The Ascension of Universities as Anchor Institutions and the Threat of Gentrification: Evaluating Columbia University’s Manhattanville Project
- Title
- The Ascension of Universities as Anchor Institutions and the Threat of Gentrification: Evaluating Columbia University’s Manhattanville Project
- Creator
- Brianna Sturkey
- Description
- Universities and colleges throughout America are becoming increasingly key players in the economic, political, and social development of urban neighborhoods. Many scholars focus on the infusion of capital, real estate, and employment opportunities that these anchor institutions bring to their respective communities, often minority neighborhoods, which have been marked by decades of government disinvestment. However, these narratives of economic rejuvenation obscure the ways in which anchor institutions displace long-term African-American residents. This dissertation examines how Columbia University’s Manhattanville Project has increased the speed and scope of the gentrification processes in West Harlem. By analyzing landmark legal cases related to eminent domain law and newspaper articles revealing undisclosed deals between Columbia and New York State officials, I trace the various avenues through which this institution has flexed its political power in order to realize its expansion project. I argue that Columbia has engaged in various ethically questionable practices in order to acquire the land for the purpose of its Manhattanville project and that these tactics mirror strategies employed by corporations when pursuing their interests: they both are defined by their severe lack of consideration for the social and economic havoc that low-income and minority residents suffer as a result of their actions...
- Date
- 2020
- Format
- student project
- Link
- drive.google.com
- Source
- Sturkey, Brianna. “The Ascension of Universities as Anchor Institutions and the Threat of Gentrification: Evaluating Columbia University’s Manhattanville Project .” Barnard College, 2020.