Read the rest of Architects Propose ‘Soft Waterfront Infrastructure’ to Protect NYC From the Next Big Storm testing

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Post tags: adam yarinsky, Architecture Research Office, ARO, environmental sustainability nyc, gardens for stormwater runoff, green design nyc, green infrastructure nyc, hurricane irene, nyc flooding, NYC sinking, Rising Currents MoMa, rising sea levels nyc, soft infrastructure, waterfront design projects

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.

Read the rest of Residents Do Not Want SPURA to Bring Big Box Retailers to the Lower East Side testing

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Post tags: anchor tenant, anchor tenant lower east side, big box retail in lower east side, big retail in lower east side, david bergman, gentrification in lower east side, Lower east side development plans, lower east side redevelopment, spura, SPURA big box retail, SPURA development plans, spura redevelopment, walmart in lower east side

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.

Read the rest of NY-Based Design Company Ecovative Grows Mushrooms For Packaging Material, Insulation, & More testing

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Post tags: compostable material, compostable mushroom packaging, compostable packaging, compostable packaging material, compostable products, dell compostable packaging, Ecovative Design, Ecovative Design mushroom packaging, Ecovative Design mushrooms, ford compostable bumpers, green products nyc, mushroom based packaging material

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.

Read the rest of New York City Has Passed 29 Green Building Laws In the Last Two Years testing

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Post tags: 25 percent of green bills passed nyc, city council passes green bills, green design, green design nyc, green NYC, nyc green bills, nyc green legislation, planyc, sustainable laws nyc, urban green council

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.

Read the rest of The New York Hospital Queens Goes Green testing

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Post tags: green hospitals, green hospitals nyc, green hospitals queens, hospital green retrofitting, new york hospital queens, new york hospital queens goes green, new york hospital queens retrofitting, NYHQ, NYHQ goes green, nyserda, planyc

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.

Read the rest of Queens Graffiti Landmark 5 Pointz is Set to be Demolished in 2013 testing

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Post tags: 5 pointz, 5 pointz demolition, 5 pointz demolition 2013, 5 pointz graffiti museum, 5 Pointz LIC, 5 pointz long island city, 5 pointz queens, 5 pointz queens demolition, meres one, Pat DiLillo, the phun factory

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.

Read the rest of Five Queens Public Libraries to Receive Energy Retrofits and Create Green Education Programs testing

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Post tags: community environmental center, green design, green education programs nyc, green libraries nyc, green libraries queens, green NYC, green queens, queens public library, queens public library green education programs, queens public library green retrofit, queens public library retrofit, Richard Cherry, sustainable design

Read the rest of Brooklyn’s Open Source Gallery Winterizes With Low Cost, Sustainable Design testing

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Post tags: brooklyn soup kitchen, felipe mujica, green architecture brooklyn, green design brooklyn, green design for winter, gregory duncan architect, monika wuhrer, monika wuhrer open source, Open source gallery, open source gallery brooklyn, open source gallery burned down, open source gallery green idea pool, open source gallery park slope, park slope soup kitchen, winterize your house, winterizing

Read the rest of New Yorkers Celebrate Electric Cars During Plug-in Day testing

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Post tags: electric cars nyc, electric fleet vehicles, electric vehicles, electric vehicles nyc, ev, national plug-in day, nyc plug-in, plug-in america, plug-in day, plug-in day nyc, Sierra Club

Read the rest of Noguchi Museum and Socrates Sculpture Park Present “Civic Action: A Vision for Long Island City” testing

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Post tags: activism and art, art activism, art and science, civic action: a vision for long island city, gentrification LIC, gentrification nyc, george trakas, long island city green initiatives, Mary miss, Natalie Jeremijenko, noguchi museum, queens green initiatives, rirkrit tiravanija, Socrates Sculpture Park

Read the rest of Why the Green Movement Plays A Major Role in the Occupy Wall Street Protests testing

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Post tags: brooklyn bridge arrests, brooklyn bridge occupy wall street, environmentalism nyc, green activists nyc, green activists occupy wall street, nyc green protests, occupy wall street, occupy wall street against corporations, occupy wall street arrests, occupy wall street green, occupy wall street mission, tax breaks for oil companies

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.

Read the rest of Manhattan Borough President Wants to Turn Stalled Construction Sites into Sustainable Public Spaces testing

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Post tags: abandoned lots nyc, arrested development scott stringer report, art space nyc, department of buildings nyc, environmental sustainability nyc, highline park nyc, scott stringer stalled construction sites legislation, slumping commercial real estate nyc, stalled construction sites nyc, stalled construction sites transformed in nyc

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.

