The PATH To Healing

The unforgettable tragedy that took place on September 11, 2001 was a major hit for all Americans. Early Tuesday morning starting at 8:45 a.m. two American Airline planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. The disaster caused a large explosion that poured burning pieces and reminisce of the building onto the city of New York, the people, and tourist that were witnessing the tragedy from below.This attack towards the country left millions of Americans devastated. Many people lost family members such as mothers, fathers, sisters, and bothers. Furthermore, the majority of  men and woman that were the first responders to the sight such as fire fighters, policeman, and paramedics lost their lives as well.

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This catastrophe left the country painfully in mourning, and brought Americans to a really low point. Fortunately, as Americans always do, we push on to see a better day. Since the major event the city of New York has built a memorial in memory for the people, and heroes that lost their lives in the attack. There was a lot that took place in the construction of the memorial. In 2003 The Lower Manhattan Developers Corporation (also know as LMDC) had an open call for different architects from around the world to submit prospective plans for the future memorial. After various arguments and controversy, in 2004 LMDC announced their choice for the memorial. The corporation chose the Ground Zero Memorial sight by architect Michael Arad. The memorial presented the opportunity of peace of mind for the many mourning with broken hearts.

Since the development of The Ground Zero Memorial the city of New York has continued to build and become the metropolis that we know today. Today, a large project is in mid construction, which is causing a lot of controversy. Primarily due to the structure being only a couple of yards from the Ground Zero sight.

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 Calatrava’s revised WTC PATH Station proposal

The PATH station is expected to be the most expensive station in history. The World Trade Center Transportation Hub is a transit and retail complex is presently under construction by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava designed the elaborate constructions. In the unveiling of construction in 2004 the estimated price was 655 million dollars. In continuing the construction the price has exceeded over 4 billion dollars, and counting. The construction has cost an enormous amount of money, and is very elaborate with its long steel wings poised gracefully above the September 11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan. Some people believe that the form, and built of the new PATH Station is taking away from the actual Ground Zero memorial. This has become very offensive for many Americans (as viewed here in The Angry Architect Article). Citizens are seeing this new construction as a way for the city of New York to put a profit on an organic tragedy event. The world trade center memorial is a place to remember the thousands of Americans that were lost, and is not be seen as a tourist attraction for proceeds.

“Storey argued that there is a political dimension to popular culture; neo-Gramscian hegemony theory “… sees popular culture as a site of struggle between the ‘resistance’ of subordinate groups in society and the forces of ‘incorporation’ operating in the interests of dominant groups in society.” A postmodernist approach to popular culture would “no longer recognize the distinction between high and popular culture”


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On the other end of the spectrum citizens feel that PATH Station construction is a opportunity for the city to build it’s strength back up, and to be viewed as the “Big Apple” the city of dreams, and opportunity. The argument regarding The PATH Station’s location is a reasonable argument. This controversy is an example of the agenda-setting theory. The media such as certain news broadcasting stations profoundly emphasize the disaster. They then recoil and vividly discuss the location of the PATH station being next to the “amazing” memorial. The media sets up the viewers mind to see the new construction as a negative idea rather than looking at it as a growth for the city. Is it to soon for the city to make decision like this? If so, when is it the best time for the city to regrow?