Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Mad About Late Buses Or Broken Trains? Blame Your Governor, Peter Tomao

Capstones

President Biden's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act promised to "expand public transit options across every state" and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while modernizing America's transit systems. But a series of hurdles ranging from recalcitrant local officials to entrenched car culture mean the bill may simply reinforce the status quo.

Here is link to capstone: https://falliblenumbers.substack.com/p/mad-about-late-buses-or-broken-trains

Preservando La Playa Del Pueblo, Tasha A. Sandoval

Capstones

After more than 80 years, the only queer beach in New York City, the People’s Beach at Jacob Riis, is in danger. In 2022, the city announced the demolition of the Neponsit Hospital, a long-abandoned structure that shelters the beach from the street, creating a sense of privacy and safety. Can Riis Beach live on as a safe and joyous utopia for queer communities without the presence of the hospital buildings? Some beach-goers are campaigning to ensure that whatever replaces the hospital space centers the queer community and preserves the beach’s queer history, including the legacy of Ms. Colombia, a …

A Lifetime Of Heroin Addiction: Jose Hernandez's Story, Pumla Kalipa

Capstones

Jose Hernandez is a 55 year old Hispanic man who has been battling with heroin and other illicit-drug abuse for over 30 years. In this story we spend time with him to understand what his daily struggles are and how he uses heroin to cope with certain life stressors. This mini-documentary and short story is also meant to inform the public about substance abuse and how to get help if needed. https://pumlakalipa01.exposure.co/a-lifetime-of-heroin-addiction?source=share-pumlakalipa01

Secondhand Shopping Is Now The Coolest Way To Get Your Clothes, Camryn Quick

Capstones

Shopping secondhand has experienced an uptick in popularity in the past few years. There are a few reasons for this, all of which are examined in the project. One reason for the increase in secondhand shoppers is the daunting news about the state of our environment. Another reason, perhaps even more powerful than the fear of environmental collapse, is that thrifting has become a fashion phenomenon showcased and distributed throughout social media apps like TikTok. Essentially, shopping secondhand has become cool. This project explores these driving forces behind the thrifting boom, as well as the possible impacts, including "thrift store …

A Crisis Within A Crisis: Nyc Landlords Ramp Up Harassment Of Vulnerable Tenants In Wake Of Pandemic, Joseph A. Jungermann Iii

Capstones

Already burdened with more sickness and death during the pandemic than other New Yorkers, low-income tenants and tenants of color are particularly vulnerable to additional harassment by landlords who seek to take advantage of the city's health and financial crisis to force them out. Brooklyn residents Delene Ahye, Dexter Lendor and Sonny Singh tell stories of their landlord, landlord agents and building manager’s harassment, which began during the pandemic’s most dangerous spikes in New York City. These forms of harassment included intimidation, abusive construction, constant buyout offers and biometrics and surveillance technology.

Link to capstone project: https://joseph-jungermann.medium.com/a-crisis-within-a-crisis-nyc-landlords-ramp-up-harassment-of-vulnerable-tenants-in-wake-of-e09d67968208

Diana: Unapologetic And Unafraid, Kirkpatrick B. Cohall

Capstones

Diana: Unapologetic and Unafraid provides a snapshot into the multifaceted, and dynamic world of Assemblywoman Diana C. Richardson. Richardson, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York has a heart for service to her community and will stop at nothing to make sure her voice is heard. Richardson takes us on a journey through her current political responsibilities and how she’s endured opposition on nearly all fronts of her political sphere, including law enforcement, news media, and other elected officials. From police officers pepper-spraying her earlier this summer at a George Floyd protest, to articles digging up dirt to intentionally slight …

"Revolution", Noelle Lilley

Capstones

When faced with gun violence in 1990s Canarsie, one 17-year-old carried his community on his back. “Revolution” chronicles the rise and fall of the Canarsie arts youth-led movement, Team Revolution, and the man at the center of it all: Divine Bradley.

When The City Sells Some Landlords’ Tax Debt Year After Year, It’S The Tenants Who Suffer., Peter Senzamici, Allison Dikanovic

Capstones

New York City’s tax lien sale has been put on hold since last spring, giving homeowners some relief and allowing landlords who are behind to continue to neglect their obligations without consequence. Now, the state’s new eviction and foreclosure moratorium offers protection from the lien sale until May, and City Council is poised to vote on a new bill that would reauthorize the sale for one year. http://petersenzamici.com/liens

More Than A Century After Problem Emerged, Manhole Explosions Still Injuring Dozens In New York City, Gaspard Le Dem, Gabriel Sandoval

Capstones

Since the early days of electrification, New York City has been rattled by manhole explosions –– underground blasts that injure residents, damage buildings, force evacuations, cause power outages and traffic disruptions.

Consolidated Edison, the city's largest electric provider, has for decades blamed manhole issues on bad weather and road salt that erodes underground wires. But some experts and former utility workers say lack of maintenance is at the root of the problem.

