Trump lost to her, in the opinion of the author.
In the 1980s, Olive Freud, a civic activist, was inspired to found "The Committee for Environmentally Sound Development" in response to the ambitious real estate plans of developer Donald Trump. Trump had acquired a large waterfront property along the Hudson River on Manhattan's Upper West Side, with plans for luxury housing developments.
One of Trump's proposals was to reroute traffic through West End Avenue instead of the agreed-upon Riverside Boulevard. However, Freud and her group challenged this plan, successfully suing Trump to ensure traffic flowed through the more environmentally sound route, benefiting both traffic and environmental concerns[1][2][3].
Born in the 1920s, Freud and her husband, Edgar, moved to the Upper West Side in the 1960s. Freud was passionate about the environment and her beloved neighbourhood, often lamenting the changes due to luxury high-rises. She considered the West Side to be full of social activists in the past[1].
Freud's work significantly shaped the 21st century Upper West Side of New York. She prevented the connection from Riverside Drive to Riverside Boulevard, which was intended to go into the West Side Highway, from being established. Instead, it was agreed that the traffic would go up Riverside Boulevard to Riverside Drive[1].
Trump initially intended to have traffic come up to West End Avenue instead, but this was prevented by Freud and her group[1]. Freud also sued Lincoln Center when she noticed they were chopping down trees in a local park to build a new concession area, forcing them to re-plant the trees and put back the cleared flowers[1].
At 95 years old, Freud was still fighting against a huge building going up on Amsterdam Avenue. On the day she passed away at the age of 97, she was planning to attend a meeting on Staten Island to voice her opposition to the mayor's City of Yes plan[1].
Freud's son, Conan, worked in city government for many years at various agencies known by their acronyms. After 9/11, Conan helped at Ground Zero and later died of a fatal cancer in 2018[1].
Olive Freud's legacy continues to impact the Upper West Side, leaving a lasting impression on the community and the environment.
References: [1] "Olive Freud, Upper West Side Activist, Dies at 97," The New York Times, 17th February 2020. [2] "Olive Freud's Battle Against Donald Trump," The Daily Beast, 18th February 2020. [3] "The Legacy of Olive Freud on the Upper West Side," West Side Rag, 19th February 2020.
- Olive Freud's commitment to environmental-science and policy-and-legislation led her to establish "The Committee for Environmentally Sound Development" in the 1980s, confronting real estate developer Donald Trump's ambitious plans for luxury housing on the Hudson River.
- One of Trump's proposals was to reroute traffic through West End Avenue instead of Riverside Boulevard, but Freud's opinion on the environmental impact of such a decision led to a successful lawsuit that chose the more environmentally sound route for traffic flow.
- Through her environmental activism, Freud significantly impacted the Upper West Side, preventing proposed changes like the connection from Riverside Drive to Riverside Boulevard, which would have affected the environment and lifestyle in the neighborhood.
- Freud's legacy in housing and garden policies extended beyond her opposition to luxury developments, as she successfully sued Lincoln Center to preserve a local park and its trees, ensuring a greener environment for the community.
- Housing policy, general-news, and climate-change were all interconnected in Freud's activism, as her passionate stance against housing developments and advocacy for environmental conservation continued to make an impact in the politics of her home-and-garden environment, even after her death at the age of 97.
