Policy

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?).
READ MORE

Policy

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

Popular Articles

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

Urban Reviewer: A New Map Tool Reveals NYC’s Vacant Lots Ready for Revitalization

November 10, 2014

Urban Reviewer: A New Map Tool Reveals NYC’s Vacant Lots Ready for Revitalization

New York City is home to some of the world's most spectacular parks, and though we may pride ourselves on these well-tended green spaces, more than a handful of neighborhoods don't see more than a single tree for every 60-foot stretch of concrete. Enter 596 Acres, a grassroots land access nonprofit looking to change all of this with the Urban Reviewer. Developed with the help of a team of volunteer researchers, urban planners and designers, this new online tool allows anyone to view the staggering amount of publicly-owned lots that once had an urban renewal plan in the pipeline but were scrapped due to bureaucracy. By mapping out all of the vacant spaces across the city, 596 hopes that we as a community can take a top-down approach to turning these urban blights into public gardens, play lots, and spaces where people can “co-create.”
Find out more here

Policy

KAPOW! A Punching-Bag Keyboard for the Disgruntled Cubicle Worker

November 6, 2014

KAPOW! A Punching-Bag Keyboard for the Disgruntled Cubicle Worker

We've made it past hump day but now here we are counting down the seconds until the clock strikes six. For those who find themselves grumbling over long days and irksome coworkers, this amazing punching-bag keyboard by German design studio Bless is exactly what you need to relieve some of that work-induced stress.
We've got a video of the keyboard being used here

$129 Billion Worth of NYC Real Estate Is Within New FEMA Flood Zones

October 31, 2014

$129 Billion Worth of NYC Real Estate Is Within New FEMA Flood Zones

Since FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) updated its flood-zone maps after Superstorm Sandy, we learned that it could cost the city $5 billion to comply with the new regulations, as 60,000 additional buildings were identified as being within the flood zones. This brings the total to 84,000 buildings worth over $129 billion, according to a new report released by the Office of New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer on the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy.
What does this mean for the city?

Policy

Forget Showrooms, Developers Turn to Oculus Rift to Virtually Immerse Buyers in Pricey Properties

October 29, 2014

Forget Showrooms, Developers Turn to Oculus Rift to Virtually Immerse Buyers in Pricey Properties

Though more and more house hunters are back to buying off of blueprint in this hot real estate market, that hasn't stopped developers from tricking out their sales offices with hopes of trumping the competition. Ultra-detailed scaled models line spaces, and the priciest of couches and countertops fill life-sized mockups blocks away from the actual address. More recently, buildings like 50 West have built out entire theaters wrapped with screens intent on showing buyers the panoramic city views their shelling out millions for. Clearly, cost is not a concern. But watch out, there's a new group on the scene ready to really shake things up. Architecture visualization firm ArX Solutions has turned to a piece of virtual reality tech that everyone seems to be talking about: Oculus Rift. With their specially designed virtual reality tours, clients can see exactly what its like to walk through a home with all their sensations engaged. Cool? Absolutely. But this tour doesn't come cheap. Like the lofty homes it features, a trip with Oculus Rift rings in at a jaw-dropping $95,000.
Find out more about taking an Oculus Rift real estate tour

Crowdfunded MAID Microwave Suggests Meals Based on Your Eating and Fitness Habits

October 29, 2014

Crowdfunded MAID Microwave Suggests Meals Based on Your Eating and Fitness Habits

That line about New Yorkers using their ovens as shoe storage is getting pretty old (thanks Sex and the City), but a new smart microwave may just make it viable to ditch the stove for good. Called MAID (Make All Incredible Dishes), the product is being crowdfunded on Kickstarter by creator SectorQube, and not only can it perfectly nuke your meals, but it can suggest what dishes you'll like based on your cooking habits and fitness. MAID is 1.3 cubic feet and provides access to a crowdsourced recipe store, gesture and voice commands, and a smartphone app that will alert you when dinner's up. The recommendation feature, definitely the highlight of the product, will offer meal options to complement your diet as well as suggest a run if you just indulged in a 2,000-calorie, carb-loaded pizza.
More details on the smart microwave

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<b>Lights, Camera, Annoyance: Why NYC Is the New Hollywood and Not Everyone’s Happy About It</b>

October 27, 2014

Lights, Camera, Annoyance: Why NYC Is the New Hollywood and Not Everyone’s Happy About It

By Michelle Cohen

Film crews on your block: Yet another thing New Yorkers love to hate, whether it’s a case of grumble-brag or a genuine inconvenience. Some people love the opportunity to watch their favorite shows being made (and maybe get a peek at their favorite stars) and argue that it boosts the local economy. Others give the whole gig a big two thumbs down.
Find out who’s filming, where and when–and how you can make the most of it.

