Will Giron is a writer, researcher, and photographer born and raised in Queens, NY. He is currently completing his studies at St. John's University in Journalism. His main areas of interest are in urban policy analysis, particularly in community development, environmental sustainability, alternative energy, transportation, and local politics. He currently maintains a blog covering and promoting social/global justice and policies through art and activism.
Photo via Bowery Boogie
Last year, Inhabitat reported on the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area (SPURA), a massive redevelopment project in the Lower East Side for one of the city’s largest underdeveloped plots of land centered on Delancy and Essex. While official plans revealed earlier this month promised new housing, retail space, and a 10,000 square foot park, these may come at a price that many residents are unwillingly to pay: the construction of big box retail stores.
Answering the call for an eco-friendly solution to environmentally damaging packing materials, Ecovative Design has created a new niche in the green market by using mushroom-based material as part of their custom designed packaging blocks. The five-year-old New York company has attracted widespread attention thanks to their revolutionary product, and they now use the compostable mushroom material to make everything from building insulation to wine bottle shippers to candle holders. Big-name companies like Dell and Ford have partnered with Ecovative to use the mushroom material in innovative ways.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced last week 25 percent of the proposed green building laws have been drafted into law over the last two years. The proposals were part of a green building report originally published by the Urban Green Council. Of the 111 recommendations in the report, 29 of them have been drafted into law, with an additional eight recommendations currently being codified. The new laws will reduce greenhouse emissions by 5 percent citywide, saving the city $400 million by 2030.
The New York Hospital Queens (NYHQ), located in Flushing and serving a community of about 115,000 people each year, is upgrading its 55-year-old infrastructure as part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlaNYC ‘s green energy initiative. The hospital aims to find new ways to conserve its resources, preserve the environment, and cut costs through innovative retrofitting, while taking part in a citywide initiative to reduce hospital carbon emissions. As of September 2011, the NYHQ reported a 28% reduction in carbon emissions.
image © gsz via Flickr Creative Commons
Back in September, Inhabitat took a tour of Long Island City’s art and cultural centers, which are part of the 72 Hour Urban Action initiative to save LIC from expanding gentrification through artistic and economic development. But for one of these historic cultural landmarks, it may already be too late. 5 Pointz, a sprawling graffiti mecca, is set to be torn down in 2013 in order to make room for some not-so-cultural and not-so-historic high-rise luxury condos. Demolishing the building would not only destroy a cherished landmark that attracts artists from around the world, but it could also have serious social consequences for the neighborhood.
The Queens Library Foundation announced this week that it is partnering with the Community Environmental Center (CEC) of Long Island City to retrofit five branches of the Queens Library and create green education programs for the community. The $250,000 project is funded by the Greening Western Queens Fund of North Star Fund and is set to begin by the end of the month.
Did you know that there are currently more than 600 stalled construction sites in New York City? And according to the Department of Buildings, due to a slumping commercial real estate industry, many of these lots won’t be worked on anytime soon. But Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer is looking to turn these abandoned lots into farmers’ markets, cafes, and arts spaces, effectively turning these ugly eye sores into lively public spaces.
A final public debate forum on the proposed East River Greenway project was held last week, drawing a crowd of more than 300 people. The project calls for filling a gap in the East River Greenway, approximately 1.2 miles long, stretching from Glick Park at East 37th street all the way up to East 60th street. The gap currently forces pedestrians and cyclists to detour inland, leading them into congested streets, which many local residents consider dangerous. Although some residents oppose the extension, most who testified during the debate were in favor of the deal.
Mayor Bloomberg kicked off Climate Week 2011 yesterday with the release of the annual PlaNYC Greenhouse Gas Inventory, which reported a 12 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions since 2005. The success of Bloomberg’s green policies was a key part to the start of the Climate Group’s 3-year Clean Revolution campaign, which calls for global leaders in government and business to take steps to address climate change worldwide, and create a low carbon economy.
New Yorkers were shocked when the state issued guidelines that would allow fracking near decrepit tunnels that supply drinking water to NYC, despite alarming research concerning the dangers of fracking and its devastating affects on the environment. But it looks like environmentalists may have yet another reason to be furious about the fracking debacle. In light of the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Irene in Upstate, New York, environmental groups and elected officials are calling for an update to floodplain maps in order to take into account the flooding damage, which has now made fracking an even bigger environmental risk.
Tennis balls, rackets, and Nike sweatbands are staples when you think about tennis. But ever wonder what happens to all those tennis ball cans once the games are over? Or how about all the garbage left around after the events? During the 2011 U.S. Open, approximately 94 tons of plastic, metal, glass and cardboard will be collected and recycled, along with an estimated 20,000 tennis ball cans. The United States Tennis Association, in an effort to make the U.S. Open an “environmentally responsible and eco friendly event,” launched a program back in 2008 to effectively collect and recycle reusable material. So far, the program has been a huge success and will continue to be implemented at this year’s Open, currently taking place at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, Queens.
Getting approval to modify buildings that are historical landmarks in New York City can be tough, even if the change is small. But thanks to green initiatives like PlaNYC, city agencies and other organization are working to change that. As part of an ongoing campaign to preserve historical buildings through green renovation, the Municipal Art Society (MAS) has teamed up with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to produce a guide on how to easily improve the energy efficiency of small landmark buildings throughout the city.
After months of heated debate and jumping through bureaucratic hoops, the US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the release of $450 million in federal funds to upgrade the rail electrical systems and tracks along the Northeast Corridor. Amtrak will receive the $450 million, and an additional $295 million will go to the New York State Department of Transportation for improvements on the Harold Interlocking rail junction in Queens.
You’d think the Department of Education would’ve learned their lesson after the recent PCB debacle went spiraling out of control as more and more of the City’s negligence was starting to come to light. But at a meeting last week with parents, Chancellor Dennis Walcott admitted that the air and soil in P.S 51 are contaminated by a carcinogenic chemical, trichloroethylene (TCE). But worst of all, the Department of Education has known about the contamination since February.
In a huge victory for the community and street safety advocates, Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Bert Bunyan has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to stop the redesign of Prospect Park West to include a two-way bike lane. The lawsuit was brought by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, former DOT Commissioner Iris Weinshall, and other politically connected opponents with a history of opposing bike lanes in NYC. Despite a relentless and misinformed campaign filled with dubious and easily refutable claims against the bike lanes, Brooklyn residents can rest assure that the bike lanes are here to stay.
The Brooklyn Community Foundation officially launched a 3 year, $750,000 green initiative program called Green Spaces yesterday, an exciting new project that promotes and implements sustainability practices and environmental improvements in Bed-Stuy, Williamsburg, and Cypress Hills. Inhabitat was excited to be a part of the unveiling event, which brought together prominent green activists, organizations, and New York politicians in a “Cool Roofs” painting event on a South Williamsburg rooftop.
At some point or another, we’ve all been frustrated by the mean streets of NYC. Whether it’s due to the congested roads, delayed and crowded mass transit, or the lack of sufficient bike lanes, everyone seems to have a different opinion on how to improve transportation in the city. But if the future of New York City’s infrastructure is anything like the Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Kahn’s vision, then maybe there’s a glimmer of hope for addressing some of NYC’s difficult congestion problems.
