Roosevelt Island Began As A Prototype For Enlightened City Planning In 1970's, What Happened? Watch And See For Yourself

Very interesting video about the beginnings of Roosevelt Island as a residential community. According to the narrator:

 ... in 1968 plans were set in motion on a local state and national level to create on this neglected little island one of the most advanced new towns in the United States, Roosevelt Island.

Some of the old buildings have been preserved as historic landmarks and integrated functionally into the life of the community. The 18th century Blackwell House stands in sharp contrast to the modern lines of this urban renewal development.

Architects were careful to design these buildings so that almost every apartment has a view of the river. Main Street, the Islands main thoroughfare, is fashioned after a twisting European village type street.

Vehicles are not allowed on the Island except by special permission and for limited periods of time....

...  an entirely new school system has been developed here. Five separate mini schools are tucked into the ground floors of apartment complexes dispersed throughout the island each for about 225 students all within walking distance. These schools offer some of the finest education. In addition daycare centers are available to working parents.

By the end of nineteen seventy six over 2,000 families had acquired a new lifestyle in the city within a city and there is room for growth...

...The apartment complexes are for low, middle and upper income housing and all designs incorporate the needs of the handicapped and the elderly.

One of the newest forms of transportation in New York is the battery charged electric bus. Clean, noiseless and pollution free. 

Residents are only five minutes from Manhattan by aerial tramway. It's the only place in the United States where such vehicles are used for urban mass transit. Each car holds 125 passengers.

Roosevelt Island stands as an example of innovative planning and cooperation by many levels of government. t's a prototype for enlightened city planning

Watch the video.

The Neighborhood Slice TV program profiled an early Roosevelt Island pioneering resident Sande Elison who moved here with her family in 1977. 

Ms. Elinson notes that Roosevelt Island:

... was all affordable. That was the whole reclaiming this and keeping people in the city. Keeping the middle class and then all these families, all these kids, we would sit in the parks and we realize, boy, we could set up a  baby sitting coop, a little league, an artists association a garden...

... Roosevelt Island was paved and developed. The three new complexes have now increased us from 4000 when we came here to close to 15,000 people. Now we have three streets.

What was available to us in 1976 on a teacher's income is not available now but the new buildings have young families in them....

... It's heaven... a beautiful wonderful place still to live.

The changing nature of Roosevelt Island affordability for middle income and working class people was the subject of this very interesting video by You Tuber Black In The Core showcasing what is described as:

Roosevelt Island Gentrification, Stealing The Dream