Is the environmental review process broken? At the Municipal Art Society's (MAS) Summit for New York City October 21-22, two speakers suggested it was, but they didn't make what I believe is a key distinction: between truly public projects and public-private (or private-public ) projects. Opening up the first session of the two-day event, Philip K. Howard , lawyer, author ( The Death of Common Sense ), and founder of the national coalition Common Good , warned of "a growing bureaucracy that shackles government, stifles innovation, makes it impossible to adapt to current challenges." And while his critique encompasses the budget and the schools, he directed his most pointed comments to the struggle to build new infrastructure. "No pebble left unturned" Environmental impact statements (EIS) "have evolved into a process of no pebble left unturned," he warned. "If it takes a decade or longer to get approvals, it will be 2025 or 2030 to start...
This watchdog blog, by journalist Norman Oder, covers the project to build the Barclays Center arena and 15-16 towers at a crucial site in Brooklyn. Dubbed Atlantic Yards by developer Forest City Ratner in 2003, it was rebranded Pacific Park Brooklyn in 2014 after Shanghai-based Greenland USA took a majority share. Forest City left in 2018. Eight towers and the arena have been built. After a stall, Cirrus and LCOR in 2025 took over as master developers. A plan to complete the project is pending.