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Google-Backed Pedal-Powered Pod Cars Coming to a City Near You?

December 15, 2014

Google-Backed Pedal-Powered Pod Cars Coming to a City Near You?

JPods, East River Skyway, an expanding Citi Bike—if one thing is clear, New York City's rapidly growing population has gotten a lot of people worried about how our already taxed infrastructure is going to account for all of these new bodies. The latest transportation idea to come out of the woodwork is not necessarily a new one, but it's one that's recently found a new boost thanks to interest and funding provided by everyone's favorite search giant: Google. Called "SkySMART," this new idea for mobility utilizes a series of sun- and pedal-powered pods that run along an elevated rail high above city traffic.
More on Skysmart here

6sqft Gift Guide: Insane Big Rig Exer-Desk Generates 100 Watts of Electricity

December 12, 2014

6sqft Gift Guide: Insane Big Rig Exer-Desk Generates 100 Watts of Electricity

Do you have a friend who, year after year, promises that they'll work harder and exercise more? Pedal Power's kick-ass Big Rig exer-desk might be exactly what they need to stick with those new year's resolutions. This cool desk is totally "off-grid" and has the potential to generate up to 100 watts of electricity for one motivated user. And because it's modeled off an actual high-performance bike, it features an ergonomic seat for comfort, quick adjustments for different riders, a flywheel to smooth pedaling, and a wide range of gearing—meaning your giftee could easily go from tubby to Tour de France cyclist before the new year's close.
Find out more about the bike here

Ridgewood Gets Its Fourth Historic District with 990 Buildings

Photo © Cameron Baylock

December 12, 2014

Ridgewood Gets Its Fourth Historic District with 990 Buildings

On the heels of the recent landmarks controversy, Queens' hottest new neighborhood just got its fourth landmarked historic district, the Central Ridgewood Historic District. The 40-block, 990-building area joins Ridgewood's three existing historic districts, Ridgewood North, Ridgewood South, and Stockholm Street. The district includes buildings along Madison Street and Catalpa Avenue, as well as others, which were recognized by the Landmarks Preservation Commission for exemplifying working class housing. Most of the Renaissance Revival brick row houses were built by German immigrants between 1906 and World War I.
More on Ridgewood's newest historic district

Turn Your Arm into a Touch Screen Device with the Cicret Bracelet

December 11, 2014

Turn Your Arm into a Touch Screen Device with the Cicret Bracelet

We still can't quite get used to people walking down the street "talking to themselves," but actually using their phone's Bluetooth. We're in for a whole different kind of confusion, though, because a new wearable device can turn your arm into a touch-screen device. Just imagine seeing that during your rush-hour commute. Created by a group of Paris-based designers, the Cicret Bracelet remotely connects to a mobile device and projects the screen of the smartphone onto the user's lower forearm, transforming one's skin into an operable touch screen to check emails, play games, and even answer calls.
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6sqft Gift Guide: High-Tech ‘Tile’ Helps Those Who Constantly Lose Their Keys

December 11, 2014

6sqft Gift Guide: High-Tech ‘Tile’ Helps Those Who Constantly Lose Their Keys

There are fewer things more annoying than waiting for a friend or family member as they frantically search for their keys. Help them in their hunt (and preserve your sanity) by gifting them a Tile this holiday. This simple but brilliant device takes the mystery out of finding one's most important belongings and takes advantage of something we all have: a smartphone.
How it works

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Computer Scientist Invents Technology That 3D Prints Gardens

December 11, 2014

Computer Scientist Invents Technology That 3D Prints Gardens

By Alyssa Alimurung

At this point, you already know you can 3D print anything from furniture to entire estates, but now you can even add gardens to the list. Yuichiro Takeuchi, a computer scientist at the Sony Computer Science Laboratories in Tokyo, has invented a way to create herb and flower gardens using the incredible technology. And the best part? […]

Traffic Light Installation Lets You Play Pong with Pedestrians on the Other Side of the Street

December 10, 2014

Traffic Light Installation Lets You Play Pong with Pedestrians on the Other Side of the Street

For New Yorkers addicted to their smart phones, standing still at traffic lights must be quite painful (unless they're texting of course), but a fun new invention would help pass those 13 seconds in no time. Known as the ActiWait project, this street light installation allows pedestrians on either side of a street to play pong (or "street pong," if you will) with each other while waiting to cross. There are currently two sets of the touch-screen devices installed in Hildesheim, Germany, so it shouldn't be long before New Yorkers are running late to work due to an intense game of pong on Park Avenue.
More on the ActiWait street pong project here

