This system offers an array of potential benefits:

• Most importantly, slower, smoother traffic flow makes streets safer for close sharing among motor vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.
• Retail stores may see an increase in business when it’s easier for shoppers to walk around a commercial area.
• More street space can be used to plant trees and other landscaping, beautifying urban areas.
• It can create public gathering spaces that enable social activities and cohesion and strengthen neighborhoods.
• Ideally, dedicated bike lanes lower individual use of cars and reduce traffic congestion.

Can such a pedestrian-centered infrastructure “work” in New York and other large American cities? Some steps can be taken to apply these principles, says Vivien Ferrari. “I would propose adding bike lanes to existing roads along with very clear signage. A series of barriers and distinct road and lane colors will also help to safely separate bike lanes from vehicular traffic. In areas with wide sidewalks, we would incorporate sitting areas and planters where space and property lines allowed.”

There are cultural, scale and infrastructural differences in the U.S. that may reduce the appropriateness and effectiveness of the Dutch system, starting with European drivers’ respect for the need to safely share streets with cyclists.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a decrease in both vehicular traffic on New York City streets and reduced ridership on the subway and buses as many people worked remotely from home. This has turned around. Traffic is heavier and commuter ridership has substantially grown on public transportation, nearing pre-pandemic levels.

And there are many more pedestrians and cyclists on city streets which unfortunately has brought an expected increase in injuries and fatalities resulting from accidents with cars, trucks and buses. Adapting a European solution to New York and other American cities requires more than changing traffic flows on redesigned urban streetscapes, warns Aufgang’s Vivien Ferrari.

“It will also require a cultural shift based on educating drivers, pedestrians and cyclists,” she says.

Problem:

Rising land costs for commercial and residential space within core New York City neighborhoods creates demand in new, untapped areas. In Brooklyn, new residential and mixed use developments appear almost daily.  One such project is the apartment complex at 475 Clermont / 810 Fulton Street. Extending from cross-street to cross-street along Fulton, the site is immediately adjacent to an underground MTA subway line. The US Federal Transit Administration (FTA) publishes design guidelines for construction projects in this situation. The goal is to reduce the occurrence of high levels of environmental noise and vibration that bother tenants in completed buildings.

The initial acoustic survey revealed subway trains would exceed design criteria as far up as the 7th floor. Without any mitigation, subway noise and vibration would be audible and disturbing. This could impact the desirability of the units, the economics of the project for the developer and quality of the space for tenants.

The initial developer transitioned the project to a new company. With less than 4 months to go before commencement of construction, the team approached Getzner and the acoustic consultant with strong concerns about schedule, performance, and budget.

Solution:

A short schedule, irregular plot and tight budget required a collaborative approach between the developer; Aufgang, the architect; AKRF, the acoustic consultant; and Getzner. An in-depth analysis by the acoustic consultant indicated that even though the subway tunnel was close by, only components of the building foundation within 50 ft of the line needed to be isolated.

Getzner isolation had to address multiple types of foundation elements, including mat foundation, footings, slab on grade and vertical installation against foundation walls. All had to provide sufficient performance as a failure of any one application would defeat isolation of the other elements.

Getzner Solution

• Isolation Natural Frequency: 10.3 Hz
• Decoupled footings, mat foundation, slab on grade, foundation walls.
• Engineered solution reducing budget while maintaining required performances and schedule.

Results

• No vibration complaints from tenants. Satisfied developer.
• No delays or extensions to construction schedule.
• Delivery of first components less than 4 months from first contact.
• Reduced costs with partial site installation.

Flooding from unprecedented torrential rainstorms in New York City that caused drowning deaths in outer borough basement apartments and sent tons of water cascading down subway entrance steps may have an innovative solution adapted from China.

Counterintuitively, rather than channeling storm water away from cities, China is converting some urban areas into “sponge cities,” designed to mitigate storm flooding by using natural areas such as grassy wetlands, overflow ponds and permeable riverside paths to absorb water.

“Traditional urban planning called for complex networks of drainage channels to move water away from city centers as quickly as possible. Sponge cities use natural features to absorb water,” said Shiva Ghomi, Director of Planning and Community Development at Aufgang. In China, flood mitigation is approached with the goal of improving the landscape’s ability to absorb water.

“While more than 70% of New York City is covered by surfaces that aren’t absorbent, making it vulnerable to severe flooding, especially during hurricanes, this challenge can be offset with creative techniques,” she said. Developers are increasingly asking Aufgang to recommend strategies to mitigate flooding, which can include:

• Incorporating rain gardens, green roofs and tree pits in building designs. These provide multiple benefits beyond water management. These spaces can be attractively landscaped into gathering areas for multifamily buildings. The potential exists for planting shade trees and creating urban farms which reduce the urban heat island effect.
• Allocating space for wetlands near flood-prone areas would help manage stormwater in low lying flood-prone communities in the City’s outer boroughs.
• In areas where landscaping is not feasible, permeable pavement could be utilized. This innovative material allows water to pass down into the ground below, unlike traditional asphalt and concrete.

Sponge City and other flood mitigation strategies are needed to manage expected rises in sea levels. The NYC Stormwater Flood Map displays current flood risks and projects them through future decades. If not addressed now, Ghomi warns, they will have a profound impact on New Yorkers’ safety and quality of life

Across the country the housing crisis is converging with economic and demographic trends to continue to drive proliferation of Accessory Dwelling Units—ADUs. Most ADUs are informal, rather than permitted, prompting cities to revise their zoning ordinances and residential development codes as they struggle to encourage housing supply growth.

“Permitted ADUs will become more prevalent as local governments increasingly recognize that most households in the United States are now comprised of only one or two persons. In part this reflects our aging population. However most legacy single-family homes and new homes are sized for families of four or five. High home prices and mortgage interest rates also put conventional size homes out of reach of many prospective buyers, especially individuals and seniors” said Aufgang Principal Ariel Aufgang, AIA.

An innovative approach to encouraging permitted ADUs was recently announced by New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Adolfo Carrion, Jr.: a new “Plus One ADU” pilot program. This initiative provides funds to a small number of single-family homeowners to build ADUs on their property, with an eye toward implementing a citywide ADU program.

ADUs can be in the form of backyard cottages, garage studios, attached in-law suites, basement apartments and attic space conversions. They usually have their own kitchen, bathroom, living area and separate entrance. Typically, they utilize the water and energy connections of the primary house.

Although ADUs can be a viable solution to the housing shortage and a steady income stream for homeowners, a careful cost/benefit analysis is needed before implementation. ADUs can involve large upfront costs in materials and construction labor. Once completed, the homeowner’s property taxes may go up, and the utility bills may increase. Before building, the homeowner should calculate the costs against the increase of value in the property and new income stream to determine if the project is worthwhile.

New York City homeowners interested in applying for this program need to access a Plus One ADU Participant Survey by February 13, 2024.

Although New York’s ADU program is being launched for single-family homeowners, the program could extend to multifamily properties as well. California already allows one or more ADUs on multifamily properties, depending on restrictions such as city codes and zoning laws. ADUs can either be detached from the main structure or converted from accessory space such as storage rooms, basements, or attics.

Developers can also partner with municipalities to assist in ADU initiatives outside of New York City. A recent initiative called the Plus One Home Program launched in Kingston, New York as a partnership between RUPCO, Ulster County, and the City of Kingston. As other counties and towns develop strategies to address the housing crisis, more opportunities will appear in the near future.