Sustainability and Star Power Drive New Urban Plan
The nation's best cities do long-term planning. Increasing numbers are also dabbling in green policies, as explored in Matthew E. Kahn's new book, Green Cities: Urban Growth and the Environment, from Brookings Institute Press.
But leave it to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to pack his new urban development plan for 2030 with a major sustainability punch like none seen before. According to the City's press release, the new Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability's mission is three-fold: to develop a plan for the City's long-term growth and development; to integrate sustainability goals and practices into every aspect of that plan; and to make New York City government a "green" organization.
In addition, Bloomberg has brought multi-sectoral backing and star power to the effort.
The announcement of the plan took place during a visit to Bloom Energy in Sunnyvale, California, with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger where the Mayor and Governor talked about the State of California's groundbreaking sustainability initiatives. According to Bloomberg, "Like California, New York City has a long tradition of leadership in environmental protection - from creating the largest municipal park system in the nation, to pioneering water conservation, to banning second-hand smoke in public places. Now, we intend to make New York City a national leader in meeting the challenge of making ours an environmentally sustainable city."
An East Coast/West Coast rivalry over who's got the best sustainable infrastructure would be the equivalent of Michigan vs. Notre Dame to green fans everywhere.
The mayor's office also convinced Jeffrey Sach's Earth Institute at Columbia University to work with the new Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability as scientific advisors. The Earth Institute will provide pro bono academic and scientific expertise to the Office and participate in Advisory Board discussions.
The Ten Goals for 2030 speak for themselves:
Creating enough housing for almost a million more people.
Ensuring that every New Yorker lives within a 10-minute walk of a park.
Adding to the capacity of our regional mass transit system, so that travel times stay the same - or get better.
Developing critical back-up systems for our water network.
Reaching a full state of good repair for New York City's roads, subways, and rails for the first time in history.
Providing cleaner, more reliable power for every New Yorker by upgrading our energy infrastructure.
Reducing the city's global warming emissions by more than 30% by 2030.
Achieving the cleanest air quality of any big city in America.
Cleaning up all of our contaminated land.
Opening 90% of our rivers, harbors, and bays for recreation by reducing water pollution and preserving our natural areas.
Posted at 6:18 AM, Jan 16, 2007 in Environment | Permalink | Comment