Read the rest of Residents Show Support for Expanding NYC’s East River Greenway testing

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Post tags: east river greenway, east river greenway debate, east river greenway nyc, east river greenway project, friends of east river greenway, green projects nyc, new Un Building, new UN building debate, robert moses park, robert moses park UN, Tudor city, UN and NYC land swap

Read the rest of 72 Hour Urban Action: Real Time Architecture Festival Coming to Long Island City in 2012 testing

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Post tags: 5 Pointz being demolished, 5 Pointz LIC, 72 Hour Urban Action, 72 Hour Urban Action LIC 2012, 72 hour urban action nyc, chashama, community gardens LIC, Flaux Factory, gentrification in LIC, green design nyc, green initatives nyc, green inittatives LIC, guerrilla architecture, LIC gentrification, MoMA PS1, Nagouchi museam, tactical urbanism

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.

Read the rest of Mayor Bloomberg Kicks off Climate Week 2011 Calling World Leaders to Join The Clean Revolution testing

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Post tags: carbon disclosure project, climate change nyc, climate week 2011, climate week 2011 nyc, environmental sustainability, greenhouse gas inventory nyc, nyc green initiatives, planyc, the climate group, UN general assembly

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.

Read the rest of Flooding From Hurricane Irene Raises New Concerns About Fracking testing

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Post tags: flooding and fracking, flooding causes fracking spill, flooding stops fracking, fracking, fracking after hurricane irene, fracking ban, fracking ny, fracking pennsylvania, fracking regulations ny, fracking spill pennsylvania, fracking spills, fracking stopped, hurricane irene and fracking, hurricane irene effects on fracking, hydrofracking

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.

Read the rest of U.S. Tennis Association Will Recycle 94 Tons of Waste During the 2011 U.S. Open testing

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Post tags: tennis ball plastic bottles, tennis ball recycling, tennis plastic can recycling, united states tennis association, US open, us open amount of waste, us open garbage, us open green initiative, US open queens, us open recycling program

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.

Read the rest of MAS & Landmarks Commission to Release Green Manual on Improving Historic Buildings’ Efficiency testing

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Post tags: green historical buildings, green retrofitting, landmarks preservation commission, municipal art society of nyc, nyc energy efficient buildings, nyc green buildings, nyc green landmark preservation, nyc green landmarks, nyc green manuel, nyc green resources manuel, nyc green retrofit, nyc green retrofitting manuel, nyc landmark preservation, planyc

Read the rest of Obama Declares Federal Disaster For NY Areas Ravaged By Flooding From Irene testing

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Post tags: climate change irene, Gilboa dam, gilboa dam almost broke, hurricane irene, hurricane irene flooding, hurricane irene flooding new england, hurricane irene flooding nyc, hurricane irene flooding upstate, mass flooding irene, mta shutdown

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.

Read the rest of Northeast Corridor Receives $450 Million in Federal Funds to Upgrade Rail Systems testing

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Post tags: amtrak funding, federal infrastructure funding, high speed rail, high speed rail north east corridor, high speed rail nyc, infrastructure improvements northeast, infrastructure improvements nyc, north east corridor rail, northeast transportation funding, ray lahood

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.

Read the rest of NYC DOE Failed to Inform Parents that Bronx School’s Air & Soil Contained Cancer-Causing Toxins testing

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Post tags: dennis walcott, deparment of education contamination, nyc department of education, nyc public schools contamination, nyc public schools health concerns, pcb in nyc schools, PCB in schools, PS 51 bronx, PS 51 toxic, PS 51 toxic contamination, public schools contaminated

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.

Read the rest of Brooklyn Judge Rejects Lawsuit Against the Prospect Park West Bike Lane testing

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Post tags: anti bike lane, anti bike lane prospect park, bike lane construction prospect park west, bike lanes, brooklyn bike lanes, community supports bike lanes, iris weinshall, marty markowitz, nyc bike lane lawsuit, NYC bike lanes, PlaNYC bike lanes, prospect park west bike lane lawsuit, prospect park west bike lanes

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.

Read the rest of Brooklyn Community Foundation Launches New Green Initiative to Promote a Sustainable Brooklyn testing

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Post tags: bedford stuyvesant restoration, brooklyn community foundation, cool roofs nyc, cypress hills development corp, El Puente nyc, green communities nyc, green projects nyc, green spaces, green spaces Brooklyn, nyc green initatives Planyc, nydia velazquez green

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.

Read the rest of DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan Shares Her Vision for NYC’s Future testing

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Post tags: bike lanes nyc, infrastructure improvements nyc, janette sadik-khan, new traffic system nyc, nyc infrastructure, nyc new traffic control, nyc public bike program, nyc wayfinding signs, planyc, traffic congestion nyc

Read the rest of GE’s Solar Powered Carousel Opens at the South Street Seaport! testing

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Post tags: carousolar, carousolar in nyc, carousolar nyc, first solar powered carousal, GE green technology, GE solar panels, green carousel, solar panels nyc, solar panels south street seaport, solar powered carousel, south street sea port carousolar