New real estate developments in New York City are receiving fierce opposition from locals, according to the New York Post.
The park block of West 66th Street used to be home to ABC Studios, but it will soon host luxury apartments in a series of skyscrapers.
One 775-foot-tall tower is nearly finished, housing 127 units, 70% of which are sold. Another 1,200-foot tower is being planned to join it.
Despite the developer indicating willingness to include affordable housing in the new building, some residents of the surrounding Lincoln Square neighborhood aren't convinced.
"The needs of the community are not being met by the housing stock being developed," said Landmark West executive director Sean Khorsandi, per the New York Post.
"The building is 39 stories on paper, but as tall as a 77-story building," he said. Its 400 luxury condos would take up as much space as 1,400 standard one and two-bedroom units, he said.
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The absurd height of the new condos will also impact Central Park, the city's major green space. Massive shadows cast by the skyscrapers would cut all the way across Central Park at 7 p.m. "We are talking about alienating acres of parkland," said Khorsandi, per the New York Post.
By and large, luxury lifestyles are doing an outsized amount of damage to the environment. The home energy pollution that comes with massive homes is one source, while luxury travel is another big portion of their pollution.
The argument for dense housing extends beyond equity. It's a key component of walkable cities. By intelligently housing more people within a certain area, it's possible to enjoy the benefits of scale for needed infrastructure.
This is especially true of public transportation, which produces far fewer emissions than driving cars. Engaging in active transportation like walking and cycling also becomes more viable with dense housing, providing residents with health benefits.
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Absolutely 💯 Despite all this, the building of luxury condos is likely to continue in New York City.
"We expect more development along the Broadway corridor," Khorsandi said, according to the New York Post. "A lot of stuff is built out, and this is the tipping point where, in order to extract more value, you have to build something bigger."
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