Thursday, March 29, 2007

FOR YOUR RESEARCH PROJECTS

Here is a great link to many studies on the benefits of urban green... perhaps useful in your literature reviews.

http://www.projectevergreen.com/resources/index.html

Also, don't forget that there is a vast literature review at the back of your syllabus.

Finally, the following sites may also be of use:

Krasny & Tidball Civic Ecology

Tidball Green Security

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Alt Break Reflection

I joined this class to learn something new, and I have not been disappointed! From urban wild life in Central Park, Community gardens, to environmental injustices in Harlem, so much of what I experienced over Spring Break was new to me. It never occurred to me that there would be so many species of birds in a city, that the trees lining the streets of Manhattan have to go through such a struggle to survive, that the community garden movement did so much for the people, or that such blatant wrongdoings were being perpetrated against the citizens of Harlem. Not only have I discovered things that I did not know but I also have been inspired to ask myself a different set of questions.

The portion of the break that I found myself reflecting on the most was the time we spent with the organization WE ACT. The information that they gave us left me wondering what sorts of environmental injustices were going on in my own neighborhood and if any organizations were attempting to correct them. At home, we have days when the news actually gives smog reports warning people with asthma problems to take caution. I am starting to wonder if anything can be done about this at a community level. Maybe we can do more than just carpool.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Reflection Blog



How peaceful urban environments can be in any weather! They seem to provide an unexpected escape from the everyday stress and constant noise of the city. They allow for self-expression and creativity. Looking at the community gardens, I aw how each one was unique to its surroundings. The gardens change with the community. The community and surrounding neighborhood create the garden from nothing and make it what we see today. For example, Open Road had a mosque and a school next door. These organizations contributed a lot to the community and made the garden unique, with its greenhouse, murals, and playground. I also loved the tower and 6th St. and Avenue B. The tower probably sprung from someone’s idea to use objects and junk and others added to it. I see community gardens as a group art project. Everyone has something to offer. Even in Central Park, the park would be nothing without the people who come to enjoy it. It is very man-made and managed, but is important to the wildlife and human-enjoyment of the outdoors in the city. I love spring! I like the surprise of nature that can jump out at any time in the city. It’s like a constant game of I Spy; you just have to be willing to look.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Spring Break Trip

Reflections in Central Park: 3/20/07

I've enjoyed the trip so far. I really liked hearing about Green Thumb yesterday. It is interesting to know how they got started, what they do, and what problems they have faced and are facing now. Today we wandered Central Park. I really like walking/wandering through places around Manhattan, especially the parks. I feel like I've taken a bunch of good pictures, and that makes me happy, but I am not sure if any of them will be really good for my project. I hope that in the next couple days we will go to more parks and places that I can get good pictures of art in parks and gardens. I don't like that my computer is being stupid and so I will have to go through the pics on the camera and delete the bad ones before seeing them on the computer. That never works out well, but I have taken SO MANY pictures that it is necessary.

I will post some pictures later on, but I have to go through and organize them first.

Alt Breaks

Monday: Though it was a little disappointing to not be able to work in the gardens, it was a wonderful opportunity to meet Green Thumb to see how a government funded organization worked, and to see what its employees were like. We learned a lot about the role that Green Thumb plays with the city's community gardens, and its history with the movement. One of my favorite parts of the trip was actually the walk we took to view the closed gardens, seeing the creativity and diversity of each park was so inspiring and contemplative.
Tuesday: This day was frustrating for me because I felt like we didn't do much work, though of course this was no one's fault.
Wednesday: I really enjoyed learning about how city trees are taken care of, especially the tree identification that we were introduced to. I was not that bothered by the fact that we didn't do much pruning; I valued the learning I got out of it. The Central Park tour was nice because I hadn't realized there might be more natural-looking areas, a good example of the idea that even parks in the middle of the city can have a multitude of environments other than the pruned field look. The tracks exercise was quality, though I didn't really get a good sense of the wildlife in the park.
Thursday: A very fulfilling day. I enjoyed the walk to Harlem. The visit with WE ACT I thought was too short and I would have liked to understand more of what they do and how they operate, but nonetheless I learned a lot about the innovative actions they initiate. Working and seeing the community garden was a really essential thing - I can't imagine what it would have been like to have missed this part, to not have been able to talk to a member of the bottom rung of community garden "bureaucracy".
Friday: It seemed harder to connect the Solaire tour to what we were doing the rest of the week, but nonetheless I loved seeing the technology.

All in all, I look back on the week and am incredibly impressed by all that we did. I loved the fact that we were never really doing the same thing twice. We got a good look into all the levels of urban greenery, from the goverment sponsored groups, to the NGOs, to the business side, and community members, as well as a good background in the different ways that urban greenery REPRESENTS itself: parks, sidewalk trees, community gardens, business ventures, memorials.
I found this trip amazing on at least another 3 levels beyond simply the programmed activities, the reason for which should go mostly to our T.A. I learned so much about New York, its feel, the different areas, but also its people and cultures that I've never been so close to before. I'd barely ever considered working with the city before, but this experience makes me want to explore that option more. I also feel so inspired because all of the group members were so interested in the topic and so interesting to talk to, and I loved getting to know everyone a little better each day. Everything we did left me with so much to talk and think about.

