Assistant professor of Anthropology at Montclair State University, Julian is the author of a new book entitled Bloomberg's New York: Class and Governance in the Luxury City. In the book, he describes in depth the Bloomberg Way: "a philosophy that holds up the mayor as CEO, government as a private corporation, desirable residents and businesses as customers and clients, and the city itself as a product to be branded and marketed as a luxury good."
As a guest blogger, he'll be tackling topics like bike lanes, High line(s), waterfront development, urban sustainability, and other aspects of life in Bloomberg's city.
what is interesting to me is this concept of "luxury". this word has been thrown around too much for the last 20 yrs! all those brightly colored signs for bike lanes, those billboards, those buildings which have no continuity, (like the bowery) etc etc. i can go on but i will refrain. most of this is NOT luxurious. there is little thought in many of these things. you can say "modernizing" & maybe some of the materials are expensive. but i doute it. its rare that most newer buildings have integrity. after all they are corporate they are from developers. it is small companies/w good architects & individual people who usually create tasteful things. believe me, bloomburg knows what real luxury is, he lives in a large private historic home. hes not taking an elevator to the 39th floor.
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