Could Present Architecture’s Green Loop Composting Park Concept Be the Future of NYC Sanitation?

<p>New York City produces <a href="http://inhabitat.com/rapid-refuse-new-york-city-rebuilt-from-its-own-trash/">about 14 million tons of garbage a year</a>, so you can imagine the energy and resources required to move and process it all. In order to tackle this issue, the folks over at <a href="http://www.presentarchitecture.com/">Present Architecture</a> have come up with a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/mayor-bloomberg-launches-times-square-public-space-recycling-pilot-program/">creative, double-duty solution</a> called the <a href="http://www.presentarchitecture.com/FEATURED-PROJECT-GREEN-LOOP">Green Loop</a>. Rather than trucking the city’s garbage to out-of-state landfills, the Green Loop would create a network of ten new waterfront <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/compost/">composting</a> hubs throughout the five boroughs. In addition to processing waste in an eco-friendly and local manner, the stations would also function as waterfront parks for nearby communities.

<p>These new facilities would be built on top of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/architects-propose-soft-infrastructure-to-protect-nyc-from-the-next-big-storm/">artificial islands</a> connected to the boroughs via jetties. The concept hub stations have a street level <a href="http://inhabitat.com/how-to-start-an-odor-free-freezer-compost-as-a-city-or-small-space-dweller/">compost centers</a> with <a href="http://inhabitat.com/park-567-opens-as-part-of-chicagos-elevated-bloomingdale-trail-the-606/">elevated public parks</a> planted on top. </p>

These <a href="http://inhabitat.com/help-new-york-city-start-composting-by-bicycle/">composting parks</a> could process our organic waste, including 30-percent of our <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/custom-made-designer-trash-bins-pop-up-in-nyc-parks/">residential waste stream</a>.

<p>Thanks to the parks being spread out across all the boroughs it would add equality to our <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/nyc-plan-to-suck-garbage-through-vacuum-powered-trash-tubes-may-not-be-a-pipe-dream/">waste management system</a>.</p>

<p>Trucks could simply drive to a much closer local dumping site instead of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/upper-east-side-residents-fight-to-protect-kids-from-damaging-health-effects-of-planned-trash-station/">passing though the Bronx</a> to reach <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/nyc-food-waste-challenge-announces-2500-tons-of-trash-diverted-from-landfills/">landfills</a> as far away as Ohio. This would drastically reducing the transportation miles to landfills, decreasing the amount of traffic, noise, and pollution. Plus the added benefits of safer streets, cleaner air, and fewer <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/greenhouse-gas-emissions/">greenhouse gas emissions</a>.</p>

At the same time the composting hubs would create an additional 125 acres of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/tag/parkland/">public parkland</a> in the city.

Each <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/new-liberty-park-renderings-reveal-a-floating-green-space-overlooking-the-world-trade-center/">elevated park</a> is designed to be large enough for anything from educational facilities and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/diy-hugelkultur-how-build-raised-permaculture-garden-beds/">neighborhood gardens</a> to <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/cross-country-skiing-in-queens-is-one-idea-for-how-to-use-the-elevated-queensway-park/">cross-country skiing</a> in the winter.

<p>The project would also help New York reach its <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/bloomberg-calls-for-a-greater-greener-nyc-waterfront-with-vision-2020/">Vision 2020</a> goals to build a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/celebrate-nycs-waterfront-this-saturday-at-the-4th-annual-city-of-water-day-festival/">Comprehensive Waterfront Plan</a>. The added parks will improve public access and help develop the waterfront area with parks, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/shop-architects-unveils-new-east-river-waterfront-esplanade-renderings/">esplanades</a>, and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/bike-paths/">bike paths</a>.</p>