The Perils of New York Exceptionalism

Manhattan Insights

New Yorkers like to think of their city as the greatest in the world, but the attitude of “New York exceptionalism” has its downsides. Residents often tolerate policies that they wouldn't put up with elsewhere, like the rising levels of housing costs.

Eric Kober knows New York inside and out. A senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and an adjunct lecturer at the Yale School of Architecture, he worked at the New York City Department of City Planning for 30 years, retiring as the director of housing, economic, and infrastructure planning in 2017. He joins us to discuss the perils of New York exceptionalism and how its policymakers might make the city and state more welcoming places to live.