Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn

Mr. Goldstein, a Web designer, was a founding member of Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, one of the city's most innovative and resilient community activist groups. From 5,000 donations, it raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mr. Goldstein was instrumental in forming a coalition of 21 organizations that claimed the project's high-rises and density would overrun the area, rendering its congested streets inaccessible.

"DEVELOP DON'T DESTROY BROOKLYN leads a broad-based community coalition fighting for development that will unite our communities instead of dividing and destroying them. DDDB is opposed to Forest City Ratner's 8 million square foot "Atlantic Yards" development proposal for an arena and 16 high-rises in Prospect Heights and Park Slope, Brooklyn. The $4 billion project would use at least $1.6 billion in public money and would abuse the state's power of eminent domain–taking private property from one owner to give to a private entity for a private use, instead of a public use."

Despite the fact that its challenges were unsuccessful, Develop Don't Destroy was able to postpone Atlantic Yards for three years after it received first government permission in 2006.