Housing that is not income-restricted
*Displacement risk is a stat the department of city planning uses to asses the risk residents have to get involuntarily removed from a neighborhood they calculate this by evaluating housing market pressures, housing conditions, and population vulnerability click here to learn more
Forest City Ratner did not just poorly assess the needs of the community but actively misguided them throughout the process. With the promise of esteemed architect Frank Gehry set to design the brand new sporting arena, it was easy to see how some of the public were even excited for the initial “community center” they were pitched, however, this did not last long as Ratner’s inability to make smart financial decisions led to a quick separation from Gehry. The plan moved forward despite the public’s distrust, and after the completion of the arena and 4 towers in 2012, Ratner had exhausted its funds. Prospect Heights was left with a quarter completed development and hundreds of people and businesses displaced with only sky-high housing costs to show for it.
The Manhattanville Houses, NYCHA Campus directly across from Columbias build site
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
During the Gilded Age, the patrician leadership of NYC, such as the Astors and Vanderbilts, could make decisions about large scale developments with little input from the city’s residents, or even from the city leadership. So, when they identified the need for an updated public library in New York, a plan was created to redevelop the neighborhood on Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets. Prior to the development, the only thing that sat in the lot was the Croton Reservoir, which was a 4 acre monolith with 50 foot walls built in 1842 that provided the city with clean drinking water. While during this time period there were no zoning regulations or uniform land use procedures, a bill had to be passed in 1897 by New York State legislation allowing the site of the reservoir to be used for the library.
After a competition was held by the Society of Beaux-arts Architects, a private association with no governmental authority or public accountability, the [who hired C&H? Was it the city or a private organization? Who commissioned the Library? This is important] hired the firm Carrére and Hastings and the library was completed in 1911. It's important to note that throughout its process there was no public involvement and although the building was created to freely serve the public, This was a time where unregulated developments could and did happen if proposed and supported by the city’s elite.
NYPL Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Upon its opening, the library was an enormous success, boasting 50,000 visitors its first day and 4 million annually by the 1920s. Furthermore, the library and adjacent Bryant Park helped to put the neighborhood on the map as it became an architectural landmark and earned a reputation as a research and cultural center. The design of the building is of the beautiful Beaux-Art style, with ornate designs on its marble exterior and corinthian columns. Additionally, the library’s exterior has a very open public plaza welcoming its visitors with its generous amounts of space. Perched on the base of the stairwells sit two lions nicknamed “Patience” and “Fortitude,” which became a significant memento for New Yorkers struggling through the Great Depression when Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia told new yorkers these were the qualities they would need in order to survive. Despite its beautiful architecture, New York Library’s success as a development truly shows in its use as a beautiful space for New Yorkers and tourists to enjoy alike, and demonstrates how the wealthy can do some public good, an idea that many developers fail to achieve when designing modern day buildings.