What question did this study set out to answer?

This analysis aims to explore the complex interplay between economic development and economic justice in New York City from 1865 to 1981.

May 24, 2026Open Access

The Menace of Prosperity: New York City and the Struggle for Economic Development, 1865–1981 Wortel-LondonD. (2025). The Menace of Prosperity: New York City and the Struggle for Economic Development, 1865–1981 . Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 336 pages.

Key Points

This analysis aims to explore the complex interplay between economic development and economic justice in New York City from 1865 to 1981.
Historical analysis of fiscal and economic trends in New York City
Examination of political perspectives related to economic policies
Interpretation of public and private sector reactions to economic decisions
The narrative reveals tensions between business interests and social equity initiatives.
The work examines significant shifts in economic development strategies over the years.
It highlights how new political ideologies challenge traditional economic development frameworks.

Abstract

For many who had rallied behind Mamdani's affordability-centered message during his moon-shot campaign, this was welcome newsparticularly when it became evident that Su will have jurisdiction over the city's massive quasi-governmental development arm, the New York City Economic Development Corporation.The city's business establishment was, in contrast, horrified."We should be concerned," outgoing New York City Partnership CEO Kathryn Wylde said on the WABC Cats Roundtable on February 8 of this year, "because it appears that the city is no longer going to be doing economic development.It's going to be doing economic justicewhatever that means."The fiscal and economic history that Daniel Wortel-London recounts in The Menace of Prosperity is a powerful lens through which to interpret this political moment.

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