Wednesday, May 28, 2014

The Tragedy of the Commons as played out in the Flatiron District/East Chelsea

The tragedy of the commons is an economics theory by Garrett Hardin, according to which individuals, acting independently and rationally according to each one's self-interest, behave contrary to the whole group's long-term best interests by depleting some common resource. Wikipedia

In the Flatiron District we have a number of public spaces in very close proximity
5 East 22nd St Privately Owned Public Space
41 Madison Ave Privately Owned Public Space

Five public spaces all offering adult passive recreation, but none offering adult active recreation. .This is somewhat analogous to The Tragedy of the Commons in that each of these spaces isacting independently and rationally according to each one's self-interest, behave contrary to the whole group's long-term best interests” . The Flatiron District needs not only passive recreation for adults but active recreation also, yet all the open space entities have chosen to act in their own self interests to offer passive adult recreation activities rather then taking into account the needs of the greater community for active recreation in the Flatiron district and east Chelsea.