Authors: Jason Huang, Harrison Wong, Arvin Persaud, Daniel Fox

REUSE: The Realistic Endeavor for Urban Sustainable Environments

Table of Contents

1. Position

2. History of the Problem

3. What Causes the Problem?

4. Consequences of the Problem?

5. Solution

Position

As members of REUSE, we believe that NYC should be built to serve its population while

mitigating environmental impacts. As the city expands, planning needs to be done to avoid

environmental damage. Efficient routes of transport, efficient usage of space, and a clean balance

between greenery and concrete are necessary to provide the city with what it needs. Our goal is

to improve both our city and the environment within it.

History of the Problem:

How did it develop?

Systems were put in place at a time when the environmental impacts of those systems were not

considered or were simply ignored in favor of cheaper alternatives. New York City was built

during a time when efficiency was the topmost priority, and as a result, much of the Manhattan
area is severely lacking in terms of green space, with Central Park being the only major park in

Manhattan.

Additionally, the public transportation system is redundant, with a much greater emphasis on the

economic areas of New York, and a severe lack of service in the outer areas of New York. This

was a result of many individual companies seeking to build subways in the interest of making the

most profit, compared to serving the most areas.

Legislation is also outdated, with an example of outdated legislation pushed forward by the city

of New York was the Tenement Act of 1916. This act set a maximum height limit on many of the

buildings in New York, in the interest of pleasing the public’s protests against the loss of light

and air caused by higher buildings. However, as steel frame construction took hold of the city,

and artificial lighting replaced the natural light provided by the sun, the act quickly became

outdated. The act created traffic problems regarding cars never imagined in 1916. New York City

needed to increase its density because of its rapidly increasing population and as a result, this act
was overturned by the 1961 zoning resolution. This resolution was groundbreaking for its time as

it rescinded the prior limits and also attempted to add greenery, emphasizing open spaces with

the “tower in the park model.” Additionally, it apportioned parking spaces to fit the growing car

population. However as time has passed, this act too has proven itself to be outdated. Buildings

overwhelm their surroundings as a result of the open space policy and over time the parking

spaces allocated have proven to be far greater than necessary, leading to a waste of space. As

modern problems have progressed, modern solutions must be made to keep up with them.
What have other parties done to help solve this issue?

Subways and buses help the environment by having more people per vehicle than cars. The MTA

has tried to spread their public transportation system as far as possible, but lacking funding they

were unable to expand the system enough to supply the entirety of the city well. Trains are much

more efficient compared to private vehicles, being able to carry around 1600 people at a time

compared to a private vehicle. Every year the MTA helps avoid 19 million metric tons of

greenhouse gasses, while only emitting 2 million metric tons. However, the amount of

greenhouse gasses avoided could be much higher with the expansion of the subway system.

New York City has also introduced measures to reduce the number of cars on the roads, by

encouraging carpooling. Carpooling is a practical solution that involves fitting as many people as
legally possible into a car as possible, in order to transport more people with the same fuel

expenditure. Congestion pricing is one way the city has tried to solve this problem. By taxing

cars extra in certain regions, traffic is not only reduced saving out on emissions, but people are

encouraged to carpool or take public transportation as an alternative. The money made from

congestion pricing can also help to fund subway expansions. Buses have also been made to be

more environmentally friendly. Hybrid buses have become a much more common sight and they

help to reduce emissions greatly. By 2034 New York City hopes for 60% of its buses to be

hybrid-powered.

What causes the problem?

In the 20th century, New York City saw a high increase in the number of vehicles to replace

horses. The grid network that NYC has has allowed the city to expand in an organized fashion.

However, the roads are restrictive in the way it promotes solely business buildings, with its

rectangular plots easy to sell. The grid system also makes transport more inefficient in two ways.

Cars needing to turn need to stop and wait for a traffic light, increasing the time in traffic.

Because roads are in a standardized organization, roads in high-traffic areas are very similar to

low-traffic areas, leading to inefficient transportation.

