Since its revival in the 1990s, Times Square has been touted as the standard of urban planning, with government and private actors working harmoniously to produce the great tourist destination we know today.  But in The Truth About Times Square, Stern demonstrates how all of that is a myth.  In the report, Stern said, “Almost none of the grandiose plans my colleagues and I created and aggressively spearheaded at the time ever came to fruition.  Our extravagant plans actually retarded development for decades.  The changes in Times Square occurred despite government, not because of it.”

“Eminent domain was not needed in Times Square,” continued Stern.  “In fact, it delayed the development, added tremendous cost, and was unfair and inefficient.  There was no shortage of developers willing to acquire property the old-fashioned way—through the private market.”

Soon after the project’s approval, Stern saw the influence peddling, cronyism and corruption involved in determining which properties had to go, especially in The New York Times’ attempts to become a key influence in the project—later going so far as to have the state condemn an entire city block for its third and latest headquarters move.

“The monolithic power of state and local government, the media and developers worked together to condemn small businesses in Times Square but couldn’t produce a successful development... That is a lesson others should be heeding across the nation and especially in New York City, where eminent domain for private gain is destroying property rights in Brooklyn, Willets Point in Queens and in both East and West Harlem.  Each of these government-forced development projects is yet another example of those who refuse to learn the lessons of history, thereby repeating its failures.”