Urban Environments Trip to NYC-Reflections

On Sunday, our group (along with other ones) departed to NYC. We arrived at 4:30 pm, and went to the hotel. We relaxed. On Monday, the environmental adventure started. Topic: Community gardens. We went to GreenThumb, a large national community garden organization. We watched a video. By the end of the day, I concluded that soil is really “brown gold,” as the video pointed out. Many people rely on this natural resource. At GreenThumb, I also recall Edie Stone saying: “Community gardens are all about community…gardens are just incidences.” That same afternoon, while walking around downtown NYC, I noticed how community gardens come to represent a culture, its traditions, and unity through a common interest: gardening. I noticed how different gardens have their own style and personality, some of them being more attractive than others (in my opinion). One can see casitas, toys on top of metal fences all around the garden, and a lot of other ways to represent beliefs and a culture. These gardens took me back to my home country, when visiting the country sides and other rural areas. “These places,” I though, “are where people gather and build a common space together, each contributing with a piece of one’s belongings.” Community gardens are, indeed, about uniting people and communities needing to identify with each other, considering that many people are away from home. By the end of the day and during our discussion before going back to the hotel, I also reflected: How will NYC look in 20 years? The NYC green (almost paradisiac) picture that Akesh, at GreenThumb, showed us constantly came to my mind. Is it fair to call this expectation utopian? Is the Environment well and appropriately appreciated?
On Tuesday, the topic was Urban Wildlife, so we went to Central Park. We began by identifying different types of birds (by their sound and color of feathers) around the reservoir: Mallards, Canada Gooses, Buffleheads, Hooded Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe; Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow, Tufted Titmouse, American Robin, Coopers Hawk, Downy Woodpecker.
On Wednesday, the topic was Urban Forestry. We went to Trees NY, and discussed why trees were important. Some of the reasons are: Trees are habitat for wildlife, they provide shade, their beauty adds value to a property, they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, and because they are cool. We went around the downtown neighborhood and identified various types of trees, pruned some, and discussed the dangers that they face (such as being exposed to the asian long-horned beetle which feeds on fresh, not dead, wood). We had a group discussion which raised a question in my mind: Is it better to be an optimism, or a realist when taking environmentally tough decisions in the midst of adversity? It is ideal to be both, but many people tend to go one way or another. What am I?
On Thursday, the topic was Environmental Justice. We went to We Act, an Environmental Justice organization dedicated to build community power to fight environmental racism and improve environmental health, protection, and policy for communities of color. We discussed the problems that would emerge if Columbia University decided to expand over eight city blocks along the Manhattanville waterfront in West Harlem. Afterwards, we went to a community garden and worked a few hours picking up wood boards, and organizing the garden’s warehouse.
On Friday, the topic was Green Design, and we went to the Solaire. The Solaire, in Battery Park City, NYC, is a green design model, and Americas first environmentally advanced residential tower. “Fresher air, natural light, and fresher water… Live Healthy, Live Green.” The apartments are innovative, and the water is recycled; the Solaire has a green roof, and it is built up of natural materials for floor and wall designs. Afterwards, we went to the Irish memorial, where we concluded with the trip activities.
At about 12am on Saturday 24th March, I arrived home, in Ithaca, NY.
...My Environmental Conservation journey has just started!

ASSIGNMENT UPDATE

Because we were unable to work in the community gardens in the Lower East Side on Monday due to weather, there is no Garden Mosaics assignment due.

Please be prepared to discuss in class your reflections on the ASB trip overall, as well as specific observations you want to point out. Don't forget to post your journal entries from Central Park.

See you tomorrow!

New York City!

This spring break has been far different from many of the trips taken by my peers. I am glad that I was fortunate enough to be a part of this trip because it exposed me to a great deal of new experiences. Meeting the non-profits in NYC was awesome because they were each very unique in their goals but were all very interested in encouraging us to get involved. Green Thumb was really cool because they shared an interesting history and I really liked reading about the seminars they offer to community gardeners-- I really think that it is this type of sharing that will successfully make cities sustainable (as opposed to the commercialization seen at perhaps the Solaire). The open access to information and opportunities is what is really important for the success of cities, perhaps that is why the tree pruning was so frustrating--we did not feel like we had equal freedom to make a positive impact. Thursday was the most fascinating day for me. I really appreciated the walk to Harlem and seeing the differences in how the streets were used. Better still was hearing about WE ACT because they were very knowledgeable and seemed to have their long term goals in order. I would love to work with this kind of non-profit in the future, their work seems really exciting. Better still was being able to hang out and help out in the community garden. I loved the natural approach that was taken towards the garden because it really made it seem like you were in a fairy-tale. I was sad to hear that so much of the garden had been lost to development and now I regret not asking what they did to fight the development.