The MTA is a massive system, and it needs money to expand. Currently, money is being spent on

the 2nd avenue line in Manhattan, which serves to reduce subway congestion on the Lexington

avenue line and provide additional service to the area. Money instead could be spent on

improving rail service between Queens and Brooklyn, where it would help many who need to

move between the two boroughs. Subway infrastructure would make this worse in the short term

during construction, but a well placed line would close the gap between the boroughs.
NYC litter is a big problem in the city, and it kinda has been accepted into our culture as a city.

With less garbage cans around, some people decide to just throw trash onto the streets. This

comes with a budget cut for the Department of Sanitation, a step that hinders the ability of the

city to function well as a whole. This is a very present issue that needs to be addressed.

Consequences of the problem:

Present

As more floods happen because of climate change, the sewage systems will be forced to release

untreated sewage along with the floodwaters. If the runoff that allows the sewers to reach this

point are reduced, we will pollute our environment less. Right now there is not enough affordable

housing for NYC residents to live in. On average 80% of the salary of a NYC resident goes to

rent. This leaves very little money for other things, like for repairing and replacing things after a

storm

NYC’s natural habitat is suffering. In the past NYC was a great estuary supporting a large

ecosystem. But because of urbanization, much of this habitat has been destroyed, which has led

to the depletion of many animal populations, and even extinction of some species. This is not just

bad for the native animals of NYC. It's bad for us humans as well. With NYC natural wetlands

removed, it is much easier for the city to flood. This flooding could kill many people, and cost

billions of dollars in damage control and reconstruction.

Future generations will have a much worse quality of life if they don't address the environmental

effects of the city. Unrestricted motor vehicle usage will lead to higher temperatures and worse

air quality. An inefficient and unsafe public transit system would encourage more people to take

cars to work. A lack of green spaces will lower air quality and increase pressure on the sewage

system from runoff. Staying with building many shorter buildings will lower the available space.

Also, it will make housing less affordable since prices will go up from increased demand.
Proposed Solutions for the city:

To combat the loss of greenery caused by urbanization, more trees can be planted especially

along sidewalks. This would not only slightly reduce environmental damage, but it would also

help New York City feel cleaner and more natural. Building taller buildings in the city is also

beneficial to reduce the rapid consumption of space that occurs when many small buildings are

created. Expanding public transportation should also be a priority for the city to service more

people while at the same time reducing the need for cars in the city. This will help our

environment by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles that are individually owned

and used. Adding onto this point, carpooling should be encouraged to service more people while

also emitting less greenhouse gasses. The usage of congestion pricing helps encourage people to

drive more compactly, and the city is already making movements to integrate this. However, by

expanding the area where congestion pricing is utilized, more people will be inclined to use
public transportation. The city can also construct more bike lanes in order to encourage more

people to bike instead of drive. Especially in places where many people can afford bikes but not

cars, this can be a huge improvement to improve circulation and reduce emissions within the

city. Finally, implementing more clean buses and trains will help make public transportation

more efficient and environmentally friendly than it already is.

Opposing Arguments:

An opposing argument says that building a sustainable city takes too much time and money to be

of use. They say that the grid system has a sanctity that keeps the city running day and night, and

disturbing it will destroy the economy. They say that extending the transit system will not be

profitable enough, and that building in higher-income neighborhoods is a necessity for increased

service. Opposers can follow by saying that ripping up and replacing pavement is a very

inconvenient process that takes weeks, and that the runoff system is not a problem.
Our rebuttal:

Our rebuttal to this is saying sustainable cities will pay off in the long run. The city will not fall

apart from removing the grid system for green space. Instead, it will help the city since traffic

flow will improve with less grids. A non-grid system will allow people to not use cars to get to

short destinations, since the grid forces 90 degree turns and traffic lights at every turn, making

routes inconvenient and dangerous. Extending the transit across boroughs may not earn that

much money, but it will allow many more small businesses to succeed, since foot traffic allows

more to be easily accessible. The city will also need to spend less on road maintenance and road

equipment since there will be less roads. Replacing pavement with permeable options will help

the city with the big problem of runoff. During storms, the sewage system often lets all raw

sewage pass through during the duration of the storm. With decreased runoff, the sewage system

will pollute the environment less.

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