The 3 pieces of information I have read are extremely valuable for my teams outline and for source material. The opinion piece by Joseph Alexiou, author of Gowanus: Brooklyn’s Curious Canal is exactly what I would expect from someone who understands in depth the issues the neighborhood is facing. It’s unfortunate that the opinion piece believes that the canal will never be cleaned up. My team will attempt to address this matter and research ways that the canal has been improved even slightly. An interesting excerpt I found was “One answer is because people will live anywhere, they can in New York because the rent is so high. Another is that we really do need the housing — perhaps so much so that it’s worth putting some 800 people in harm’s way during a major weather event. What is certain is that the developers want it, and now, before any further cleanup issues arise.” I think Alexiou’s point is interesting and it’s a problem that isn’t exclusive to just Gowanus but rather the entire city. The booklet on the other hand, as someone who has a basic understanding of these topics, has given me an even more precise and exact explanation of zoning and rezoning. The Gowanus Planning Study addresses the reality that the neighborhood is being up zoned as we speak. Another excerpt from Alexiou’s opinion piece that is relevant to the study was “Not because the people involved are monsters who don’t like a clean environment, but because they fall prey to the same forces that have always called all the shots in this city: the civic power brokers and real estate developers.” My team coincidently addresses the issue of developers and how they have disproportionate power in the zoning, construction and even who gets affordable housing. Evidently the power is in the hands of the developers and powerful and it has been the case even in the canal’s inception. It was corruptly mishandled by public officials and left for the upcoming generation to handle rather than being accountable for the mismanagement. Even in current times, the canal is woefully disrespected and unfortunately we are prioritizing profit rather than progress.