Bringing Downtown to Life:
Citizens' Suggestions for Sustainability in New York City
A Publication of Citizens Network for Sustainable Development
Introduction
By Gail Karlsson
Citizens Network for Sustainable Development
The rebuilding of lower Manhattan has presented New York with a unique opportunity to set new visionary standards for excellence in sustainable urban design and construction. People all over the world are watching the ongoing process for rebuilding the World Trade Center area and thinking about appropriate uses for the space. Over the coming years millions of visitors will visit downtown to pay their respects. The building to be done in the area should not only memorialize the losses of September 11, 2001, but should also provide new images of a city center grounded in respect for life and the future of our common world.
A number of people have been working to promote various aspects of sustainability in New York. Many, like me, lived or worked downtown and experienced first-hand the devastation of the attack on the World Trade Center. We have sought through collaborative action to influence the evolving planning processes and draw attention to the principles of sustainable development in hopes that something positive and healing could grow out of the impacts of the tragedy.
By compiling examples of projects, innovative proposals, policy recommendations, and profiles of people andorganizations working on activities related to sustainability in New York, we can present ideas that will help planners, developers, government officials and interested citizens understand the benefits of sustainable development practices. We can also create a vehicle for sharing information and potentially catalyzing more coordinated action to promote sustainable development.
Ideas and activities that make sense in New York are likely to be applicable in other cities as well, in the United States and around the world. Success in incorporating sustainable design principles into plans for rebuilding lower Manhattan therefore will help build a much greater audience for sustainable development principles.Â
Defining Sustainable Development
The concept of ‘sustainable development' has become widely recognized throughout the world since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (otherwise known as the ‘Earth Summit'), which was held in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro. A detailed framework for international and national action on sustainable development was set out in Agenda 21, the plan of action adopted at the Earth Summit. Many cities have also adopted local Agenda 21 plans based on the principles established at the Earth Summit.
Sustainable development involves consideration of the long-term environmental effects of economic plans, as well as the impacts of investment decisions on a wide range of people who will be affected by them, including those living in distant areas of the world.
The goal is to meet people's needs without causing irreversible damage to the natural environment and without preventing people in other places, or future generations, from being able to meet their needs as well.Â
The critical importance of sustainability is evidenced by the irrevocable changes being caused by current human activities that deplete and damage essential natural resources. Reliance on fossil fuels for energy creates carbon dioxide emissions that are linked to worldwide changes in the earth's climate. Destruction of forests for lumber sales and agricultural expansion reduces the natural absorption of carbon dioxide by trees, and contributes to widespread land degradation. The oceans are being polluted and over-fished. Everywhere, species are becoming extinct at a rapid rate due to exploitation and habitat loss.
Large cities like New York consume huge amounts of resources from distant places in the form of food and timber, metals, minerals and manufactured goods. Even the water comes a long way from upstate reservoirs. Energy for electricity and transportation requires enormous supplies of coal, gas and oil, and contributes to the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere as well as local air pollution. Meanwhile, high levels of wastes are produced and exported from the city. Garbage is collected by a fleet of trucks and transported out of state. Sewage is sent to treatment plants in poor neighborhoods, except when there is heavy rain and it is discharged into the rivers.
Cut off from nature, most people in the city have little concept of the impacts of their lives on the natural world, or on the lives of people in other countries who are more directly dependent on increasingly scarce resources from local ecosystems. At international meetings like the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, people from other countries express their anger at American policies that ignore environmental dangers, and the needs of people who are disadvantaged by the US-dominated international trading system. Other countries facing droughts, flooding and destruction of their ecosystems are especially critical of America's refusal to take action on climate change even though the US, with only 4% of the world's population, is responsible for over 20% of annual carbon dioxide emissions, as well as a large proportion of greenhouse gas accumulations over the past century.
Although sustainable development has not been embraced as a guiding principle by the United States government, a number of cities and states have adopted laws and policies influenced by sustainability principles. Many of these actions have been motivated by benefits such as reduced air pollution levels, improved transportation systems, lowered energy costs and more attractive downtown cultural and commercial centers.
For New York City, sustainable development could lead to radical reductions in consumption levels, and waste production, that have long-range environmental and social benefits, while significantly enhancing the quality of life for the people who live in the city.
Elements of Sustainability
Participatory processes. The planning and development process itself can be a memorial to those who were impacted by the terrorist attacks, by reaffirming our commitment to the ideals of a democratic and equitable society. The whole city will be affected by what is built downtown, and an ongoing process for public participation is needed in order to consider ways to move towards greater equity in term of economic opportunities, job creation, environmental impacts and healthy communities.
Social and economic equity. Too often the power plants, waste transfer stations, and sewage treatment facilities serving the city are sited in poorer areas far from the commercial centers and affluent neighborhoods. Benefits and burdens could be more equitably shared within the city, and many environmental hazards could actually be eliminated through waste reduction and the adoption of zero emission building systems. New markets for sustainable products could eventually become an important source of new jobs and businesses for New York.
Green buildings. The reconstruction of lower Manhattan presents an opportunity to rebuild using the best available technologies for “green†design. All the new buildings, infrastructure and public spaces could exemplify the highest performance standards for energy efficiency, healthy air quality, reduced consumption of resources, use of recycled and non-toxic materials, responsible waste disposal practices, and clean, low-emission construction practices. They could also incorporate innovative design concepts that redefine the urban environment so that it is more in tune with the functioning of natural ecosystems.
