In “Garden Tools” (#46/47), Charlie Dulik argues that saving the Elizabeth Street Garden is effectively preserving the status quo, and that the proposed development is part of the solution to the city’s housing crisis. But the development includes unnecessarily large commercial spaces; bland, non-ecological green space that works against nature; and neoliberal, means-tested notions of “affordability.” Its realization would require antiquated, high-emission construction techniques, reflective of antiquated thinking that must be revised with more humane ideas.
The East River Park redevelopment is another fine example of ill-considered, environmentally damaging construction. Raising the park ten feet does nothing to adequately prepare us for impending climate catastrophes. At most, it’s useful practice for when the waterfront has to be raised again in twenty years.
The thinking behind both designs is merely a continuation of the same policies that got us to where we are now. “Affordable” units that can cost up to fifty per cent of a resident’s post-tax monthly earning…
