Co-op City
Summary
This episode explores Co-op City, the world’s largest housing cooperative in the Bronx, and its origins in the mid-20th century. Hosted by Katie Mingle, the story traces the vision of socialist organizer Abraham Kazin and his partnership with city planner Robert Moses to build affordable middle-class housing. Through the Mitchell-Lama program, they created a massive development that offered residents ownership stakes without profit motives, bridging the gap between public housing and expensive market-rate apartments.
Topics discussed
Intro and sponsor messages
Introduction to Co-op City's massive scale and reputation
How co-op ownership works and its affordability
Abraham Kazin and the origins of cooperative housing
Post-war housing crisis and Robert Moses' influence
The Mitchell-Lama program and United Housing Foundation
Construction of Penn-South and early Co-op City developments
The 1976 rent strike and resident takeover
Neoliberal shift, white flight, and demographic changes
Modern Co-op City: Community resilience and legacy
Credits and closing sponsor segments
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