I read the comments to Ulises’ posting and was relieved that I’m not the only one struggling to solidify a topic/approach for the issue entrepreneurship project. I have the workings of an idea and figured I’d blog about it as a way to organize my thoughts and [hopefully] elicit ideas from you guys. As Anthony wrote in his comment, this project could be a good excuse for me to turn my idle complaints into action (I can still complain though, right?).

My idea relates to a plan to build two high-rise towers on Broadway near 100^th Street. The developer is Extell Development Company. As explained in Columbia Spectator, these buildings would be twice as tall as surrounding structures and would drastically alter the physical landscape of the neighborhood. The building would be comprised of luxury apartments starting at $2 million. One objector spoke of the influx of wealthy residents to the middle-income neighborhood: “No young people, no elderly people, no artists, no teachers can live in the neighborhood anymore because of the rising prices. We’re missing a vibrant part of the community.” Clearly, the construction of these buildings will advance the gentrification already evident in Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

West Siders for Responsible Development is a local group that is voicing opposition to Extell’s plans. Despite their protests, Extell is proceeding with the plan “as-of-right;” the company does not need zoning changes or permission from the community board because they bought the air development rights that allow them to build higher than normal zoning would allow (they bought these rights from a church, believe it or not). Central goals of West Siders for Responsible Development are to change the area’s zoning laws and to halt Excell’s current development plan. The group intends to send a petition to Mayor Bloomberg and hopes he will intervene before Extell completes the buildings’ foundations.

To date, West Siders for Responsible Development have incited five protests and established a blog to which they post occasional updates regarding protests and meetings. While their efforts and accomplishments are admirable, it seems the group has not fully tapped the power of new media to help advance their cause. Using social software, I’d like to help the group spread the word about Extell’s plans and its negative consequences. I’d like to help them recruit the support of more UWS residents, as well as community outsiders who object to the gentrification of lower- and middle-income neighborhoods. Furthermore, I’d like to identify communities that have confronted similar challenges in order to gain insight into opposition strategies that proved effective.

So I guess I now I have a better grasp on what it is I’d like to do. If only I knew where to begin…