NYC Trip

I am glad that I had the opportunity to participate in the urban environmental alternative spring break trip. Instead of blogging all of the experiences on the trip I rather reflect of the experience that touched me most. That was learning and being informed about environmental justice. We Act a Harlem community action group informed us of the wrongs and misdoings by Manhattan on the Harlem community. In addition, they face a continuing battle with Columbia University expansion into Harlem. We Act fought the city for a waterfront park that now will be separated from Harlem by the expansion of Columbia. The actions by the city and Columbia show a glass ceiling that faces minority populations. That is that minorities cannot live in nice areas and when they do gain access to such spaces the status quo tries to take it away from them. It saddens me that the Harlem community fought hard to have a waterfront park and that Columbia sees that the Harlem community could not possibly take care of have such a green space.I hope that the Harlem community can exercise their basic human right to green space and maintain their waterfront park and fight for their environmental rights.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Along the same lines as Solaire...

Being healthy and green is bound to become a luxury. Just thought everyone would find this interesting.

The first certifiably green mansion
Earth-friendly no longer equals Space Age design. Welcome to EcoManor, built in Atlanta by Ted Turner's daughter. Fortune's Patricia Sellers takes the tour.
By Patricia Sellers, Fortune editor-at-large
March 14 2007: 12:48 PM EDT


(Fortune Magazine) -- From the outside, the Seydel family's new home looks like any old Tudor manse. Well, it's too tall for its quiet block. (Neighbors have complained.) But who would guess that this is the largest eco-friendly house in America? With its 27 photovoltaic panels on the roof, solar tubes that snake into interior rooms, geothermal heat pumps, and rainwater-collecting cisterns, this is, in fact, the first home over 5,000 square feet ever to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council - and evidence of a new wave of eco-building that doesn't look like eco-building.

"Everybody has in their head a picture of an environmental home - usually some Space Age design," says homeowner Laura Turner Seydel, who moves into EcoManor in March. "We wanted to prove that it doesn't have to look odd."


EcoManor won LEED certification using innovations like geothermal systems, photovoltaic panels and soy-based insulation.

In the attic, cellulose insulation costs more - but is super efficient.

The Seydels at home: (from left) Vasser, John R., Laura Elizabeth and parents, Laura and Rutherford.

Make your house a green machine
Not everyone has the means (or the desire) to build an environmentally sound house from the ground up. But here are five ways to make your own manor more like EcoManor.
Roof:
Install photovoltaic panels, which convert sunlight into electric energy. The Seydels paid $34,000 for their 27 solar panels from One World Sustainable Energy Corp. oneworldsec.com
Lighting:
Solar tubes and skylights direct natural light into closets and interior rooms, and also block infrared heat and UV rays. The Seydels paid less than $2,500 for their Velux components. velux.com
Heat:
Make sure your water heater and plumbing systems are insulated. Or consider a "tankless" model, which can slice your bills dramatically. The Seydels went all out with underground electric pumps, which use the ground temperature to help heat or cool the house. Residential systems average $7,500 and reduce energy costs 30 to 60 percent.
Materials:
For floors, forgo traditional hardwood in favor of rapidly renewable alternatives like bamboo or cork. The Seydels also used Lyptus, from eucalyptus trees, for their cabinets.
Water:
Recycle your runoff: The average home sends more than 100,000 liters of usable water down the drain each year. Thanks to a local company called RainHarvest, the Seydels reuse rainwater and water from sinks and showers to flush toilets and irrigate their yard.


Seydel is also the daughter of Ted Turner - which gives you a clue to where her environmental drive comes from. While her billionaire daddy has practiced what he has preached by buying two million acres to preserve (he is America's largest individual landowner), Seydel thinks big on one tiny tract: a half-acre in Atlanta's highbrow Buckhead neighborhood.

She and her husband, Rutherford, an environmental lawyer, spent $1.5 million to construct EcoManor - some 10 percent extra for going green, estimates architect Bill Harrison. But he predicts that the Seydels' energy costs will be 80 to 90 percent below average for a like-sized Atlanta home.

EcoManor was born four years ago when Laura - who serves on more than a dozen nonprofit environmental boards - and Rutherford bought a shabby two-bedroom cottage behind their sprawling hilltop home. They had planned to turn it into a guesthouse.

But a few weeks after their purchase, a magnificent 200-year-old oak, whipped by a storm, fell and crushed the tiny house. Ted Turner is the one who, after touring the devastation with Rutherford, prodded the Seydels to tear it down and rebuild. "And when they started from scratch, they decided to go eco-friendly," Ted recalls.

Or more like eco-obsessive. Self-proclaimed environmental activists, the Seydels collect rainwater to fill their toilets - low-flush, dual-flow units from Japanese manufacturer Toto. ("Press button No. 1 when you go No. 1, and No. 2 when you go No. 2," instructs Laura, 45, as we tour the master bathroom, which is naturally lit via four solar tubes.) Meanwhile, used "gray" water from the Seydels' sinks and showers passes through filters and irrigates the lawn - which is drought-tolerant, of course.

Throughout the five-bedroom house (the Seydels have three children, 9, 11 and 14), the doors are wheat-core - yes, composed of wheat, and formaldehyde-free. In the first-floor study the wallpaper is recycled newspaper, though you'd never know it: It's an elegant-looking linen white.

