Skylights Dumbo is a Pavilion That Channels Light Pollution into a Star Map of New York

Skylights Dumbo is a Pavilion That Channels Light Pollution into a Star Map of New York

Visitors to Brooklyn’s Dumbo Arts Festival back in October experienced a sculptural installation that brought the night sky a little closer. Called Skylights Dumbo, the site-specific pavilion harnessed ambient light to cast constellations inside of it. Reusing the illumination coming from Brooklyn Bridge Park at night, the wooden sculpture created a star map of New York on the dome's ceiling.
 

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Howeler and Yoon Imagines a BosWash Super-Highway to Connect Boston to Washington D.C.

Howeler and Yoon Imagines a BosWash Super-Highway to Connect Boston to Washington D.C.

Imagine a world where Boston and Washington D.C. were connected by a futuristic super-highway that embraces alternative transportation. This is the vision behind Boston-based firm Howeler and Yoon’s award winning proposal for the Audi Urban Future competition.

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Staten Island’s Freshkills Park Doubled as a Giant Sponge During Hurricane Sandy

Staten Island’s Freshkills Park Doubled as a Giant Sponge During Hurricane Sandy

The former Freshkills landfill is gearing up to open as a lush park for Staten Island, but one of its other benefits also emerged recently. After Hurricane Sandy tore through the five boroughs, the park demonstrated another important use - as a giant storm surge sponge. Although Staten Island suffered debilitating damage from the flooding, the extent of the wreckage would have been way worse were it not for Freshkills' absorption of some of the waters.
 

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EPA Says Gowanus Canal Cleanup Could Cost Up to $504 Million

EPA Says Gowanus Canal Cleanup Could Cost Up to $504 Million

The heavily polluted Gowanus Canal was made a Superfund site just two years ago by the Environmental Protection Agency, which will help clean up the body of water once dubbed “the Lavender Lake.” Last week, the EPA announced just how much it will cost

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Top 6 Inhabitat NYC Stories of 2012 – Vote for Your Favorite!

Top 6 Inhabitat NYC Stories of 2012 – Vote for Your Favorite!

As we get ready to ring in 2013, we took a look back at our most popular NYC stories from the past 12 months. We saw everything from the good (phone booths repurposed into miniature libraries) to the bad (Hurricane Sandy crippling our city) to the just plain

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2013 New Year’s Eve Ball Will Illuminate Times Square with 32,256 LED Lights

2013 New Year’s Eve Ball Will Illuminate Times Square with 32,256 LED Lights

Contrary to all the 12-21-12 hullabaloo, it looks as though the world will still be here for 2013, and New York is planning to welcome the new year with a dazzling LED display. Tonight's Times Square New Year's Eve celebration will once again showcase the world-famous ball-drop, and the 2013 ball will be illuminated with 32,256 energy-efficient Philips LED lights. Just like with the Empire State Building's new LED system, the New Year's Eve ball will be capable of shining in millions of vibrant colors for a spectacular kaleidoscope effect atop One Times Square.
 

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Lowline Underground Park May Raise LES Property Values But Also Compromise Neighborhood Character

Lowline Underground Park May Raise LES Property Values But Also Compromise Neighborhood Character

There's been a lot of talk about how the proposed Lowline underground park would bring an exciting green space to the Lower East Side, but that isn't the only change it could mean for the neighborhood. According to the WSJ, the new park could raise area property values much like the High Line did for Chelsea. But others worry about the side effects that come with having a tourist attraction spring up - like higher rents and loss of neighborhood character.
 

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Winners of the Grand Central Terminal Centennial Sketch Competition Announced!

Winners of the Grand Central Terminal Centennial Sketch Competition Announced!

To celebrate its upcoming centennial, Grand Central Terminal recently teamed up with the Architectural League of New York to challenge designers to create art inspired by the iconic building. The winners of the sketch competition were recently announced, and each will be included in a limited edition Moleskine sketchbook dedicated to the historical legacy of the terminal. Flip through our gallery to see a selection of the winning drawings, renders and sketches!
 

