If you live in Willimsburg, Greenpoint, or any where on the edge of Manhttan a great website worth checking out is Save Our Urban Life - Williamsburg. I love this site as it's very focused on the over-development issues. To quote from their mission statement:
Independent neighbors concerned about runaway development. Many of our homes have been structurally damaged and even been condemned by careless adjacent construction and overbuilding. Developers blatantly disregard zoning and other regulations. Here is information if you, your home and community are under siege. This is a record of experiences, tips on how to protect your building, find out the letter of the law and make sure it is enforced fully.It's a great news website to track what's going on, and bookmark worthy too...