Case Study: The Valley of Ashes

Willets Point is a 61.4-acre industrial neighborhood in New York City that has been a target of multiple city-led redevelopment efforts over many decades. Beginning in 2010, Mayor Michael Bloomberg began the most aggressive effort yet to purchase the land and remake it into a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood. Millions have been invested in the project and the city has slowly acquired much of the land that it needs to begin redeveloping the site. However, significant community opposition to these plans, including legal challenges, have continually stalled these efforts, and debates continue over what should be built on the land and what the city’s role should be in that development.

Recommended citation: Finn, Donovan. 2018. “The Valley of Ashes: New York City’s Next Great Neighborhood?” Case study. Cambridge, MA: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.