PlaNYC is very laudable for its recognition of the major issues facing us, its inclusive understanding of the triple bottom line, its clear statement of goals with deadlines, and in light of the action that has been taken already.
PlaNYC was created in response to challenges posed on New York City by a growing population, shifting climate, and aging infrastructure. It both asked and answered the question: “What do you want New York to be like by 2030?” This question is excellent because it begs participation by everyone and is not focused on just one aspect of life. One of the best things about PlaNYC is that housing and recreation and quality of life are as important as environmental goals. Not only this, but they are paired with those goals inherently. For example, one major goal is to make travel time much faster for New Yorkers. This is economically important because of increased efficiency, socially important because of a growing population, and environmentally important in reducing congestion on highways. Another good example is the effort to have a park be within 10 minutes from any given New Yorker. Trees are obviously good for the environment and the quality of life is improved across every neighborhood as parks are built (especially on converted brownfields).
The goals and clarity of purpose that PlaNYC has is good in itself but unsubstantiated without the progress it is making. Thankfully, there is progress. One of my favorite aspects of the plan is the decking over concept. In this, buildings are constructed over existing eyesores or areas that can be subterranean. I cannot get the image of the Jetsons out of my head where the people live in stilted domes high above the Earth. In that reality, it is because the Earth is too polluted to sustain life. Hopefully in our scenario, it is forward thinking use of space to create environmental homes for the growing population. I especially like this idea because no matter how many brownfields we convert to usable lane, there is a limit to the amount of space available. There are also multiple parks and recreation centers that have sprung up as a direct result of PlaNYC, causing me to be optimistic about meeting its goals. I only hope that it will not stop with these tangible ones and continue to combat carbon emissions and global warming.
The success of PlaNYC lies in participation and smart engineering. Because the goals are all so relevant to New Yorkers, there must be a lot of support for it. Hopefully, as the people benefit from new trains and parks, they stay on board as we combat carbon emissions. The smart solutions PlaNYC contains ensure that the economy and the environment are not locked in a trade-off but are both supported to the end of benefiting New Yorkers. Finally, the government can extend both a responsible hand in tending to the environment and ten to its peoples’ goals as well.
Another great example of that type of thinking is the Bluebelt in Staten Island. This is a natural system that bypasses the problems of combined sewer overflow. It provides the water drainage system any city needs in order to avoid combined sewer overflows without sacrificing the wetlands that it is built on. It takes in the run-off, diverts the overflow throughout parks, filters the water as it goes through the wetlands, and keeps this clean water within the ecosystem.
