Turf War

In the late 1980s, a band of New York civic groups set out to stop Donald Trump from building his "masterpiece," a half-mile of gargantuan buildings overlooking the Hudson River on Manhattan's West Side. After five years of community organizing and strategic opposition, they defeated his proposal. The victorious civic groups had a radically different vision for the site - one that was suited to the community, environmentally sound, and financially feasible. Seeking a way forward, Trump quickly endorsed their concept. The civic groups then worked with him to finalize the design. The resulting Riverside South Master Plan achieved substantial public benefits on privately owned land. Within eighteen months of the city's approval, Trump sold the property. As told by one of the key participants in this conflict, Turf War goes beyond the national headlines to reveal the personalities, politics, and economics that altered the development of this major waterfront property. These Manhattan activists were attached to their turf and were willing to fight for it. Cities and towns across America are facing similar assaults by developers who have little regard for the impact of their ambitions on the character of communities. There are lessons to be learned here.