Month: June 2011

The Whitney takes a look at New York City foreclosures

“Never let a good crisis go to waste.” Chicago’s new mayor Rahm Emanuel’s words seem to have captured the spirit of the times, especially among planning and policy wonks. With the foreclosure crisis reeking havoc on communities across the country, not to mention the national economy, policies promoting homeownership are beginning to be questioned.

This Saturday, the Whitney Museum is bringing together an interdisciplinary panel of speakers to discuss these new challenges and the opportunities they present at a new exhibit Foreclosure: Crisis or Possibility. None other than Columbia’s Peter Marcuse will be on the panel, joined by New School Professor of art and design Radhika Subramaniam, Architect Damon Rich and artist Tania Bruguera to discuss:

How does the current economic crisis reconfigure urban space, specifically in New York City? How do contemporary artistic and urban practices engage with and impact the social imaginary of the city? Bringing together the disciplines of urban planning and design with artistic and curatorial practices, this platform considers the city as a stage of conflict, desire, and imagination.

What: City as Stage: A Conversation with Tania Bruguera, Peter Marcuse, Damon Rich, and Radhika Subramaniam
When:
Saturday, June 11th @3pm
Where:
The Kitchen, 512 W 19th Street (not at the Whitney!)
How Much:
Free
Website:
The Whitney Museum

Municipal Art Society Explores Zoning at 50

This Wednesday, the MAS is hosting a panel discussion on New York City’s landmark 1961 Zoning Resolution — arguably the single most important factor dictating the city’s built form. From height and setbacks to parking lots and preservation, there’s little zoning doesn’t influence.

Yet at fifty, the zoning code is beginning to show its age. A product of 1960s planning theory, it is perhaps the last remaining holdout of an era the profession has largely turned its back on. With the code now full of special districts, quality housing provisions and parking waivers that actively seek to remedy past mistakes, the document has grown to an unmanageable 900-plus pages.

But is a new code really the answer, or can more amendments throw out the bathwater while saving the baby? That’s what Philadelphia Deputy Mayor Alan Greenberger, midtown planning consultant Michael Parley and general counsel for New York City’s DCP will be discussing Wednesday, June 8th at 6pm.

As planning students, we’re automatically members of MAS, bringing the price of attendance down to $10. If you’re thinking of writing for the next issue — which is a special edition on zoning — or are just interested in this landmark document, come check out the talk.

What: The Zoning Resolution at 50: Addressing the Challenges of the Next 50 Years
Where: Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue (between 37th and 38th streets)
When: Wednesday, June 8th @6pm
How Much: $10 for MAS members (all us students) and $15 for non-members
Register at: MAS Website or call 212-935-2075

A reception will follow.

 

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