SHORT DESCRIPTION

In 2014, Manhattan’s land value reached $1.74 trillion—comparable to the GDP of Canada, the world’s 10th largest economy that year. This extraordinary pressure on land has fueled an urban landscape where development seems unstoppable, yet scattered “holdout” buildings—properties that refused to sell or submit to eminent domain—persist. These holdouts have become symbolic of the city’s imbalance in air rights, highlighting how value is unevenly distributed above the ground. As land prices rise each year, urban residents face diminishing access to green public space and affordable fresh food. Mapping studies reveal sharp inequalities: my site lies at the center of a food desert with high rates of poorly controlled diabetes. Another map of green markets shows a corresponding “green desert” east of Central Park, where dense residential blocks lack nearby produce access. The design proposal responds by turning overlooked “air gaps” into sites of urban farming. These small interventions—urban “acupunctures”—can be implemented wherever fresh food is needed most. The thesis tests the framework of a “Community Air Trust” (CAT), an adaptation of the Community Land Trust (CLT). While CLT separates land and property ownership, CAT goes further by detaching air rights from land and buildings. This separation allows communities themselves to lease and redevelop unused air rights for collective benefit. In this model, air rights are repurposed not for luxury towers but for community farms and fresh food markets. Profits from food sales sustain the project, making it financially independent while addressing urgent issues of food security, health, and equitable public space. The Community Air Trust imagines a new way to unlock value in Manhattan’s skyline—redirecting development potential from speculative capital toward community well-being.