This week, we heard the wonderful news that the Elizabeth Street Garden is finally saved from development!
The Elizabeth Street garden is located in lower Manhattan in an area with extremely little green. It was established in 1990 by the gallery owner Allan Reiver on an abandoned lot. The garden has since evolved into a vibrant space full of plants and sculptures that is beloved by residents, visitors and quite a number of celebrities.
In 2012, the city decided to develop the lot. As soon as this became known, neighbors and local business owners came together to resist such plans and to work towards making the garden a permanent park. During the following years, a non-profit organization (ESG) was formed, donations were collected, rallies and protests were organized. The city countered by planning to build apartments for seniors on the lot, thereby pitting the need for affordable housing against the need for green space. Supporters of the garden always insisted that there were other sites for such housing.
More than a decade and several law suits later, it appears that the city has given in. Alternative sites for affordable senior housing were identified, which would support three times as many apartments as the planned building on Elizabeth Street. If this works out, it will be a win-win situation for everybody.
Let us hope that this is a new beginning. Let us hope that the officials begin to re-think the use of land not covered in concrete and stone. As temperatures soar into the high 90s this week, it is ever more obvious how important the green oases in the city are for the well-being of all of us.