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Queens High Line Gets $467,000 Grant and Pushes Closer to Becoming a Reality

Queens High Line Gets $467,000 Grant and Pushes Closer to Becoming a Reality

A group called Friends of the Queensway is rallying support to transform a disused Long Island Rail Road track in Kew Gardens into a High Line-style park – and now a sizable grant has pushed them a step closer to their goal. Yesterday, Gov. Cuomo gave the

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Discarded Christmas Trees Hung Under BQE as Life-Size Pine Air Fresheners

Discarded Christmas Trees Hung Under BQE as Life-Size Pine Air Fresheners

Now that Christmas is over, the streets of New York are littered with sad, dried out Christmas trees. Wanting to do an installation with dead evergreens for some time, artist Michael Neff took inspiration from the stacks of trees on the streets of North Brooklyn and created a swaying, pine-scented public installation under the BQE at the highly trafficked intersection of Metropolitan Avenue and North 6th Street.
 

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New Yorker Creates Giant Holiday Card by Biking Across Manhattan

New Yorker Creates Giant Holiday Card by Biking Across Manhattan

People spend hours making their own DIY cards for the holidays but we think we can say pretty confidently that New Yorker Erik Trinidad’s is the most labor-intensive one we’ve ever seen. In order to create the giant virtual greeting, which spans almost the

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Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Campus Gets Green Light from Community Board

Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Campus Gets Green Light from Community Board

One year after the city announced that Cornell University would be getting a science and engineering outpost, Manhattan’s Community Board 8 has approved the plans. With designs by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and Thom Mayne of Morphosis, the exciting campus will inhabit Roosevelt Island, giving future students inspiring views of the Manhattan skyline. The 12.5 acre complex will also be the home of one of the largest energy-neutral buildings in the United States.
 

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New York State to Pour 50,000 Gallons of Beet Juice All Over Roads to Melt Ice

New York State to Pour 50,000 Gallons of Beet Juice All Over Roads to Melt Ice

New Yorkers are used to having beets in their salads, pastas and fresh juices, but we could soon have them on our roads as well. The idea is part of New York State’s pilot program to test out more environmentally-friendly ways to prevent icy roads, and will

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“Solar Journey” Photovoltaic Array-on-Wheels Provided Power to Rockaways After Hurricane Sandy

“Solar Journey” Photovoltaic Array-on-Wheels Provided Power to Rockaways After Hurricane Sandy

Garrett Fitzgerald and Rob van Haaren aren’t on a typical road trip. The Columbia University engineering students have embarked on what they're calling Solar Journey USA, a mission to bring their portable solar array to different communities across the nation. The most recent stop on their expedition was hurricane-ravaged Rockaway Beach, where they brought their renewable energy source on wheels to power-deprived residents in the area.
 

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10 Awesome Gifts That Aid Hurricane Sandy Relief

10 Awesome Gifts That Aid Hurricane Sandy Relief

This holiday season, why not give back to the city you love by buying gifts that help aid those affected by Hurricane Sandy? A bevy of retailers and designers are offering New York-centric goodies that directly support victims of the superstorm that ripped through the boroughs just over a month ago. Not only do these awesome wares help make a positive impact on the lives of fellow New Yorkers, they're also unique things that your friends and family will love.
 

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New York’s Next Top Makers Competition Could Get Your Idea or Product Funded and Prototyped

New York’s Next Top Makers Competition Could Get Your Idea or Product Funded and Prototyped

We wrote about the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s “New York’s Next Top Makers” competition back in October, and we’re excited to say that the contest is now open to submissions. The call challenges NYC designers and inventors to enter their product designs for a chance to win cash prizes and an opportunity to prototype their products. If you have a great idea but aren’t sure where to begin or how to raise money to produce it, this could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.


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UM Project Uses Hurricane Sandy Debris to Make Beautiful Lamps

UM Project Uses Hurricane Sandy Debris to Make Beautiful Lamps

UM Project’s Après Collection was designed as part of Reclaim NYC, an initiative to create furniture and other artwork out of Hurricane Sandy debris. The collection of three lamps and three vessels was made from salvaged parts, recycled and remnant materials, and donated supplies from New York area businesses that were hit hard by the storm. The work will be part of the Reclaim NYC fundraiser auction to raise money for those affected by the storm, which will be held at Ligne Roset’s SoHo showroom tonight from 7-9 p.m. So if you're still looking for some holiday gifts please stop by!
 

