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 You'd think problems of dense population - heightened demands for energy, water, and space, not to mention increased trash production - would plague a city so vast as the five boroughs of New York City. The rest of the country doesn't seem concerned with the pressing crisis of sustainable infrastructure; they don't need to be. They've still got room, got time. Maybe they'll do it next year. Maybe it can wait.
New York City doesn't have the luxury. It already has 8.4 million people bustling between 470 square miles. That's 27,532 people per square mile, and they all want to eat and work. There's no margin for error. Either you have an infrastructure that works, or your city falls asunder.
The first hurdle to sustainable infrastructure is getting people around. New York City has the best American public transportation system. It's comprehensive, it's comparably fast, and it will get you where you need to go. It's affordable, and the full range of New York residents ride the subways, from Wall Street execs to low level interns to homeless musicians.
The next step is feeding people. Hungry Brooklynites can visit Walter's truck on the corner, which he uses to pick up produce from area farmers, or a farmer's market 10 blocks down on the edge of a park. There seems to be an unusually high volume of fresh veggies in urban New York. They're even affordable. The food community here is vital - people care about what they eat and where it comes from. There's enough of a demand that folks like Walter can make a good living.
Energy use is less apparent, something that can't really be observed. This time around, there's nothing to report either way.
Space, however, is easy to see. New York City makes room for abundant green space. Central Park is a majestic gathering space by itself, but it's complemented by thousands of smaller parks and garden lots throughout the city. Rose bushes and veggie gardens grace each stroll. This city feels like Rome. Cobbled centuries contain bits of each era, a fluid architectural amalgam, meant to be enjoyed by both residents and visitors.
Now we get to the behemoth of the American infrastructure quandry: waste. This guttural muddle of gluttony plagues many places whose landfills get bigger and more toxic each year. I would never describe New York as clean. In fact, I've heard because of cost, they ship a certain amount of their garbage to Texas to dispose. And I don't see as many compost bins as I'd like. But there's progress: recycling is mandatory. Trash cans everywhere make it easy to dispose of litter. And guerilla gardening of abandoned lots is on the rise.
New York City is stuck between European efficiency and American indulgence. It's a city to be proud of, but still a city in transition. It's bounds ahead of the rest of its American counterparts, perhaps except for Austin, but leagues behind the imperative ideal. There's one thing for sure: it's moving, and it's not going to stop.
Last update: September 13, 2010
07:55 am
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