The floors downstairs are made of fallen oak from Ted Turner's plantation, Avalon, in Florida. (Upstairs the floors are sustainable wood from Home Depot (Charts), and they don't look as nice.) In the attic the insulation is made of soy-based cellulose. "It's the most expensive but also the most efficient," says Rutherford, 43, as we explore EcoManor's 6,000-plus square feet.

While Laura thinks of EcoManor as the ultimate nontoxic environment (she evangelizes about hemp pillows, jute draperies, and natural cleaning products), Rutherford views their new home as a sort of energy toy. His favorite gizmo, in the kitchen, is a 15-inch monitor that measures and controls the family's energy costs per second - "down to a hundredth of a cent," Rutherford boasts. "If the kids have a party in the basement, I can tell how much the party cost." Predicts architect Harrison: "Five or ten years from now we'll be building homes that are totally self-sufficient in terms of energy usage."

The Seydels are pioneers in a growing movement. Currently there are 98 homes that are LEED-certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, but the group, which is based in Washington, D.C., expects some 5,000 to be certified in the coming year. (LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.)

Most LEED-certified homes are in the West and Northeast; EcoManor is the first in the Southeast. The movement is spreading to mass-market home development: Between 5 and 10 percent of new homes will probably be eco-friendly by 2010, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

Meanwhile, Rutherford wants to entice everyone, especially the luxury set, to go for LEED status. Currently LEED judges favor small homes in their rating system, which effectively penalizes rich folks who like to live large.

"That shouldn't be the case. People who can afford to build stately homes tend to adopt revolutionary technologies early. These are the people who can make a huge impact," says Rutherford, who is lobbying the Green Building Council to ease the restrictions. The council is considering it.

Meantime, the Seydels have already swayed one rich guy: Ted Turner. Even though Turner has given hundreds of millions of dollars to environmental causes, he confesses that he has paid scant attention to building green. (Why bother, since with 22 ranches and other properties, he says, "I don't spend more than a month each year at any one.")

Lately Turner has started using recyclable materials and nontoxic paints - and also has invested millions in a solar-energy startup. Says Laura: "We guilt-tripped him into it."

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

March 13th

I found “The Greening of NYC, as Seen by A Designer,” to be a very informative article shattering the stereotype of New York as a concrete jungle. The presence of specialized schools incorporating the environment into their curriculum, gardens, parks and greenmarkets was a given to me. I recognize that New York is a very diverse place where one can find just about anything one is looking for. Nevertheless, the idea of locally grown produce sounded odd. This concept of agriculture within a large city amazes me even now.

The Solaire living Green is a wonderful example of how human beings can live in an environmentally friendly dwelling without suffering the loss of convince. This building seems almost unreal. It has everything a person could want without a cost to the environment. It is also a rational way of preparing for our future. All this proves is that we can change our ways when we actually make an attempt at it.

The article “Sustainable Urban Ecosystems” paints a very sad picture and then goes about mending it. Every problem that it mentions has a reasonable correction and a profound incentive to take action. Human beings have clearly altered the surroundings in urban areas; however, we do not have to be as destructive as we have been in the past. We have the education and the technology to change. Now all we need are people willing to make an effort. The mere presence of these three articles proves that those people do exist and that their numbers are growing. These articles give hope.

Tuesday March 13

All Things Considered: This NPR report made a good complement to what we are learning about NYC. I have this idea in my mind of L.A. being all highway, in fact I don't know if I even realized there was a L.A. river! It's kind of amazing to think that this huge city has no park system - I think of my pretty small town at home which had tons of green space. Of course, the industrialization of a big city makes sense that green space would be tougher to have, and I can understand how green space in a city could be forgotten, but it's still amazing that L.A. hasn't one. The community residents are taking the situation into their own hands, and carving our green spaces along the river which I think is a beautiful thing.

The Solaire
This website actually impressed me because I was afraid its mention of environmental engineering was going to be vague. But actually it had many legitamite sounding things to say, not just the phrase ''naturally harvested wood" but it went into that they had a 500 mile resource transporation limit and that it was harvested from sustainably. It was interesting how most of the technology was well known - lots of Energy Star appliances, solar power, insulation - which makes it more believable. I did like their focus on rooftop irrigation, and the inbuilding water treatment system.

The Greening of NYC
I really enjoyed this article. Though the author did perhaps veer from the negative, she made sure to mention some issues that NYC has, for instance programs that have been cut. She gave a wonderful overview of everything that is going on in NYC for sustainability, lots of policy and programs that sound very creative and make me want to look them up (for instance, Transportation Alternatives, Recycle a Bicycle, NYC's Bicycle Blueprint, Big City Forest, the Gaia Institute). I know after reading this that NYC is putting forth a big effort to make the city more environmentally friendly. I especially liked the transporation part, because reducing automobiles would be a really beneficial thing for NYC to do for pollution, traffic, and they already have a great transit system. An fun, educated, lighthearted read, 4 thumbs up.