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Foster + Partners Reveals Plans for New York Public Library Renovation with Bryant Park Views

Foster + Partners Reveals Plans for New York Public Library Renovation with Bryant Park Views

The iconic New York Public Library’s long-awaited redesign by Lord Norman Foster may finally be underway. The designs for the library renovation, four years in the making, were released today, and propose a modernization that will still respect the historic

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B2: World’s Tallest Modular Tower and First Residential Atlantic Yards Building to Break Ground Today

B2: World’s Tallest Modular Tower and First Residential Atlantic Yards Building to Break Ground Today

We recently wrote about how Brooklyn's upcoming Atlantic Yards development will boast the world's largest prefab tower, and now we're excited to report that the new building is set to break ground this morning. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Forest City Enterprises President and Chief Executive Officer David LaRue, Forest City Ratner Companies Chairman and CEO Bruce Ratner, Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York President Gary LaBarbera, Skanska USA Building CEO William Flemming, and Bertha Lewis will be kicking off construction for the 32-story tower in just a few hours at 461 Dean St. in Brooklyn. Designed by SHoP Architects, the building will be made up of prefab pieces that will be made right in a Brooklyn Navy Yard factory. We're hoping that once it's up, this new modular technology will spread across New York and become the cheaper, easier, and more sustainable future of city construction.
 

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PHOTOS: The Event of a Thread Invites New Yorkers to Play on 42 Dangling Swings

PHOTOS: The Event of a Thread Invites New Yorkers to Play on 42 Dangling Swings

Swings have taken over the historic Park Avenue Armory! A new installation by artist Ann Hamilton has transformed the cavernous space into a beautiful interactive piece called “The Event of a Thread” where visitors are invited to play on forty-two dangling swings throughout the space which manipulate an enormous hanging piece of fabric. The effect is a majestic ripple that flows through the curtain like a wave.
 

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Tiny 330 sq. ft. Studio Feels Open and Airy Thanks to Glass Doors and Design Touches

Tiny 330 sq. ft. Studio Feels Open and Airy Thanks to Glass Doors and Design Touches

Graphic designer and Etsy shop owner Michelle Konar’s creative spirit is evident in her tiny Upper West Side apartment. At just 330 square feet, the space feels open and airy thanks to glass doors and ethereal design touches. Read on to see how Konar transformed the cozy abode into a livable space using accent colors, strategic storage and her own artwork.
 

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Governor Cuomo Surprises Hurricane Sandy Victims with Free Christmas Trees

Governor Cuomo Surprises Hurricane Sandy Victims with Free Christmas Trees

Image ©donnierayjones

Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo brought some much needed holiday cheer to families affected by Hurricane Sandy on Staten Island this year. With help from some very generous New York State tree farmers, the governor had 400 fresh evergreen

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See How This Tiny West Village Apartment Uses Double Duty Furniture to Maximize Its Small Space

See How This Tiny West Village Apartment Uses Double Duty Furniture to Maximize Its Small Space

Believe it or not, product photographer Michelle James’ tiny West Village apartment was a welcome downsize from her 1,500 square foot condo in Los Angeles. Feeling like a slave to her LA space, she chose the 311 square foot mini-one bedroom so she wouldn’t have to spend weekends cleaning. By filling the apartment with bold colors and innovative storage solutions, James was able to create a modern and comfortable home in the heart of one of New York’s most expensive neighborhoods.
 

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Vine Line: Architect Wants to Blanket West Side Highway in Leafy Trellises and Waterfalls

Vine Line: Architect Wants to Blanket West Side Highway in Leafy Trellises and Waterfalls

Laurence Tamaccio's tale is one that many New Yorkers will be able to relate to. The architect lives near Riverside Park South, which he feels is a generally aesthetically pleasing area except for the unsightly figure of the West Side Highway slicing between the neighborhood and the Hudson River. Tamaccio, whose firm, Design Destinations, specializes in facade renovations and aesthetic revamps, has come up with a novel solution that he feels would turn the eyesore into a source of pride for the whole community. Called the Vine Line, the proposal entails blanketing the side of the highway with leafy vertical ivy gardens and waterfalls to unite it with the adjacent park. Read on to see a video sent in by Shannon Ayala about how others in the community feel about the possibility of creating the Vine Line.
 

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Atlantic Avenue BID to Turn Ugly Underpass into Pedestrian-Friendly “Funderpass”

Atlantic Avenue BID to Turn Ugly Underpass into Pedestrian-Friendly “Funderpass”

The Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) has big plans to transform the garbage-strewn Atlantic Avenue underpass into an aesthetically-pleasing community destination. Nicknamed “Funderpass,” the new plan for the currently sketchy route will

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