Slate’s Henry Grabar reports on how the 15 month planned closure of NYC’s much used L Train for repairs (starting in April 2019) is an opportunity to prioritize 14th St. for non-vehicular transportation (meaning buses, bikes, and pedestrians). This would open it up as an alternative for L Train riders and be a demonstration project for cities around the country.
In the Boroughs: Queens may yet take the High Line
Queens high line: Park or Transit?
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20121216/REAL_ESTATE/312169983
A half-century after the last commuter train ran along a 3.5-mile stretch of track connecting central Queens to the Rockaway peninsula, the fate of the badly deteriorated right of way that remains has suddenly become a hot topic.
Read more: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20121216/REAL_ESTATE/312169983#ixzz2FGNddPV7
In Detail> Governors Island – The Architect
Archpaper previews NY Governors Island transformation from Coast Guard Station to Park.
http://www.archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=6398
With construction progressing, West 8 discusses the landscape transformation of a New York jewel. – Short, direct, and lively, The Architect’s Newspaper is the essential read in the field.
Newly Delayed Bike Share Program Is Now to Begin in May
NYC bike-share delayed and reduced by Sandy.
Equipment damage from Hurricane Sandy forced the latest postponement,
To Fight Climate Change, College Students Take Aim at the Endowment Portfolio
Fossil fuel college divestment movement gains traction among students but will colleges follow?
Students are demanding that university endowment funds rid themselves of coal, oil and gas stocks in hopes of bringing climate change onto the national political agenda.
Opinion: A crisis far worse than the fiscal cliff – Jennifer Granholm
More climate change math from Gov. J. Granholm
http://www.politico.com/story/2012/12/a-crisis-far-worse-than-the-fiscal-cliff-84649.html?hp=r4
Munich RE is an insurance company: what progressives often consider a methodical, calculating, machine using cold, heartless data to maximize profits. In a report to fellow insurance companies, Munich RE noted that the number of weather-related losses had quintupled over the past thirty years. In October, the company said, “Nowhere in the world…
Legoland! Ratner Moving Ahead With Atlantic Yards Tower, World’s Tallest Modular Building
Brooklyn to get pre-fab highrise in Atlantic Yards project . . .
Editorial> Paper Architecture on the Streets – The Architect
A guide to New York galleries displaying architectural concepts for the City.
http://archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=6369
William Menking on the creative force of architects to change New York City.
Interest grows for major seascape projects to protect New York harbors from future storms
A sampling of designs to protect New York Harbor from storm surges.
Picture an 80-foot rock barrier rising from the Atlantic Ocean, stretching for 5 miles from Breezy Point, Queens, to Sandy Hook, N.J. — and topped with a new highway.
Bloomberg questions using fed disaster aid to protect New York’s subways from future flooding
Maybe fed $ would be better spent on expanding subways & transit than flood protection but is it the same $?
Considering how quickly subway service was restored after Sandy, and the likelihood that it could be years before another mega storm strikes, it might be better to invest in expanding and improving the transit system, Bloomberg said.