New York City bursting at the seams: A review of the proposed Sunnyside Rail Yards redevelopment project

New York City has invested millions of dollars revitalizing areas that at one point may have been eyesores or underutilized. Locations like Time Square, Atlantic Center, and the High Line were all projects proposed to revitalize these areas for economic growth. Will Sunnyside Yards be New York City's next megaproject? Sunnyside Yards is one of the largest undeveloped parcels in New York City and holds virtually limitless potential to developers willing to build a platform above the tracks. Planners have long dreamed about what could be built on the property but the plan proposed by the de Blasio administration has taken lead and is intended to offer a solution to keeping NYC affordable for New York families. The purpose of this research is to weigh the pros and cons of investing in this 180-acre rail yard. While Sunnyside Yards is a subject of great fascination and intrigue it is also the subject of social, economic and development debate. Redevelopment projects may improve the physical environment of the surrounding neighborhoods and may improve the quantity or quality of housing. However, it can also create even greater inequalities if the local residents cannot afford to live there anymore. Studying Sunnyside Yards will help us to understand how this piece of land could be transformed into a new structure that will benefit the existing neighborhood residents and the city of New York.