Slide

March 13th reflections

The Green Apple

In the first article I was surprised to learn that NYC is listed under sustainable cities. The author keeps making reference to the Green Apple instead of the Big Apple, I found this interesting. I think she has a valid point. NYC is such a mecca of fashion, culture and diversity, it is also one of the most visited places in the world. It stands to reason that it could also be the place that could be used to make a bold statement about sustainability. Whatever happens in NYC is largely imitated in the rest of the world therefore, what better international stage to have than NYC to take a stand for the environment. Also, as I read this article I am reminded of a story that a friend related to be about when he lived in NYC.
My friend is from a small town in Louisiana. He grew up walking to the garbage and throwing out the trash, basically doing his part to help the environment. When he become an adult he made the inevitable pilgrimage to NYC, fell in love with it and moved there indefinitely. My friend who we will call Bob, lived in one of the high rises where everyone in his building had the disgusting habit of throwing their trash out the window and into an alley adjacent to the building. He related to me his shock about having witnessed this phenomenon the first couple of times and then gradually he too started doing it because apparently it was the cool thing to do. I was stupefied to say the least. But this is an example of how people copy New Yorkers because they do not want to appear to be an outsider. Peer pressure is still rampant. NYC is perhaps the best place to use its influence and clout for the good of the environment and people are bound to sit up and take notice.
The rise of community gardens, private rooftop gardens are testaments to what a little peer pressure can do. NYC estuaries are cleaner and the fish are returning. Recycling is the highest for any American city with over 1 million people. NYC is also engaged in selling their recyclables now. However, the cut to the Sanitation Budget threatens progress. Education on ecology and the environment is being incorporated into the curriculum in schools and universities.
NYC’s environmental movement is trying to oust the private car. They want to emphasize that you do not need a car to live in NYC. This could also be applied/emphasized in other American cities. It is a bike friendly city.
The author purposely excludes the major environmental problems associated with NYC, which I think is prudent.

Sustainable Urban Environments

Majority of the people in the world prefer and do live in urbanized environments. Urban environments have upset the natural flow of the universe. They contribute to declining environmental quality. I really like these lines, “We have failed to realize the full potential of our green infrastructure because we have designed and managed landscapes as "pictures" rather than as functioning ecosystems. Sustainable urban ecosystems recognize the interconnection of natural resources, human resources, site design, building design, energy management, water supply, waste prevention, and facility maintenance and operation.” They encapsulate the urban environment dilemma.
The study seeks to reconnect people to sustainable environments because sustainable environments have many benefits for people and wildlife. The study also seeks to answer a number of valid questions. We do have to partner with nature instead of trying to conquer it. We have to find a balance between nature and people. That is the essence of sustainability and this class.

The Solaire

One word, “wow.” It almost seems to good to be true. Does this place even exist? The theme “Live Green” is complementary to the first article where the author kept making reference to the “Green Apple.” This site purports that this tower is the first of its kind in America and that it is supposedly environmentally advanced. How advanced is my question? I cannot help but be skeptical. The tower apparently provides more light, cleaner air (I remember someone making a joke about wanting to return to the fresh air of NYC once), fresher water and made from natural materials. It would be interesting to see this place and to ascertain what kind of scales they are using to define the benefits of this tower.
Maybe a little class road trip should be conducted to view this miracle, wink, wink.
The general idea I got from the combination of articles is that New York City is one of the greenest cities, while other places, like Los Angeles, are greatly lacking as far as sustainability and green spaces goes. I really like that New York is able to be such a good place for sustainable practices and green spaces. There are lots of green spaces in New York that are available to most of the residents. The green markets mentioned in at least one of the articles are a very important part of the city. Even though produce sold at green markets is generally more expensive than those sold in the supermarket, most of it is organically and locally grown. And they are even a nice place to visit and be in when not shopping. I also like the idea of green buildings. I think that sustainable energy sources is one of the most pressing issues of our time and will greatly affect our future. If more and more of the things that we create use alternative fuel sources and are environmentally friendly in general, we will have that much less to worry about in the future. I don't know what the real problem is in LA, but I think that it needs to be, and can be, worked out in the near future. People jut need to be dedicated and put in an effort and things will happen. The biggest problem everywhere is that not enough people 1. believe that there is a problem. 2. care enough to do anything about it. or 3. Believe that we, as people, can do something to fix the problem. New York is a start, and hopefully the ideas and practices that are abundant in NY will proliferate around the country and world.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Innovation

The Greening of NYC, as Seen by A Designer
This article talks about Sustainable Cities. My question is: How do you define “Sustainable City?” There is a transition from the Big Apple to the Green Apple, I noticed, when referring to NYC. So, NYC is an example of one of those model cities!! Among all its diverse cultural background and its richness of places and opportunities, some people still find a way to make this place greener. The ecologically interesting places should not be unmentioned. NYC is a place where fascinating events take place, one of them being Earth Day in 1990. And the list of such marvels goes on……
This article talks about how innovative NYC is. The “I Love NYC” t-shirts now make sense to me. What is meant by Sustainable Cities, I ask again. These cities are what we call Sustainable Development hot spots, or places were economy is in harmony with the environment. This article talks about how, because “we” are the world’s top producers, we are compensating that luxury/need/fact with recycling and how to effectively manage waste. On the other hand, there is an academic interest: NYU with its Environmental Management courses and Columbia with its Industrial Ecology projects. Overall, NYC is very healthy. It is a place where walking to go to work is commonplace, and where nature is appreciated in the middle of civilization. And the innovation is like the energizer Bunny…it keeps going and going and going……The Green Apple is indeed an industrial paradise!

