Green City inside a Concrete Jungle

The Vessel.

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New York City- When you think about its infrastructure, you probably think about the dirty sidewalks and maybe the trash that piles up there. Well, that might not be the case anymore.

Last weekend my family and I took a trip up to the Big Apple and part of our trip was to The Edge, the highest observatory in Manhattan. When we were walking through the introduction stage of the experience - learning about the roots of Hudson Yards and the whole back story of this iconic New York City development, I noticed that this area was operating on its own, one-of-a-kind, sustainable microgrid!

That surprised me because there was a huge mall in the center of the area and vast quantities of residential and commercial space. How could it possibly be even close to being green? It turns out they have various systems put in place to become the “green city within a city”.

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Hudson Yards.

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The Highline.

Which once was a run-down train track is now the Highline, a blend of public park and walkway. Why do I say that? Well, while you’re walking on it, you feel like you’re in a park because of all the greenery, but simultaneously you’re getting from point A to point B! As you walk, you’re able to relish the assorted species of trees and flowers while being able to admire elegant Manhattan views.

The Highline.

Plants on this unique walkway have also been purposefully selected to be native, drought-tolerant, and low maintenance. Its distinctive ecosystem provides shelter and protection for wildlife species, acting as a harbor of biodiversity in a city that’s becoming ever more dominated by mankind.

In The Drawdown, a section explains the “general theory of walkability”, which includes four criteria that must be met for people to decide to walk over other forms of transport. To make the journey on foot, it must be useful, people must feel safe, it has to be comfortable, and should be interesting.

Here's a TED video about the general theory of walkability, presented by Urban Planner and Author Jeff Spark:

The Highline fits all those criteria! It can be useful because it allows people to get vitamin D and get some exercise. Also, because the Highline is elevated above the streets, people walking on it can avoid the cars zooming past, making it safe! It’s quite interesting because you’re able to view unique architecture and also classic New York landmarks such as the Empire State Building while you stroll. Trees cover parts of the path, allowing for shade during the blazing summer months, and there are also lounge chairs in other parts, making a walk down the Highline very comfortable.

All this means people often choose to walk on the highline instead of driving, lowering the carbon footprint of Hudson Yards.

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Power from above?

Hudson Yards encompasses a wide variety of retail space and that brings me on to the next interesting part of this development, a cogeneration plant plopped right inside Manhattan!

That’s right, Hudson Yards has its own power plant, right on top of its retail space. So, the next time you’re eating a burger in the Hudson Yards Shake Shack, remember that there are gears turning and steam boiling right above your head! This plant is also extremely efficient, when the engineers ran a test where they completely disconnected from the grid and powered themselves from that cogeneration plant…. it succeeded!

Here's a video about Co-generation at Hudson Yards:

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Liquid revenue.

Water is the most vital resource to humankind, so the developers at Hudson Yards have decided to utilize that rain sustainably. They have installed a water-reclamation system that reduces the stress on the city’s existing water network. The system captures rainwater and stores it in a 60,000-gallon tank to be used to irrigate the over 25,000 plants that inhabit the development. This process saves vital resources and money.

Water reclamation system at Hudson Yards.

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The Highline and Cogeneration plant in Hudson Yards costs a huge chunk of cash, so it can’t be easily copied and pasted into other borrows of New York and other cities around the world. But it does show that it is possible to have a green city. The Highline proves that the integration of man and nature is very doable. With smart management, citizen engagement, and other factors, “the green city inside a city” could be a reality in many places around the world.