Sustainable energy. Current patterns of energy usage make us dependent on foreign oil to power our cities and our economies. In addition, centralized power plants represent vulnerable targets. Decentralized power generation systems and alternative energy sources are particularly important elements of sustainable urban design, as well as national and local security. Solar panels, wind generators, fuel cells and other renewable energy technologies can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and at the same time reduce the risks of power outages due to attacks or system overloads. Renewable energy sources can be integrated into new buildings in lower Manhattan, demonstrating the feasibility of a future that is less dependent on imported fossil fuels and also less damaging to the earth's atmosphere.
Transportation. Given the density and narrow streets in lower Manhattan, it is important to limit the number of vehicles coming in and out of the area. Reducing traffic congestion would dramatically improve local air quality and also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Truck traffic could be controlled through rules imposing congestion pricing or requiring coordination of deliveries. In addition, mass transit facilities, including the PATH tunnel and subway tunnels, could be adapted for transport of goods and removal of solid waste to reduce reliance on trucks. Buses could be required to park outside the area, and attractive trolleys and electric vehicles could be introduced to bring tourists in and out of lower Manhattan. Preferences and incentives could be designed to promote the use of vehicles using alternatives to gasoline and diesel engines. Emphasis should also be placed on making it attractive for people to walk in the downtown area, and safe and convenient for bicycling.
Open spaces and parks. Lower Manhattan has benefited greatly from the development of new riverfront parks and facilities. Additional green spaces are needed within the area that can be used as places for people to play, meet and simply be outside. Buildings themselves can also provide green roofs and terrace areas where plants can grow and people can go outside, and can be designed to allow air and daylight to penetrate into indoor offices.
Water recycling. Water usage and sewage outflows can bereduced significantly if water is treated and filtered using onsite facilities. Potable water should not be flushed down the drain. Even within high-rise buildings, it is possible to create spaces that mimic natural ecosystems and function as constructed wetlands, cleaning gray water and sewage using vegetation-based filtration systems.Â
Solid waste management. Recycling and composting of the city's huge output of waste products can reduce consumption of virgin materials and is a much more sustainable practice than paying for transportation and disposal of potentially valuable materials in other states. Building and neighborhood-based collection systems downtown can promote separation of wastes and facilitate recycling. Composting could also be handled within the area, reducing the export of organic wastes.
Promoting sustainability
Although innovative use of new technologies is an important aspect of sustainable development, the primary changes needed have to do with cultural norms and expectations. As a center for creative thinking as well as commerce, New York has an unprecedented opportunity to provide leadership in the implementation of sustainable design principles and public planning processes.
Education about sustainability is the starting point for establishing public awareness about how the city can be transformed. That it why we are compiling presentations about what is possible, what is already being tried, and what needs to be done to move New York towards sustainability. The goal is to build a broad-based constituency of citizens and decision-makers who will work together to make our communities safer, healthier, more equitable and environmentally responsible.    Â
Government representatives, as well as private citizens, are generally not well informed about the long-range impacts of the city's resource consumption, or about the potential long-term benefits of changing our ways of thinking about urban development. The world has been altered in many ways since the World Trade Center towers were constructed. Environmental damage has accelerated dramatically, along with globalization and economic divisions between rich and poorer countries. More and more people are massed in mega-cities and need to find ways of managing decision-making and infrastructure development in ways that promote healthy, equitable communities. Â
Concerns are often raised about the costs of changing our ways. Some people are quick to reject green building recommendations, transportation alternatives and recycling practices because it seems more expensive to do things differently. But now is the time to think about systems and structures that will be in place well into the twenty-first century. The long-term price of ignoring environmental damage and social injustice will come due eventually, most likely in ways that no one will be prepared to pay. Â
Government polices can provide important incentives for innovation through measures such as tax credits, regulatory controls, differentiated fees and building code requirements. New York State already has a Green Building Tax Credit. This could be expanded, and extended to all projects in lower Manhattan. There are a number of existing sources for green building recommendations that could be adapted and applied as mandatory requirements for downtown buildings, including the High Performance Building Guidelines prepared by the NYC Department of Design and Construction, environmental guidelines adopted by the Battery Park City Authority, and the LEED program developed by the US Green Building Council.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has programs to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, but there are special obstacles that need to be addressed within New York City through comprehensive planning. It is particularly important to engage Con Edison in making appropriate provisions for distributed electricity generation.
Participatory processes for citizen input are essential for arriving at sustainable solutions to urban development concerns. Governmental institutions can create and support the kinds of democratic structures needed to engage all different kinds of stakeholders in making decisions about the future shape of the city. The planning process for rebuilding the World Trade Center site has involved an unprecedented amount of public discussion, but unfortunately it is still unclear exactly how, and by whom, the final decisions about construction will be made.
More transparency is needed to ensure that critical decisions about buildings, urban spaces and infrastructure in downtown Manhattan are made with serious public participation, taking into account the elements of sustainability outlined here, and creating an appropriate spiritual center for the city that likes to think of itself as being the capital of the world.
