SoiferI VtP Annotation: Reading Places

Columbia University purports to be concerned about “blight” in the Manhattanville area (part of West Harlem), the remnants of an industrial past that to the eyes of the university and those it seeks to attract may regard it as outdated, useless, “empty,” and perhaps even aesthetically unpleasing (which is important for narratives of “development”). Columbia sees its Expansion as not only pushing outside the bounds of its current fortress-like campus, but outside the bounds of older ideas of technological development to pursue “innovation.” The bounds of the new campus expansion are not strictly those within West Harlem, but have reaches to other parts of the world as well via "The Forum," which will "bring together leaders and thinkers from across the University, the city and the world." Meanwhile, the businesses that once resided in the area were kicked out, many of which were owned by immigrants, dismantling that which they had worked hard for. Residents in the housing developments are more concerned with the dilapidated state of their own housing, what with leaking roofs (that haven’t been replaced since they were first built about 70 years ago), breaking elevators (in a place with many older people and young kids), exposure to asbestos (with particularly harmful effects for young and old people), and limited space for families (if the family grows, they are often denied movement to a more suitably sized space). Dealing with housing that residents claim was once beautiful and now shoddy speaks to the governance challenges at the federal and state levels, or perhaps not challenges, bu the intentional neglect and at times silencing of residents speaking against poor living conditions. Nonprofits such as Community Voices Heard seek to engage in the conversation of what happens to neighborhoods facing gentrification in areas considered industrial as well as the risks posed to residents of low-income in public/affordable housing. They strive to push for greater funding from the government to ensure protection of not only the affordable housing option, but the people currently residing in affordable housing who face the brunt of structural neglect.Builders of the Manhattanville Expansion dug 70 feet underground to form a “bathtub,” so as to store much of the building’s facilities, a fact that each of the administrators I interviewed at Columbia described with enthusiasm. On top would be built the rest of the Expansion, with some sparse trees surrounding the building, fake boulders, and slabs of concrete. Meanwhile, other old buildings in the expansion’s footprint that have not been torn down yet remain vacant, awaiting their destruction. Security cameras line the edges of the campus. The waterfront is also marked by Columbia’s presence, being “revitalized” in such a way as to invite Columbia affiliates to take advantage of the Expansion’s location. Across the subway line there are the Manhattanville and Grant Houses, the likes of which are surrounded by trees  (some of which were conceived of due to participant budgeting) and fences. In addition, there are some updated playgrounds, a basketball court, and community gardens (one of which included a sign depicting a timeline with various famous and influential Black Harlemites and other influential historical figures). In addition, there was a sign posted by the nonprofit We Act urging residents to recycle (there is a great deal of trash strewn throughout New York City on the streets and in the grass). When I first visited Grant Houses, there were names etched on the sidewalk in chalk, naming various victims of police brutality.