Introduction

Featuring a century-old playground and a cluster of homes, including one under development, this block sits on a boundary between public and private interests. This speaks to questions about who is meant to use this land and how it's meant to be used.

These questions are easier to answer in at least one sense for the private side of the block. Year to year, owners and the names on the leases might change, but the purpose of that land remains to house the people who paid for it.

In contrast, because the park is public property, the community can have more of a say in these questions. This allows us to enjoy public parks without having to pay prices set to maximize profits. However, because public property is still property, the state is able to use its own discretion and the weight of the law to enforce what the land can be used for.

What the state does with that authority reflects who holds power in the city.