Public Architecture and Design-Creating Community The Politics of Open Space Design
Parks are popular social centers in many urban environments. I recall last year reading about Frederick Law Olmstead. After studying in Yale, he traveled to China, and then came back to USA. Olmstead was an ecological visionary and an innovator. Did he or his successors have something to do with the designing of Cornell? This is what I read in “wikipedia” regarding Olmstead contribution to Cornell:
For example, in one of the earliest plans, Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of Central Park, outlined a "grand terrace" overlooking Cayuga Lake.[19] Because the terrace plan was dropped, McGraw Hall appears to face the wrong direction, facing the Slope rather than the Arts Quad.
This article talks about LA, and how it needs parks. Olmstead will be revived, and his transcendental ideas will be applied to LA, a place with a lot of natural beauty.

The Solaire, Live Green
The theme this week is innovation. A blink of the future. What’s to be trendy: water will be recycled, buildings will have rooftop gardens. Think and live green! Sustainability at its apex! Great ideas, now lets get to business….how much does it cost to live this dream? …because, unless one has the Big Green Dollar to make it a reality, this is only really fantastic for the rest of the population. How can this become accessible to all, and is this possible? Somehow!?!

Really long comments....

The Greening of NYC
This article attemps to highligh the sustainable aspects of NYC and I think it does a good job when it comes to describing all of the eco-tourism sites to be visited. I was surprised by all of the places and stores that the author listed. Only in New York would there be an eco-department store! All of the sustainable clothing stores and green buildings sound fascinating and prosperous, but I argue that there is always more to be done. The author supports the idea that NYC is a “Sustainable City” by listing all of the green efforts taking place such as the Earth Day Celebration in 1990 and the environmental schools. I question his examples because they seem to be outdated. The Earth Day celebration was 5 years ago, why was there not one every year? Also, he talked about the recycling efforts made in NYC. If you have been to NYC, I don’t think you will see a major effort any where within the city to offer recycling. He says currently (in 1995) NYC recycles 15% of the garbage and a mandate was passed to recycle 40%. Has this goal been met today? All I can say is that when I was in NYC, I did not see any efforts to increase recycling around the city. This would take some major organization, but it can be done. The city just needs someone who cares to take jcharge. He also mentioned some green projects being looked into such as composting, repair centers, and BYOB. What has happened to these efforts? If this article was written in 1995, then why have we not seen major improvements in these areas in NYC by 2007??

NPR
The Los Angeles River would flood, and so they sought advice about it from Olmstead. He suggested not to build houses near the river, but to build a parkway as a flood control device. I think this is a good idea and I like that people interested in their community are getting involved in building parks and planting around the river. Local governments are letting community input be a part of the design process when landscaping and gardening around the river. The building of the parkways can affect the community as well as government groups’ ideas, such as the Army Corps of Engineers. The project seems very positive and beneficial to the atmosphere of the communities as well as contributing to learning and teamwork.

The Solaire
This apartment complex looks beautiful and spacious. I think it is a great idea to build energy efficient residence building, since so many apartments are inefficient in heating, electric, and insulation and will not change because of the relationships between the landlords and the tenants. I’m sure it would be very expensive to live in these buildings and it is definitely not geared toward the lower class. I think in addition to building new energy efficient buildings, the city should focus on improving the older very inefficient buildings. People end up paying way too much for their heating and electricity simply because their old building systems or the appliances that are supplied with their apartments. I think that these issues should be addressed. In the Solaire, I love the idea of the rooftop gardens and the irrigation set up to water these gardens.

Sustainable Urban Ecosystems
This paper discussed many interesting topics and provided many great research questions about many different aspects of urban ecosystems. They talked about subjects such as identifying and designing methods, analyzing costs, researching people and implementing projects. Of particular interest to me were the impacts of urban environments on people. I was intersted in questions like “What demographic, scientific, economic, and religious trends are most likely to shape urban dwellers attitudes towards nature and their behaviors impacting landscapes? What are the positive impacts of community-based green projects on small groups and organizations that participate?”

Readings 3/13/07

The Greening of NYC, as Seen by A Designer

This article covered the view of greening by a designer. It was interesting how it started by addressing the diversity of NYC and how the people all a responsibility to improve the city. He talks about how designers use recyclables in design. It was interesting to learn that NYC has over 200 eco-friendly locations. Even though the article didn't mention the problems in NYC you could see that through the information provided that their is a lot that can be done and continued to make NYC a more ecological sustainable city.

Sustainable Urban Ecosystem

This article started off detailing the problems in urban environments. From the redirection of ground water and increased need for air-conditioning that causes air pollution. Then in the next part of the article the author expresses urban areas as "pictures" instead of ecosystems.I also liked that the article included possible research questions associated with the material presented.

The Solaire Living Green

I don't know about this concept. It seems a little too Utopian for me. I question all the amenities and improved use of resources the company claims. It says its an equal housing opportunity building but the cost of living there is not listed and it seems to me it would be pretty pricey.I would like to visit it though.

