View of the construction of the Hudson Yards development in New York, NYGetty
Hudson Yards—the much-anticipated mega-development that’s transforming New York’s west side and entirely remaking the city’s skyline—marks its grand opening today. With a price tag of $25 billion, including $5.6 billion in taxpayer subsidies, Hudson Yards will bring restaurants, shopping, offices, apartments, green spaces and art spaces to a formerly unsightly piece of land occupied by the west side rail yards.
This wonderland, however, hasn’t been without controversy (although, unlike Amazon, Hudson Yards has weathered the criticism). With its integration of living, working, dining and retail, some have heralded Hudson Yards as the future of urban living. Others have mused that this hyper-integrated model could save the shopping mall. Still others have noted that the entire development feels out of place, and its forest of shimmering towers alien to the glen of brownstones that has long connected Midtown and the Financial District.
Yet, change and growth have always been native to New York City, and Hudson Yards’ amalgam of live, work, eat, play is far from an original celebration of consumerism. Rockefeller Center and the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle both blend workspace, dining and retail to achieve a more seamless experience than a typical mixed-use development. This multimodal model has become extremely popular in more modern cities around the world, and certainly offers a superior level of convenience and stimulation. Indeed, everything about Hudson Yards is designed to evoke what 20th century Marxist philosopher Guy Debord termed “the Spectacle.” Case in point: Thomas Heatherwick’s interactive sculpture, Vessel, which is literally a giant staircase to nowhere.
“Vessel,” a 150-foot-tall structure of climbable interlocking staircases, that is the center point of the $25 billion Hudson Yards Redevelopment in New York. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)ASSOCIATED PRESS
At a time when wealth inequality is increasingly acute and apparent, however, the most withering criticism of Hudson Yards is that it’s essentially an enclave for the ultra-wealthy, a island refuge for the 0.1 percent. In the face of such skepticism, Stephen Ross, the billionaire real estate developer at the helm of the project, maintains that Hudson Yards is not only for the rich, pointing out that the retail and dining options include Shake Shack and H&M.
Still, much of the development is occupied by more highfalutin tenants, such as Neiman Marcus, Cartier, Dior, Fendi, and restaurants from Michelin-starred chefs. This is to say nothing of the growing list of commercial occupants, which include a litany of financial industry giants such as BlackRock, KKR, Wells Fargo and Point72 Asset Management, or the pricey condos that range from a few million to tens of millions of dollars. On balance, Hudson Yards may in fact be open to all, but it is certainly not for all.
The physical spaces we live in, work in and play in have a profound impact on our culture and social fiber. Spaces that separate or isolate reinforce division and disunity. Spaces that welcome all but aren’t actually for all only mask this dissonance. They create the illusion that we’re all equal because we inhabit the same space. Yet, simply being in a space doesn’t mean you can afford to enjoy it—and what’s the point of shared spaces if not everyone can participate? Our physical spaces should add value to us as individuals and as a society. They should create connections, foster community and challenge us to encounter new people and ideas. If the principal value you extract from a space is the spectacle, if your role within a common space is that of a spectator not a participant, then the space isn’t serving the common good.
The physical space Hudson Yards has created is ostentatious and energizing, but the social space it has created is illusory and inauthentic. A truly equitable space, one that honors the values of eclecticism and imperfection that have made New York great, would be less concerned about matching the grandeur of Dubai or Singapore and more focused on matching the dynamism of New York City culture. This can certainly be done on a grandiose and spectacular scale, but the architectural approach needs to be social not just structural.
Yes, Hudson Yards has several expansive public spaces, but many of those spaces are (or will be when completed) on the west side of the development—the side that faces away from the city.