Meanwhile, city and state officials have failed to rein in the problem through weak laws and loose oversight. As a result, unsuspecting drivers and pedestrians continue to be …

Reimagining Essex Street Market, Madeleine M. Crenshaw

Capstones

Reimagining Essex Street Market is a multimedia story highlighting a historic 78-year-old market on the Lower East Side that is moving to a massive mixed-used development. Using, GIFS, text, social video and photo, this project illustrates the historical and cultural significance of the market that has been a staple to the neighborhood and the immigrant communities of the Lower East Side for decades.

https://medium.com/@madeleinecrenshaw/reimagining-essex-street-market-6ebcbb704b25

New York's Fight For $15: Who Wins, Who Loses?, Piter Ortega

Capstones

2016-17 State Budget: A $15 minimum wage plan is passed that will increase the earnings of more than 2.1 million low-wage workers in New York.

Link to capstone:http://www.piterortegaprojects.com/minimum-wage/

Urbanely Chained: Issues Within A City, Esther Shittu

Capstones

Each city in the United States bears its own burdens. In New York, one glaring burden is transportation, the second is the criminal justice system that seems to be packaged into one main facility: Rikers Island. The video and animation below explore these two issues. In Urbanely Chained: 219 West, the problems are examined within the scope of a television news magazine show. In Urbanely Chained: Gladiator Island History, the deep-rooted history of Rikers is explored.

Every month, students in the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism produce a news magazine show that highlights different human interest stories. As a …

Politically-Connected Nonprofit Makes Millions Putting Homeless Families In Unsafe Homes, Benjamin Foldy

Capstones

A document-driven investigation into the city’s largest recipient of homelessness funds uncovered the group’s dense political connections, questionable practices regarding subcontracting to for-profit affiliated entities and systematically subpar housing provided to homeless families. https://medium.com/@ben.foldy/politically-connected-nonprofit-makes-millions-putting-homeless-families-in-unsafe-homes-309314c2eed2

Of Rats And Men, Thomas S. Walsh

Capstones

This capstone is a data-driven investigation into New York City's rat problem. By using publicly available government data to map rat activity in NYC, I identified several socio-economic variables that correlate with rat populations at the community district, borough, and city-scale. I used these findings (mainly that rat problems are linked to lower incomes) as the basis of an investigation, which includes interviews with residents, experts, and city officials. Prof. Bobby Corrigan, urban rodentologist and formerly with the NYC Department of Health criticizes the city's efforts for the first time on the record.

https://thomasseiyawalsh.wixsite.com/ratstone

In Brownsville, A Struggle For Revitalization Without Displacement, Katherine Warren

Capstones

As many parts of Brooklyn buzz with a startling rate of economic resurgence, Brownsville seems like a neighborhood left behind.

Struggling with poverty, poor health statistics, unemployment and high crime rates, and with the highest concentration of public housing in the city, it has not seen the same commercial and real estate revival as Williamsburg, Bushwick, Crown Heights and other areas of Brooklyn.

“In Brownsville, which has had challenges battling negative perceptions of this community, most of the residents are lower income and investors in the past have deemed this community as not being as good as an investment as …

A Closer Look At Water Quality, Illegal Dumping And Community Engagement In The Coney Island Creek, Molly Nugent

Capstones

According to data science and policy blog I Quant NY, the Coney Island Creek is one of the dirtiest waterways in the city. It’s filthier than the Newtown Creek or the Gowanus Canal, which are both designated as federal superfund sites. The creek is a sanctuary for residents who want it to be cleaner and want to be in the know when it comes to dangerous levels of bacteria in the water.

What my reporting partner and I, Kyle Mackie, found was that the community has largely been kept in the dark. The DEP has been investigating both small and …

The Rise And Fall Of Airbnb In New York, Nomin J. Ujiyediin

Capstones

The homesharing website Airbnb has been a controversial presence in New York City and New York state for years. This capstone explores the company's political contributions, lobbying and public relations strategies in the city and the state.

A link to the project can be found here: http://nominuj.com/airbnb

Catering Hall Harbors Immigrant Families Through Underground Employment, Kimberly J. Avalos

Capstones

A catering hall in Queens serves as a hub of work for immigrant families and holds a collection of Latin American migration stories and insights into illegal immigration in the United States.

The stories of the catering hall workers—younger and older, longtime residents and new arrivals—reflect the different struggles of immigration across the different generations of immigrants who work there. Their stories also show the common bonds for the different generations and the longstanding dreams of America.

immigrantworkers.kimberlyjavalos.com

Nyc Waterfronts, Pollution And Access, Guglielmo Mattioli

Capstones

This capstone is about the waterfronts of New York and their relation with access and pollution.

The city has come a long way since the 80s in terms of cleaning up open waters, rivers, and creeks. Many new promenades have been open and development spurred along the city shores. Yet too many miles of waterfront are still not accessible to the one most in need.

Jamaica Bay, Newtown Creek, and Flushing Bay are some of the most representative examples of where there is little access to the water and pollution levels are still too high. This capstone, organized in two …

Brooklyn Trash Problems, Christina Diaz

Capstones

Walk through the streets of New York and at some point you’ll inevitably pass by a wafting smell of garbage, but residents of North Brooklyn are handling more than their share of the smelly load and they’re tired of getting dumped on.

A newly formed coalition of neighbors and environmental activists has begun a turf war against Brooklyn Transfer LLC, a waste transfer station located on Thames Street in East Williamsburg, which handles private commercial waste through ­­­­­­­­­­­­­Five Star Carting.

Link to Map: https://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=1769408

Wasted New York, Aliza D. Chasan

Capstones

Trash may not be treasure, but it can be groceries. The United States Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency announced plans this year to halve food waste by 2030, but dumpster divers - also known as freegans - have been eating away at food waste for decades. Cutting down on organic waste can help feed the hungry, save money and minimize the environmental impact of rotting food in landfills. Many individuals, private groups and the New York City government are all working to cut down on organic waste.

Obscure Certificates Could Cut Down Recidivism, Frank Green

Capstones

When you’re convicted of a crime, your punishment doesn’t end with prison. Your life is harder until you die. New Yorkers with criminal histories can get these Certificates that make life a little less hard. They’re a kind of a diploma of rehabilitation. The standards for getting them aren’t that high. Most people who’ve been convicted of a crime are eligible, in theory. But hardly anybody gets them. This article is about the ignorance and legal contradictions that have made them so obscure.

Veins Of The City, Daniel Lewis

Capstones

Hurricane Sandy reminded New Yorkers that the city is as defined by its rivers and bays as by its parks and skyscrapers. This project looks at the history of New York's waterways: how they were designed, how artists, engineers, and residents are working to adapt to a changing climate, and how the solutions may once again make the water part of everyday life.

Rethinking School Discipline, Gwynne Hogan

Capstones

How schools maintain order in the halls can be just as important as what they teach in the classrooms. The way students are disciplined teaches them what consequences their actions will have not just in school, but as they grow into adulthood. This project examines the role of the NYPD in city schools and the impact it has on school discipline. It will also look into one school in Far Rockaway whose principal has managed cut suspensions by shifting attitudes towards discipline.

The Coops After The Storm, Caroline Lewis

Capstones

For many, Hurricane Sandy is either long forgotten or brings to mind thoughts of loss and destruction. But in Far Rockaway, there is a lingering struggle to use the momentum generated by the unique Occupy Sandy disaster relief efforts to create a new cooperative economy. The project dovetails with a larger experiment in scaling up worker cooperatives in New York City and raises questions about what can come out of future storms if the Occupy Sandy model is replicated.

Hipsterevolution, Alessandra Malito

Capstones

The hipster is part of an ever-present subculture rapidly taking over metropolitan areas, regardless bias or perception. It is an old word with a deep history, and those who follow it – consciously or subconsciously – are bringing the subculture to the forefront of urban life, and impacting every aspect from social to economic through the increase of housing prices, the introduction of big-name brands in otherwise small neighborhoods and the pushing out of residents who had been there long before the new kids on the block, but won’t be there after. So who are they -- and where are …

The Diary Of An Ex-Con, Erica Edwards

Capstones

Evelyn Litwok talks about abuse that incarcerated people experience in prison and the punishment inmates face when they attempt to address it with administration.

The Country Club Sport: The Decline Of African-Americans In Baseball, Elijah Stewart

Capstones

This season Major League Baseball announced that African-American players only comprised 8.3% of rosters on this year’s Opening Day. This would be tied for the lowest number ever recorded by the Institute of Ethics and Diversity in Sports since 1990, their first year of research. In 1990, TIDE reported that 17 percent of the players were black; other tallies have put the high mark as 1986, when the figure was 19 percent. The rise in popularity of basketball and football, along with a lack of funds and interests interest in baseball amongst the black community has caused the decline; but …

Iron Tower, Laura Bult

Capstones

The current state of higher education in prisons in the U.S., as a reflection of our changing attitudes about the purpose of incarceration, as told by the story of Clyde Meikle, a man with a life sentence in Connecticut who is a student in Wesleyan's Center for Prison Education, a liberal arts program.

Counterfeit Ed, Meral Agish, Sarah Barrett, Mark Fahey, Audrey Mcglinchy, Jacob Naughton, Oresti Tsonopoulos

Capstones

This investigative project explores the abuses of for-profit colleges in New York City in the context of what federal, state and city bodies have done to regulate these schools. We focused on two for-profits in the city, ASA College and TCI College, whose practices typify the criticisms of for-profit schools: targeting low-income people of color, funding the school from mostly federal student loans and issuing pricey degrees that yield few field-specific jobs.