Public Architecture and Design-Creating Community
The Politics of Open Space Design

I am not surprised by the problems that stand in the way of improving green spaces in L.A. since we had an earlier reading on L.A. and from common knowledge about L.A. From the cities layout to political tie-ups. I think it will have to come from the people to advocate for green spaces.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

The Greening of NYC as seen by a designer:
This presentation was very interesting. Towards the end it seemed more like a bus tour guiding us through the city, but I enjoyed his talk about garbage and recycling in the city. He mentioned a lot of great places that we could visit during our trip, lets go see the National Audubon Society building!
As a planning student, I have to call attention to his mention of Bryant Park and other BIDs within the city. A Business Improvement District is an area that is given special care and maintenance with money pooled from local businesses in the area. While this seems like a great strategy for greening up the city, it often kicks out the natives. Bryant Park used to be known as a place for drug dealers and bums in the '80's but when it became a BID, the park became privately patrolled. While the removal of drug dealers seems like a great thing, BIDs do not eliminate the problem, they just push them elsewhere. This is problematic and short-sighted, not to mention the fact that it is yet another design flaw that does not serve the community in which it resides.

Sustainable Urban Ecosystems:
This website was clear in laying out its goals and outlining research ideas. I especially enjoyed reading about composting to reduce the % of waste that ends up in land fills.

NPR All things considered:
Los Angeles is known as a problematic city to planners and planning students. The design of the city seems to be the most fundamental problems. The city was founded around the idea of the great American Dream of single family households in suburbs. As a result, settlement in the city resulted in racial segregation in suburbs in LA, traffic congestion, and environmental degradation. The army corps of engineers seemed to have "solved" flooding problems in the same ways everywhere, by simply cementing it over and channelizing it. Pocket parks seem like a good idea for fighting for getting more green space, but they do not seem like great places to actually spend time because of their close proximity to the highways.

The solaire: I am really excited that there is interest in living in a sustainable apartment building. However, this brings back into play the idea that you got to have the green to live green. Why is sustainable living not an equal access issue?

Friday, March 9, 2007

NYC-CCE Internship Opportunity

Cornell University Cooperative Extension – New York City

Urban Environment Program Area

Internship Description

Internship Position Title: Urban Environment Intern

Term of Appointment: Part-time or Full-time, Start date: flexible

Duties: Urban Environment Program Area seeks an intern(s) to provide support for informal, community-based education programs and related activities. Responsibilities may include program planning and promotion, recruitment of participants and organization partners, logistics planning, and program delivery with local audiences, using an array of communication and outreach strategies. Intern(s) will conduct other communications and administrative support tasks, as needed and assigned. Urban Environment programs include:

· “Garden Mosaics and Urban Agriculture” project in Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, and the Bronx, working with community-based organizations to deliver horticultural and environmental science learning experiences, in farmers’ markets and community gardens;

· An emerging initiative focused on outdoor education and adventure experiences, which will encourage and facilitate urban youths’ engagement with the outdoors in and around NYC;

· “Urban Silviculture,” an integrated research and education project that investigates the relationship between trees and air quality and engages young adults in field-based data collection in the South Bronx;

· “Celebrate Urban Birds,” a collaborative effort between CUCE-NYC and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that aims to involve the public in activities related to urban birds and the importance of habitat in urban environments;

Required Skills and Qualifications:

Excellent communication skills (verbal and written). Spanish language skills desirable. Strong computer literacy and organizational skills.

Academic background in the sciences, environmental studies and/or education;

understanding of and willingness to work in urban communities with diverse populations; ability to work collaboratively with others as well as take initiative and work independently.

College junior, senior or graduate preferred; graduate students will also be considered.

Contact: Lisa Babcock at llb28@cornell.edu; 212-340-2956

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Transforming Cities



















I really enjoyed the article about transforming cities. The major problem in cities is that they are overpopulated. Historically, cities have always been the centers for industrialization and rarely made to cater to the people that dwell in them. This article hopes to change all that. What I got from it is that yes, cities are for industrialization and other things but it does not have to be exclusive to this. Cities are for people and not the the other way around basically. People can have their cities and still have them be areas of sustainability, where natural resources are protected and conserved. Also, cities can be places where communities are fostered. Cities continue to grow and so do the problems associated with them. But the situation is not hopeless if we all work together.

My slide basically highlights the things about this article that stood out to me.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Reflecting on the history and the current state of community gardening

Reading Lawson's chapter on the emergence of the contemporary urban gardening movement raises many issues for the current state of community gardening in urban spaces.

Since community gardening rose during a period of national urban deterioration, the challenge today is that urban areas have been transformed into playgrounds of real estate developers. If gardens are such vital resources to poor and delapitated areas where youth can get out of the daily drama of poverty and violence, then what does the current trends of gentrification mean for the youth of today?

If there are no more vacant lots, and those that do exist are being coveted for the right moment to construct a new loft for the young urban professional, than how do we push to transform the ecology of the city with the grassroots community gardening of the past?

Maybe the fight has moved out of the inner city and to the exurbs where the urban poor are now moving. Maybe the farmers who are losing their land to the development of strip malls are the natural allies of the exurban poor who have become alienated by the lack of community fostered by environments based on private vehicular transportation.

