The New York Experience: Past, Present and Future

New York City is the largest and arguably most globally prominent city in the United States; as a “global city” it remains one of the world’s most diverse, economically vibrant, and culturally renowned urban centers. How did this come to be? What are New York City’s most salient characteristics today, and what are the challenges it faces in its future? The first half of the course will trace the development of New York from its earliest days as a trade post for the Dutch West India Company, later a trading and agricultural economy based largely on slavery from 1620-1827, through its expansion as a critical center of trade and finance in the antebellum period; from its industrial expansion and extraordinary population growth over the course of the later 19th and early 20th centuries through its emergence as the world’s leading financial center in the post-WWII era; from its deep decline during its fiscal crisis through its economically contradictory status today as a gentrified oasis for international billionaires and corporate headquarters, the country’s most densely unionized city, and a city that continues to face growing levels of homelessness and poverty. The city of the 21st century faces many problems that can be traced to its roots, and many problems new to the postmodern era. The second half of the course will take up these themes from a contemporary standpoint, including economic development, immigration, racism and discrimination, housing and gentrification, public services and infrastructure, environmental resilience. How is New York contending with the challenges presented by these urban issues, and what does the future portend