Cooper Hewitt Design Museum Reopens This Week After a Three-Year High-Tech Renovation

December 10, 2014

Cooper Hewitt Design Museum Reopens This Week After a Three-Year High-Tech Renovation

It's been three years since the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum was first cloaked in scaffolding, but the $91 million, LEED-certified renovation has finally come to a close. The museum, located in Andrew Carnegie's former Gilded Age mansion on Fifth Avenue, is set to reopen this Friday, December 12th. It now boasts 60% more exhibition space and a slew of new high-tech interactive features including downloadable 3D designs, multi-touch surfaces as large as pool tables and an interactive projection that allows guests to view 500 digital images of wallpaper right on the gallery walls.
More details on the revamped museum

Soho Broadway BID Will Support Local Residents in Addition to Businesses

Soho via CityRealty

December 9, 2014

Soho Broadway BID Will Support Local Residents in Addition to Businesses

By definition, a Business Improvement District (BID) "is a public/private partnership in which property and business owners elect to make a collective contribution to the maintenance, development, and promotion of their commercial district." Typically, they're implemented in neighborhoods that need an economic boost, so Soho would seem like an unlikely candidate. Ever since the neighborhood's artist lofts were replaced with designer boutiques, residents have struggled to deal with the "mall-ification" of their home. And when the Soho Broadway BID was presented, local activists opposed it, citing that commercial activity was already bursting at the seams, and it was the residents who needed assistance. Now, after nearly four years of debate, the BID is moving forward, but with a decreased budget and an equal commitment to both residents and businesses.
More details ahead

Policy

Landmarks Drops Proposal to De-Calendar Nearly 100 Historic Sites After Public Outcry

Green-Wood Cemetery via wallyg via photopin cc

December 5, 2014

Landmarks Drops Proposal to De-Calendar Nearly 100 Historic Sites After Public Outcry

Major controversy ensued earlier this week between preservationists and city officials when the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) released a proposal to de-calendar 94 historic sites and two historic districts. The plan would have left these locations, including Long Island City’s Pepsi sign, Manhattan’s Bergdorf Goodman building, and Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, completely unprotected and ripe for alterations […]

Popular Articles

December 4, 2014

NYC Sees a 24 Percent Increase in Construction Loans, Especially in Brownstone Brooklyn

It's that time again when everyone starts looking back on the year as it comes to a close, but it's also the time to look ahead to the new year. We already know 2015 will bring a slew of new developments to the New York City skyline, and right on trend with that forecast, Bloomberg has reported that construction loans are up 24 percent in the city. On-the-rise neighborhoods like Bed-Stuy and Harlem are being aided by the construction loan boom, especially for the renovation of multi-family buildings. The loans, often well over $1 million, are appealing for gentrifying areas because they usually require borrowers to only begin making interest payments once the renovation is complete. For example, a Clinton Hill resident secured a $800,000 construction loan to renovate a century-old multi-family brownstone and estimates that the value of the home will more than double to at least $2.2 million after the renovation.
More information here

6sqft Gift Guide: Nokero’s Solar Light Bulb with Phone Charger

December 3, 2014

6sqft Gift Guide: Nokero’s Solar Light Bulb with Phone Charger

Aren't we all a little sick of receiving holiday gifts that are completely useless and end up collecting dust in the junk drawer? Well, here's a gift idea that's extremely useful, but still an exciting product to unwrap, thanks to its sleek design and fun, bulbous shape. Nokero's solar lights are perfect for camping, traveling, or everyday use in a poorly-lit apartment. The Huron N222 (pictured above) can charge a cell phone while it illuminates an entire room, while the Start N182 is compact enough to fit in your pocket (hello, stocking stuffer) but strong enough to light up a small space.
More on Nokero's solar products here

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95 Historic Sites in Jeopardy After Landmarks Commission Proposes Mass “De-Calendaring”

The currently calendared Pepsi sign in Long Island City via gigi_nyc via photopin cc

