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99% Invisible · April 21, 2026 · 00:37:31

Co-op City

Co-op City is the world’s largest housing cooperative, a massive residential development in New York City. It was built with the explicit goal of preserving a middle-class presence in the city during a period of suburban flight. Despite its collective ownership model, the development became the unlikely setting for a significant resident revolt. This episode explores the history and tensions of this iconic cooperative experiment.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Highlights

World's Largest Housing Co‑op
Co-op City is the world's largest housing cooperative, built to anchor middle-class families in New York City.
Built to Save the Middle Class
The development was designed as an intervention to stop middle-class families from leaving New York City for the suburbs.
The Resident Revolt
Co-op City became the site of an unlikely resident revolt.
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