New Mapping Tool Urban Layers Tracks the Age of Every Building in Manhattan

October 22, 2014

New Mapping Tool Urban Layers Tracks the Age of Every Building in Manhattan

A new mapping tool called Urban Layers lets users see almost every building still standing in Manhattan today and reveals exactly when it was built. The data goes back as far as 1765. The interactive map by Morphocode provides insight not only into the history of a specific building, but into the evolution of entire neighborhoods, too. And for New York City history fanatics like us, this user-friendly tool is definitely going to come in handy.
More on the mapping tool here

Complying with Current FEMA Regulations Could Cost the City $5 Billion

October 20, 2014

Complying with Current FEMA Regulations Could Cost the City $5 Billion

Following Superstorm Sandy, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) updated its flood-zone maps for the first time since 1983, more than doubling the included buildings to 70,000. Therefore, many more property owners are facing the decision of whether to stormproof their homes or pay up for insurance premiums that would go up as much as 18%. But going with the former choice is not as easy as one may think. FEMA guidelines don't take into account the unique makeup of New York City with its rowhouses and high-rises, so to comply with the current regulations it would cost the city more than $5 billion, according to studies produces by Crain's. Those who would be absorbing the costs include middle-class homeowners; NYCHA, which owns more than 25% of rental units in the flood zone ;and owners of large apartment towers, which account for 61% of the 5.5 million properties in FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program. All of these entities must follow the same guidelines as the plan is laid out now, but the city and a group of nonprofits are asking the agency to make changes to the insurance program.
More about the issue ahead

Policy

GKilo and ClogG: Thin-gk’s Minimal Med-Tech Kitchen Devices

October 16, 2014

GKilo and ClogG: Thin-gk’s Minimal Med-Tech Kitchen Devices

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

The Italian designer-dreamers at Thin-gk developed two minimal med-tech objects for the kitchen. Featuring wooden geometrical shapes and rows of LED lights, they interact with the user from a simple human touch. While GKilo is both a clock and a scale, ClogG is a modern version of a clock that brings a med-tech touch to the daily act of cooking.
Find out more about this med-tech cooking designs

NYU Gets Green Light for Village Expansion; Locals Vow to Appeal the Decision

A rendering of the NYU expansion plan

October 15, 2014

NYU Gets Green Light for Village Expansion; Locals Vow to Appeal the Decision

The battle between New York University and local residents and community preservation groups just got a little fiercer, as just yesterday the appellate court overturned a previous decision by the New York Supreme Court that prohibited the university's $6 billion, 1.9 million-square-foot expansion plan. NYU now has the green light to move forward with their colossal project, which includes taking over "implied park land" that has been used by the public for years. Local community groups vow to appeal the decision. The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, NYU Faculty Against the Sexton Plan, Community Board 2, and local residents, filed the lawsuit against the school in 2012.
More on the latest ruling and what it means for NYU and the Village

New App Lets Users Send 20th Century Postcards with a Then-and-Now Feature

October 8, 2014

New App Lets Users Send 20th Century Postcards with a Then-and-Now Feature

Perusing those bins of vintage postcards at flea markets is always a treat, but who wants to mail and part ways with such fun pieces of nostalgia? A new app called ScenePast: Americana Road Trip, however, lets users send 20th century postcards digitally, so you can share your favorite scenes without tapping into your personal collection. If that wasn't enough, ScenePast also has a feature that provides the current-day view of the streetscape depicted on the postcard--a fun tool that is sure to prove addictive for history buffs.
More on the app here

openhousenewyork Weekend App Will Enhance Your Touring Experience

October 7, 2014

openhousenewyork Weekend App Will Enhance Your Touring Experience

As if we weren't looking forward to openhousenewyork Weekend enough, a new app to help guide and organize tour goers has us even more excited. Created through a partnership with dsgnfix, the free, location-based iPhone app "enables users to search, discover, and share design destinations and experiences." During OHNY weekend (October 11-12) those with the app downloaded will be able to scroll through all of the 150 free Open Access sites, organized by the user's real-time location.
More on the OHNY Weekend App

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