December 2, 2014

95 Historic Sites in Jeopardy After Landmarks Commission Proposes Mass “De-Calendaring”

Just a month before the year-long celebration of the landmarks law's 50th anniversary is set to commence, the preservation community was dealt what is perhaps its biggest blow since the demolition of Penn Station. The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission revealed in its public review meeting last Wednesday that it would de-calendar 95 historic sites and two historic districts throughout the five boroughs, removing the historic buildings and spaces from the landmarking to-do list and leaving them completely unprotected. Proponents of the plan argue that many places on the list have been there for 50 years, and their removal would free up the LPC's backlog. Preservationists dismiss this claim, citing that the fact that the historic sites have sat unlandmarked for so long is all the more reason this out-of-nowhere proposal is bad public policy. Some of the more high-profile locations under consideration include Long Island City’s Pepsi sign, Manhattan’s Bergdorf Goodman building, and Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.
More on the de-calendaring and what it means

ThyssenKrupp’s New Elevator Could Revolutionize Skyscraper Design with Its Horizontal Capabilities

December 2, 2014

ThyssenKrupp’s New Elevator Could Revolutionize Skyscraper Design with Its Horizontal Capabilities

We've been spending a lot of time lately looking at NYC's skyscraper boom and what's to come for our skyline. And if the soaring towers and geometric architecture continue, the traditional elevator is just not going to cut it. That's where ThyssenKrupp's new elevator innovation comes in. The cable-free, multi-car, multi-directional elevator operates with magnetic technology similar to that of Maglev trains. Each cabin runs on its own individual motor, and the "MULTI" elevator systems allows them to move both vertically and horizontally, creating the potential for multiple cabins to run on a single system.
More on the ground-breaking elevator here

Policy

Beat the Winter Blues and Bring the Sunlight Inside with the Sunn Light

December 1, 2014

Beat the Winter Blues and Bring the Sunlight Inside with the Sunn Light

As soon as the clocks get set back in the fall, we can't help longing for sunny days and bright evenings. But we still have a long, dark winter ahead of us, so the new Sunn Light could be exactly what we need to help us beat the winter blues. The Sunn Light mimics the sun in that it continuously changes color and brightness with the sun's rhythm, thereby promoting healthy living and creating cheerful, vibrant indoor spaces. And when we say mimic, we're not kidding, as Sunn sets itself by what the sun is doing down to the minute.
More on the Sunn Light

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IDEO’s Three Concepts for Self-Driving Cars Will Change How We Work, Live and Play

November 24, 2014

IDEO’s Three Concepts for Self-Driving Cars Will Change How We Work, Live and Play

Self-driving cars are definitely in our future. Some states–Nevada, Florida, Michigan, California–and Washington, D.C. are already allowing them on their streets (at least for testing purposes) and a number of others are considering doing the the same. Though the road to a hands-free life has been paved, the future of it all is still up in the air. What would allowing self-driving cars on the road en masse mean for our safety? How will we communicate our needs to them? In what ways will they change how we live day to day? And can they enrich our lives? International design group and think tank IDEO wants to explore what this new technology could mean for urban life over the next 15 years. With their study "The Future of Automobility" they offer up a wildly vibrant vision through three concepts grounded in the use of autonomous vehicles.
Check out their fantastic proposal here

Study Says Brooklyn Bridge Park Towers Will Have Insignificant Environmental Impact

Rendering of the Brooklyn Bridge Park waterfront via Brooklyn Bridge Park

November 21, 2014

Study Says Brooklyn Bridge Park Towers Will Have Insignificant Environmental Impact

Critics of the two new residential towers planned for Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park have made complaints that the structures' environmental impact needed further analysis, but a new study, completed by environmental engineering firm AKRF and set to be released today by the city-controlled Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation asserts that the towers' environmental impact will be insignificant. In a statement, Brooklyn Bridge Park said: “After evaluating the potential impacts on 19 distinct environmental categories—including schools, flood resiliency, traffic and open space—and incorporating any relevant updated changes to the project, the environmental regulations and background conditions, the technical memorandum concludes that the Pier 6 uplands project would not have any additional significant impacts.”
More on the planned towers here

The Verrazano Bridge Opened 50 Years Ago, but There’s Still a Myth About Its Toll

Verrazano Bridge via Sue L C via photopin cc

November 21, 2014

The Verrazano Bridge Opened 50 Years Ago, but There’s Still a Myth About Its Toll

Bridges and tolls are on everyone's mind these days, thanks to the MTA's latest proposed fare hikes. If approved, this would raise the toll of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to $16. And today, on the 50th anniversary of the bridge's opening, most Staten Islanders still think that driving across the bridge was supposed to become free once it was paid off. No one's really certain where this myth came from, but those who believe it are quite passionate about the subject.
More on the urban myth here

