Fostering Equitable Urban Development through Community Control of Land

Gentrification and the commodification of housing have shaped New York City for decades to the detriment of low income communities. In response, these communities have organized to create long-term, viable strategies for maintaining housing affordability, green space, and urban gardens through community control of land. My research will explore how communities can leverage local needs and interests by gaining control of land to foster more equitable and resilient urban development. In order to do so, I will:
1. Identify key policies, institutional frameworks and organizational structures that allow communities to gain control of land
2. Develop a contextualized analysis of one formal and one informal form of community control over land in New York City
3. Contribute to capacity development of two community-based organizations (the New York City Community Land Initiative and the Smiling Hogshead Ranch) that are working towards building a more equitable city through community control of land.

Faculty Supervisor:

Luisa Sotomayor

Student:

Partner:

City College of New York

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

York University

Program: