Could This Massive “Seaport City” Save NYC from Future Storms?

Could This Massive “Seaport City” Save NYC from Future Storms?

Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg revealed a detailed plan to protect NYC from the effects of climate change, and we're still trying to digest the whole thing (it's 397 pages long). One of the initiatives that stood out to us right away, however, was "Seaport City", a proposal for what would essentially be a new neighborhood along the eastern edge of Lower Manhattan. The idea is that the city would (subject to funding) build a multi-purpose levee to guard against future storm surges and then erect residential buildings atop that newly created land to subsidize some of the costs of the levee.
 

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Global Green Announces “Solar for Sandy” Program to Provide Emergency Energy During Natural Disasters

Global Green Announces “Solar for Sandy” Program to Provide Emergency Energy During Natural Disasters

Yesterday, Global Green USA announced the roll-out of its “Solar for Sandy” program to build emergency back-up solar energy systems at five or more Sandy-struck NYC community centers to prepare for future blackouts like the one that overtook the city

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Mayor Bloomberg Announces Major Plan to Battle Climate Change in New York City

Mayor Bloomberg Announces Major Plan to Battle Climate Change in New York City

In the wake of last year’s Superstorm Sandy, and in preparation for an even more turbulent hurricane season, Mayor Bloomberg spoke today on safeguarding New York City from future climate change issues. Bloomberg proposed a mix of surge protecting measures,

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New FEMA Report Increases NYC Flood Danger Zone to Include 400,000 Residents and 70,000 Buildings

New FEMA Report Increases NYC Flood Danger Zone to Include 400,000 Residents and 70,000 Buildings

Yesterday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency proposed changes to NYC’s decades-old flood zone maps that nearly double the number of people and buildings at risk to 400,000 residents and 70,000 buildings. Though a two-year review is still required

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Annual PlaNYC Report Shows NYC is Set to Exceed Climate Change Goals by 2030

Annual PlaNYC Report Shows NYC is Set to Exceed Climate Change Goals by 2030

According to an annual progress report released last week, PlaNYC is on track to exceed its greenhouse gas reduction goals by the year 2030. The paper measured progress on more than 100 citywide initiatives launched by the mayor’s office to meet its

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AN.ONYMOUS Proposes Elevating the Rockaways 10 to 15 Meters Above Sea Level

AN.ONYMOUS Proposes Elevating the Rockaways 10 to 15 Meters Above Sea Level

When Hurricane Sandy landed in New York last October, the Rockaways were among the hardest hit areas. In order to source ideas on how to rebuild resiliently on the peninsula, MoMA PS1 and the museum's Department of Architecture and Design initiated a call to the artistic, architectural, and design communities to create a sustainable waterfront recovery plan. "ex.terra" by AN.ONYMOUS was recently chosen as one of the twenty-five winning proposals. It calls for the creation of new ground elevated ten to fifteen meters above sea level, and the structural system is able to resist - and at the same time - capture the energy of the wind and the water.
 

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Is New York Ready for Another Superstorm? Not Really.

Is New York Ready for Another Superstorm? Not Really.

Hurricane season started last week, and the NOAA is predicting that it will be one of the worst the U.S. has ever seen. Considering what happened to New York in the last super storm, we can’t help but ask ourselves whether the city is ready for another one

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Where to See Cicadas in New York This Summer

Where to See Cicadas in New York This Summer

By now you’ve probably heard about the upcoming cicada frenzy that will soon be descending upon the East Coast, but you might not be sure where to see these fascinating insects for yourself in New York. The crooning bugs will be emerging soon for the first

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Bronx Green Infrastructure Project Will Prevent Almost 2 Million Gallons of Stormwater from Entering Sewers

Bronx Green Infrastructure Project Will Prevent Almost 2 Million Gallons of Stormwater from Entering Sewers

The newly completed installation of a green infrastructure project in the Edenwald section of the Bronx will prevent nearly 2 million gallons of stormwater from entering the sewer system each year. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection invested

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Can Mayor Bloomberg’s Steel Panels Save New York From Flooding During the Next Super Storm?

Can Mayor Bloomberg’s Steel Panels Save New York From Flooding During the Next Super Storm?

With only seven months before he makes his final departure from his post as mayor, there is speculation that Mayor Bloomberg wants to end his term by building barriers along they NYC waterfront to protect against future storms. A number of sources say that

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Climate Change-Related Deaths Are on the Rise in NYC, Says New Report

Climate Change-Related Deaths Are on the Rise in NYC, Says New Report

Enduring a brutally hot summer in New York City may end up killing you. A new study released this week says thanks to global warming and the “urban island” effect, NYC mortality rates due to warming temperatures are likely to increase by 20 percent by

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Mayor Bloomberg Aims to Boost Recycling and Save Taxpayers Money

Mayor Bloomberg Aims to Boost Recycling and Save Taxpayers Money

During his final months in office, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has his sights set on getting the concrete jungle to boost its recycling. Despite the Mayor’s past efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and get New York residents to start thinking more “green”,

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Olafur Eliasson Brings Pieces of Actual Iceland Glacier to His EXPO 1 Exhibit at MoMA PS1 (PHOTOS)

Olafur Eliasson Brings Pieces of Actual Iceland Glacier to His EXPO 1 Exhibit at MoMA PS1 (PHOTOS)

When we heard that MoMA PS1 would be featuring a climate change-focused installation by Olafur Eliasson in its EXPO 1 exhibit, we knew we had to check it out. But little did we know that the work, titled “Your waste of time”, would feature actual shards of Iceland’s largest glacier, Vatnajökul. While it was figuratively (and literally) cool to be in the presence of such an endangered substance, we have to wonder if removing and transporting the blocks of ice and keeping them in an energy-gobbling refrigerated room really sends the right message...or perhaps that was Eliasson's point?
 

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Roller Coaster Sunk by Hurricane Sandy Set to Be Removed Next Week

Roller Coaster Sunk by Hurricane Sandy Set to Be Removed Next Week

The famous Jersey Shore roller coaster that ended up in the Atlantic Ocean after Hurricane Sandy is slated to be removed from the waters by this time next week. The coaster, which has since become an iconic symbol of the October 29th storm, will be removed

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Mayor Bloomberg Announces Gowanus Canal Upgrades by 2013, Outlines $20 Billion Spent on Water Quality Improvements

Mayor Bloomberg Announces Gowanus Canal Upgrades by 2013, Outlines $20 Billion Spent on Water Quality Improvements

As New Yorkers, we often take clean water for granted, but there’s a lot of money and effort being applied behind the scenes to make sure we have access to it. Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Carter H. Strickland,

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EPA Announces Over $500 Million to Repair Sandy-Damaged Waterways in NY and NJ

EPA Announces Over $500 Million to Repair Sandy-Damaged Waterways in NY and NJ

The Environmental Protection Agency announced recently that they will provide over $500 million in grants and low-interest loans to the state of New York and state of New Jersey to improve wastewater and drinking water facilities ravaged by Hurricane Sandy.

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11 Billion Gallons of Sewage Discovered in NY/NJ Waterways Post Hurricane Sandy

11 Billion Gallons of Sewage Discovered in NY/NJ Waterways Post Hurricane Sandy

A new report by non-profit research organization Climate Central shows that Hurricane Sandy did more damage than we thought. According to the report, 11 billion gallons of sewage – the equivalent of the entire area of Central Park – leaked into New York and

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NYC Installing Solar Panels on Four Rooftops to Power 245 Homes

NYC Installing Solar Panels on Four Rooftops to Power 245 Homes

NYC Deputy Mayor Caswell Holloway recently announced plans to outfit the empty rooftop of a Department of Environmental Protection wastewater treatment plant in Staten Island with enough photovoltaic panels to power about 169 homes in the area annually.

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10 Global Companies Join PlaNYC Carbon Challenge to Cut Greenhouse Emissions

10 Global Companies Join PlaNYC Carbon Challenge to Cut Greenhouse Emissions

New York City’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2017 has taken another step in the right direction. At a press conference at Rockefeller University yesterday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the expansion of the PlaNYC Carbon

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NYC Architecture Cruise Sheds Light on the Future of the City’s Waterfront Post-Sandy

NYC Architecture Cruise Sheds Light on the Future of the City’s Waterfront Post-Sandy

Image via Classic Harbor Line

New York’s waterfront tours are shifting focus as a result of Hurricane Sandy’s impact on the island’s infrastructure. In a nautical speaker series titled “Pressure Along The Edge: The Future of NYC’s Waterfront”, experts will educate passengers on the city’s coastlines and the impact of rising sea levels on real estate, infrastructure and businesses. In addition to featuring some of New York City’s most popular buildings, the tours will also look at the competing demands on the city’s waterfront — much of which became flooded during the superstorm.

Image via Classic Harbor Line
Image via Classic Harbor Line
Image via Classic Harbor Line

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See Pics of the New Flood-Proof, Prefab Beach Buildings NYC Plans to Roll Out This Summer

See Pics of the New Flood-Proof, Prefab Beach Buildings NYC Plans to Roll Out This Summer

When Hurricane Sandy wiped out the lifeguard stations and public bathrooms on many of New York City’s beaches, the city found itself in a bind. How could it rebuild these necessary facilities in time for the summer of 2013? To answer that question, officials

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Mayor Bloomberg Signs Three New Green Bills That Address Climate Change

Mayor Bloomberg Signs Three New Green Bills That Address Climate Change

Mayor Michael Bloomberg isn’t wasting any time on combating climate change and greening the Big Apple as his third term comes to a close. Recently, he signed three new critical pieces of green legislation authored by Councilmember James F. Gennaro (D-Fresh

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Mayor Bloomberg Slams Coal Industry at Energy Innovation Summit, Calls for Cleaner Alternatives

Mayor Bloomberg Slams Coal Industry at Energy Innovation Summit, Calls for Cleaner Alternatives

Mayor Michael Bloomberg made some bold statements against the coal industry during this week’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy Energy Innovation Summit, according to a report from The Hill. Bloomberg, a promoter of natural gas and its lower

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New Report Shows How NYC Could Cut 90% of Its Carbon Footprint by 2050

New Report Shows How NYC Could Cut 90% of Its Carbon Footprint by 2050

With all the dire predictions about climate change in the news, it’s easy to start thinking that the problem is too large to even begin to untangle. But a new report released by the Urban Green Council, the New York Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, says

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Mayor Bloomberg Stresses Greening of New York City in Final State of the City Address

Mayor Bloomberg Stresses Greening of New York City in Final State of the City Address

Yesterday Mayor Michael Bloomberg delivered his final State of the City address, and not surprisingly, the focus of his talk was on making NYC an even greener place than it is now. In the speech, Bloomberg spoke prophetically of a reduced carbon footprint,

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