Hush Earplugs Let You Block Out Noise Without Missing Your Alarm

November 20, 2014

Hush Earplugs Let You Block Out Noise Without Missing Your Alarm

Does your roommate insist on slamming the doors at all hours of the night? Do you have an upstairs neighbor who decides to practice tap dancing at 3am? Whatever your noisy apartment horror story may be, there's a common conundrum we encounter when trying to block out the racket: how to wear earplugs but not miss the alarm. A group of engineers must have heard about our sleep-deprived woes because they've created Hush, earplugs that connect wirelessly to a smartphone, so users can hear the sounds they need to while blocking out the rest. Plus, they can play white noise, ocean waves, or a crackling fire if you need some soothing sounds to get you to sleep. And the charging dock doubles as a carrying case and phone charger (what can't these earplugs do?).
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Hudson Yards Cost Taxpayers $650 Million So Far, and It’s Not Over

Hudson Yards rendering

November 19, 2014

Hudson Yards Cost Taxpayers $650 Million So Far, and It’s Not Over

Just yesterday, the city hailed the completion of the platform built over the west side rail yards that will support the Brookfield West development, a major component of Hudson Yards, the 26-acre development rising on the far west side. And while Brookfield will boast a two-acre park plaza, two 60-plus-story high rises and other public commercial space, it's important to note that $7 million was spent just on designing and producing a special machine called "The Launcher" to lift the 56,000-ton concrete slabs to build the platform. This is just one of many substantial costs in the mammoth Hudson Yards project, for which the city will have paid nearly $650 million in subsides by the end of this fiscal year, money that, over the past ten years, has come straight from the pockets of taxpayers. And that's not all; according to a review by the city's Independent Budget Office, even more will be needed through 2019 to complete the "next great commercial district."
More on the subsidies and Hudson Yards

City Wants to Up Mansion Tax to Raise Funds for Affordable Housing

When completed, 520 Park Avenue will have a $130 million penthouse, the most expensive apartment ever in NYC

November 19, 2014

City Wants to Up Mansion Tax to Raise Funds for Affordable Housing

As the city continues to explore new avenues for the creation of affordable housing, the WSJ reports the latest idea being floated is a new "mansion tax" that would increase the amount collected on the most expensive apartment sales. Currently, homes that change hands for more than a million dollars are subject to a 1% tax, but the city wants to up this to take advantage of the red hot luxury housing market. The proposal, unsurprisingly, has met with much criticism.
More on the mansion tax here

NYC Getting Pay Phones of the Future with Free WiFi, Charging Stations and More

November 18, 2014

NYC Getting Pay Phones of the Future with Free WiFi, Charging Stations and More

Remember the good old days of frantically running around looking for a pay phone and then realizing you were out of change and had to make a collect call? Well, that's soon to be nothing more than a distant memory, as New York City is turning its remaining pay phone booths into forward-looking tech hubs that include free 24-hour WiFi, free domestic calls, charging stations, and touch screens with access to city services and directions. Officially dubbed LinkNYC, they'll also be able to connect people with emergency responders and broadcast city alerts during emergencies like Hurricane Sandy.
More on the pay phones of the future here

More Green Buildings Likely Under NYC’s New Greenhouse Gas Plan

Green community Battery Park City via gigi_nyc via photopin cc

November 14, 2014

More Green Buildings Likely Under NYC’s New Greenhouse Gas Plan

Yesterday, the City Council passed a bill that says New York City must cut greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050. The bill, which was approved 47-0, was sponsored by Queens Councilman Costa Constantinides and is expected to be signed into law by Mayor de Blasio. To reduce emissions, measures similar to those used for PlaNYC will be put into play, including planting trees and retrofitting buildings to be more energy efficient. But we also suspect that the bill will spur a wave of new green developments.
More on the greenhouse gas plan

<b>Home and Away: Is Airbnb a Threat to the Affordable Housing Market?</b>

Photo courtesy of Airbnb via Facebook.

November 10, 2014

Home and Away: Is Airbnb a Threat to the Affordable Housing Market?

By Michelle Cohen

Controversial room-sharing startup Airbnb, one of the most visible players in what is being called the “sharing economy,” has recently awakened the innovation vs. regulation argument in all the usual ways–and a few new ones, including the accusation that these short-term rentals are depleting the already-scarce affordable housing stock in pricey metro areas like San Francisco and New York City.
What the latest data reveals–and what's being done about it

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