The Tragedy of the Commons: Central Park Version
There’s a very good article in New York Magazine about the fight for scarce space in New York’s Central Park, where bicyclists, dogs and their owners, joggers and walkers all struggle to find room to maneuver…in an environment where there are no rules, few courtesies, too many people and too little space, no one willing to yield, and a culture of aggression and entitlement.
“People need to behave more like members of a shared society and less narcissistically.”
NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe
It’s what economists call the “Tragedy of the Commons,” New York-version, and it describes what very probably is the most maddening thing about living in the city, despite all the great free public amenities available here…like Central Park.
