Pictured above is the stunning DUMBO waterfront, an picturesque, anecdotal view of the vast East River. The enormous channel of water separates Brooklyn from Manhattan, making it one of the most well-known obstacles in the commute of New Yorkers every single day. Respected for its beauty in areas like DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, or any other high income, waterfront area along the coast of Manhattan or BK, the river also provides a major threat to the sustainability of these rather affluent and handsome neighborhoods.  As depicted in the photo, the only significant barrier between the forces of the river and the pedestrian walkway is a collection of jagged concrete rocks, placed there in an effect to block off the danger of the water, however not in a way that will sustain the effects of a changing climate. With the prediction of rising sea levels, it is irrational to think that a blockade as measly as some jagged stones will withstand the colossal level of a rising sea and the subsequent effects of increased rainfall. With flooding being one of the greatest consequences of this rising water level, I greatly hope to see a change made in the way our city works to defend itself against the impending aggressive and destructive nature of our environment. An initiative such as our Rain(a)way tiles would greatly help to ease the blow of flooding in such a water dependent and beautiful area, while still retaining the picturesque nature it is best known for.

Earlier this week when visiting my friend on the Upper East Side, I snapped this rather anxiety-inducing photograph on my descent down to the train platform. Packed into what felt like a minuscule cylinder of space was an overwhelming amount of commuters and travelers fighting to fit themselves onto the only narrow escalator the station had to offer. This rather tight squeeze of an inconvenience begged the question of accommodation, and if New York wishes to provide efficient service to its population of commuters into the future, how do they plan on reconstructing stations with limited commuter capacity such as these. The process of waiting to board the escalator, a trip that then lasted a solid 45 seconds, is long enough for any commuter in a rush to endure when trying to reach the platform itself, nonetheless waiting for a train. In the event of an emergency, especially considering the nature of large metropolises like New York, it seems confined spaces such as this, it being the only means of transportation down into the subway platform, would present a serious hazard to large sums of people trying to escape danger. I hope that in the future, especially when taking population growth into consideration, the city finds a way to reimagine outdated and dangerous public transportation elements such as these.

-On my walk to work just yesterday, I was once again reminded of the perilous situations we as urban travelers are put in when confronted with the challenge of navigating public transportation in unpleasing weather conditions. Pictured above is a quick photo I snapped before carefully treading my way down the cement stairs of my local subway station, the descent itself similar to that of navigating one’s way down a waterfall. Saturated and flowing with water from the heavy rainfall, the steps pose a serious danger to any commuter walking up or down the unforgiving stairway. This exact issue is one that I am tackling with my Final Project group and the notion that a redesigned more porous form of bricks would prevent such severe flooding from congregating in vulnerable areas such as slippery sidewalks, stairs, and underground locations. With the use of raised Ebb tiles that surround the entrance of the subway station, all rain that falls around the perimeter of the staircase would be directed away into other area of the street or tiles made to absorb water, such as the porous rain tiles used in New Amsterdam that are the center of my group projects focus. This tile would make it so that the only water to reach the stairs would be the water falling directly onto their surface, and not the water spilling from the sidewalk and down into the station. The initiative is feasible, and if invested in by the NYC local government, could produce considerable results in reducing the level of rainfall that pools in vulnerable areas such as public staircases.

This past week I visited the Botanical Gardens in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Having now visited it for the second time in my life, I was more aware than ever before of how much work is put into maintaining the various environments of each miniature ecosystem and how it all relates to a changing environment. Tremendous effort is invested in keeping alive the various biome spheres throughout the park, all of which inhabit a small sample of botanical life actually found in these specific climate regions. With global warming and the rapidly changing climate being one of the greatest themes of the class, it’s interesting to think about the effect a warming climate will have on not only the city, but also one of its only sanctuaries of natural life. Responsible for the upkeep of so many different environment types, all enclosed within elaborate glass greenhouses, the one thing these structures must depend on is the stability of the natural climate itself. With rising temperatures, increased flooding, and even volatile changes in temperature/weather patterns, the sustainability of these artificial environments could potentially be in danger. The garden is in serious threat of falling victim to the altering climate, and despite the beauty it provides, the famous park can easily be shut down if the effort of keeping it stable and protected become too extreme.

At my local station in Clinton Hill, I was met with a surprise the other day on my morning commute to school. My station, which is known to be one of the oldest and most neglected subway stations in Brooklyn, had gone under a brand new renovation! What some may see as a great improvement for the local community’s subway station, especially for a station as quaint and ignored as the G, others saw as a major step forward for law enforcement and the MTA. What used to be two turning doors and one emergency exit door (as pictured above), was now two brand new turnstiles and security cameras! Many people talk about the controversy surrounding the MTA and the infamous issue of skipping or hopping over the turnstiles in an effort to avoid the fare, however, in Clinton Hill, this was the least of our qualms when it came to the MTA. With trains that run every 15 minutes, shortened/smaller subway cars, and often broken and abandoned ticket machines, hopping through the emergency door when it was open rather than paying the fare was an easy way to feel like you had at least benefited somehow from this disastrous public transportation service. Although I am not necessarily condoning or admitting to having broken the rules and avoiding the fare myself, I do find it convenient that as soon as the lock on our emergency exit door breaks, only then does a station untouched for 30 years receive its long needed update.

What was done at my station was not done in an effort to beautify or even update the station to benefit of commuters. Rather, measures were taken to ensure, above anything else, that a company like the MTA, that continues to increase the charges of a single commute, benefitting of the exploitation of citizens basic need of transportation, would not miss out on gaining any more money. This more than anything goes to show that our government, local leaders or whoever it be that controls our city, care more about protecting their money than making a station great for its citizens.  Although fare evasion will still continue to happen, it is now a higher stakes crime with a bigger risk of getting caught by the security cameras that have been introduced. Although much of this truly is a good step forward for the MTA, and cheating the city out if it’s money isn’t necessarily something we as commuters should be proud of, there will always be a part of me that is frustrated by the MTA/local administration’s failure to care about our transportation needs until it is hurting their own pockets.