Geo 3A: PLANYC2030 Flashcards
1
Q
Description of PLANYC2030
A
- 6 key aspects – land, water, transportation, energy, air and climate change
- Reducing GHG emissions by 30% by 2030
- Planting of 1 million trees
- Encourage brownfield development (vacant or underutilised properties with environmental issues – represent important opportunities to meet these needs)
- Increase investment into public transport infrastructure – improve travel times and reach a state of good state repair (subways, rails, roads, ferry)
- Create more useable open space (10 min walk of a prak, clean up and reclaim waterways)
- Divert 75% of our solid waste from landfills
- Provide suitable, affordable and greater diversity of housing
- The plan brought together over 25 city agencie to work toward the cision of a greener, greater new york
2
Q
The High Line description
A
Problems addressed: urban blight, loss of amenity
• Once an elevated freight railway track, now an oasis for pedestrians
3
Q
The High Line: Benefits
A
- Increases amount of green space in densely packed city
- Elevated park
- One of the city’s finest walkways
- Walk along it’s one mile route taking in views of the Hudson River, Chelsea and the Meatpacking District
4
Q
The High Line: Environmental sustainability
A
- Grasses and perennials grown as part of project keep with the wilderness that grew up after the railway line’s abandonment in 1980
- Healthy environment
- Carbon friendly
- Encourages insects and birds into area by providing habitat
- Doesn’t use pesticides
5
Q
The High Line: Social sustainability
A
- Walkway avoiding roads
- Physical health – walking
- Mental health – relaxing
- Community events – music, increases amenity
6
Q
The High Line: Economic sustainability
A
- New york’s second most visited cultural venue, attracting 4 million visitors a year – spend money in the area – café and Chelsea markets
- Open to everyone for free – increases amenity of area
- Old factories renovated/gentrified
- All along the route, land values and real estate prices have shot up
- Estimated $2billion of new economic activity along the route of the High Line
- Value to the city in extra tax revenue over a 20 year period will be around $900m
- Tax base of area increased
7
Q
The High Line: Shortcomings
A
- Project cost $112m to set up and costs $4.5m per year to run
- Property developers benefitted more from increased land values than creators/project have been able to capture, who have to find $4.5m in charitable donations a year to keep it running
- Disused railway lines cannot be once again brought back into their original use
- Longer term residents lost peace and quiet
- Lack of affordable housing in area as popular site has driven up housing and rental prices
8
Q
Brooklyn Bridge Park: Problems addressed
A
Urban blight, loss of amenity
9
Q
Brooklyn Bridge Park: History
A
- Brooklyn waterfront once a bustling port, with industries occupying the area
- 1950’s container shipping meant that many port areas of New York became unviable – requires large spaces for loading and unloading so terminals built on vacant land (primarily in New Jersey) away from the now congested East River waterfront – centrifugal forces, land use competition
- Docks in Brooklyn and Queens waterfront were made obsolete = urban blight, loss of jobs – loss of amenity as lower tax base, urban sprawl, gentrification
10
Q
Brooklyn Bridge Park: Now
A
- 85‐acre sustainable waterfront park stretching 1.3 miles along Brooklyn’s East River shoreline
- World-class waterfront with rolling hills, riverfront promenades, lush gardens and spectacular city views
- List of amenities continues to grow as the project works each day to revitalise this previously deteriorated industrial space and build a park that enables New Yorkers to rediscover the waterfront
- Like the High Line, Brooklyn Bridge Park is a project within the broader PlanYC2030 sustainability initiative of the New York government
11
Q
Brooklyn Bridge Park: Environmental sustainability
A
- Salvaged materials – recycled wood used for park benches and wooden decking
- Habitat creation – rebuilding some of the salt marshes and meadows that previously made up habitats and planting native vegetation that once grew naturally
- Stormwater management – stormwater that falls in Brooklyn Bridge Park is collected and naturally filtered, the water is then stored underground until needed.
- Energy conservation – street lights are dimmed to save energy when not needed – low usage, season or other neighbourhood considerations
- Green roofs – as part of sustainable design, several structures within park feature green roofs – absorb rainwater, provide building insulation, create habitat for wildlife and help to lower urban temperatures
12
Q
Brooklyn Bridge Park: Social sustainability
A
- Promotes exercise = improved health
- Spend time outside = decreased stress levels
- Good for mental health
- Areas for recreational activities
- Increased amenity of area
13
Q
Brooklyn Bridge Park: Economic sustainability
A
- Attracts tourists
- Real estate values increase
- Tax base increase
- Visitors spend money in area – local business owners benefit
14
Q
Brooklyn Bridge Park: Shortcomings
A
- Unaffordable housing – pushes locals out of area
- Changes socio-economics of the area
- Hotel increases population of area = increased congestion, pollution, noise
15
Q
Sustainable streets: Description
A
A clear and detailed transportation policy for New York City, creating safer, more accessible streets with more room for buses, bikes and people to enjoy the city in the safest way possible for everyone = increased amenity of city and public spaces.