I don't know if this is what you were going for, but it is my interpretation of the assignment, and what could go on one slide.

Sunday, March 4, 2007


I tried to make my power point less wordy and more based on an image, but I hope it did not come out looking too juvenile. (sorry) I love the idea of Garden Mosaics and I think it has so many opportunities to teach children in a variety of different subjects and involve them in the outdoors. I think it introduces kids to positive role models and shows them aspects of nature that they would not normally encounter living in an urban setting. While I was reading the article, I had a mental image of a child exploring his or her neighborhood as if it were an exciting maze. They encounter the beautiful aspects of nature as well as their welcoming neighbors and learn to interact with others along their journey. I hope that gardening in elementary schools becomes a nation-wide curriculum.

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Apuntes Urban Environments 2.27.07

Gotham Fishtales discussion:

-confusion, where were they fishing? Foreign fish; Hudson river tidal’; don’t realize near mouth, saltwater ecology too, eels, exotic species
-eating contaminated fish, repercussions for fetuses, disadvantaged fishermen/women
-certain ethnicities supplement heavily diets, more toxins
Wealthier, fly-fishing, more for entertainment
Patrol for size of fish v. do individuals actually impact over industry catch
- communication of toxicity doesn’t get to enough people
- ¾ money on Rainbow & Brown Trout, ¼ money into regular game fish
- Cleanliness of water?
- Idea of Sterile City, people surprised that there are fish, nature
- Old train to reef, justification: can’t afford structure for reef, environmental issues, research, company had to sanitize (dredged, destroyed original reef)

Our Role in Nature
Argument: are we irrelevant (even though we straighten the Mississip, nature more powerful)
“Tragedy of the Commons” issue, finite resources
Why should we care?
Economic benefits of green space, emotional benefit

Discussion on Scientific Articles:
Issues w/ not enough scientific,
Argument against green space?
Greening as community empowerment rather than natural resources argument
Horticultural Therapy
Enough green space, but actually need to get out in it
But what if there are danger issues; different factors
Social interaction outside is benefiting, not purely greenery’s effect
We are wedded to infrastructure of soc. Issues
Greening- one of easiest ways to improve commty
Grupo 2: philosophical debate: value systems, relationship bet. Wealthy & green space,
Girls & self confidence, diff bet boys w/ how they play, encouraged to play outside
Surrounded by technology
What is important v. other cultures w/different values – could a new Yorker in Kenya survive?
Why is the tree there? Wealth initiates it or does green initiate wealth?

Victorian cities & gardening > resistance movement, women control food

-your dedicated notetaker

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Things To Do And Eat In NYC

There are a couple things that I you guys should take a look at.

1. Aroma Kitchen and Wine Bar is an awesome resturant. We can go there on Monday night, if you guys want. The room we would have is the "Farmhouse Room" (see website). It will probably cost $50 per person (including tax and tip) if everyone orders an appetizer and an entre. The room we would have is the "Farmhouse Room" (see website). It is a lot of money that peopel may not be willing to spend, so if you don't want to go, say so. You would not have to pay for dinner on Sunday night, however, cause my family wants to cook, so it could be like paying for Sunday's meal and Monday's meal. I need to know by this Saturday, March 3, if we still want to keep the reservation. You can tell me if this is something that you want to happen when we go bowling. Check out the website.

http://www.aromanyc.com/

2. There are some other resturants that I know of that should not be as expensive, but are still good.

Kefi - A really good Greek resturant on the Upper West Side
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/kefi/index.html
http://events.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/dining/reviews/28unde.html?ref=dining

A Salt & Battery for fish and chips - West Village and East Village Good & Very cheap.
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/a_salt_and_battery01/index.html

Pam Thai food at 49th & Ninth This is a great, really cheap place that is likely to have room for us.
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/pam-real-thai-food/index.html

Spice - Near Union Square, has really good vegetarian options. For lunch, I believe you can get a free appetizer when you order an entre. (I think that there are others around the city as well.)
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/spice01/
http://www.spicenyc.net/university.html#

Republic (Thai) - Union Square
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/republic/index.html

Ollies Noodle Shop - This one is on the upper west side, but there are others in various locations.
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/olliesnoodleshop03/index.html

The City Bakery - Closes at 7:00, but is a good place for a lunch or an early dinner. Really good food and pastry.
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/city_bakery/index.html

All of these are good places that we could eat, and since there are a lot of us, we should probably make reservations so that we know that somewhere will have room for us. It is very easy to have long waits for resturants in Manhattan, and with this many people it is very possible that we might not get a table at all.

3. NOT resturant options.

People wanted a commedy type thing. Upright Citizens Brigade is a really good improve/sketch commedy group in Manhattan
http://nymag.com/listings/bar/upright-citizens-brigade-theatre01/

On Fridays from 4-8pm the Museum of Modern Art is pay what you wish. Other days, they have a student rate of $12. A very important aspect of the urban environment. See especially the sculpture garden.

The NY Philharmonic has $12 student tickets, all you have to do is show up with a student ID. I can get more informaton on this if people want.