John Lindsay, the Association for a Better New York, and the privatization of New York City, 1969-1973

Merton, Joe

Abstract

Focusing on the collaboration between Mayor John Lindsay and business advocacy group the Association for a Better New York (ABNY), this article illustrates the utility of public and elite anxieties over street crime in legitimizing new, privatized models of urban governance during the early 1970s. ABNY’s privatized crime-fighting initiatives signified a new direction in city law enforcement strategies, a new “common sense” regarding the efficacy and authority of private or voluntarist solutions to urban problems, and proved of lasting significance for labor relations, the regulation of urban space, and the role of the private sector in urban policy. It concludes that, despite their limitations, the visibility of ABNY’s initiatives, their ability to construct a pervasive sense of crisis, and their apparent demonstration of public and elite consent played a significant role in the transformation of New York into the “privatized” or “neoliberal” city of today.

Citation

Merton, J. (2019). John Lindsay, the Association for a Better New York, and the privatization of New York City, 1969-1973. Journal of Urban History, 45(3), 557-577. https://doi.org/10.1177/0096144218765465

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 22, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Apr 9, 2018
• Publication Date: May 1, 2019
• Deposit Date: Mar 19, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 9, 2018
• Journal: Journal of Urban History
• Print ISSN: 0096-1442
• Electronic ISSN: 1552-6771
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 45
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 557-577
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0096144218765465
• Keywords: crime; New York City; public-private partnerships; John Lindsey; neoliberalism
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/924243
• Publisher URL: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0096144218765465
• Additional Information: Copyright © 2018, © SAGE Publications. Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications.
• Contract Date: Mar 19, 2018