William “Reverend Billy” Talen, the Green Party candidate for mayor, spoke with WNYC’s Brian Lehrer about development issues in New York City. The community leader and performance artist is running on a platform to “keep our neighborhoods livable and vibrant, healthy and safe.” He opposes the upzoning of Harlem for the proposed Columbia University expansion, wants to work to make affordable housing truly affordable and to support local businesses, rather than gentrification. “We have a sense now… if we build up our neighborhood by where we live and we make our neighborhood a better place, that we increase its value and we don’t get to stay there. That social contract must be reinstated,” he said. The mayoral election will take place Nov. 3.