Tomorrowland: Let’s Talk Urbanization
As the global population grows, the parallel trend of urbanization is increasing the amount of stress on the world’s cities and urban centers. In older cities, local governments are grappling with the best ways to modernize aging infrastructure and update antiquated laws in order to create sustainable — in all senses of the word — cities that can house and support these new-found occupants. Recently, even old New York (which was once New Amsterdam) has gotten in on the fun and announced multiple initiatives aimed at dragging Gotham into the modern age.
Up first is a ban on single-use plastic bags. New York will follow California as the second state to issue a ban on the ubiquitous receptacle consistently found polluting our rivers and oceans. This ban follows concerted efforts in Europe and around the world which have proven to drastically reduce the number of plastic bags that end up in our waterways. While there is some debate as to the net environmental effect of the ban given knock-on effects and the production costs of alternative options such as paper bags and cotton totes, there is little argument that a ban on plastic bags will help to clean up our water ecosystems. We’ll wait to see if New York will take its new-found plastic-phobia a step further and follow the European Parliament in banning all single-use plastics.
Next up is the announcement that New York City is on track to become the first major U.S. city to adopt congestion pricing. Following in the footsteps of major international urban hubs such as London and Stockholm, New York City plans to charge automobiles that enter the island of Manhattan south of 61st St. at certain busy hours of the day. Billed as a way to raise money for an ailing subway system that’s “in crisis” while also decongesting already overcrowded streets, congestion pricing is designed to drive people towards ride sharing and public transportation. Congestion pricing is seen by many as an essential feature of the city of the future as it grapples with increasing population and, ultimately, the introduction of autonomous vehicles.
Finally, Mayor De Blasio, in an effort to protect the city from climate change and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, recently proposed a $10 billion plan to “flood-proof” lower Manhattan by artificially extending the shoreline into the East River. While certainly not setting any trends, it’s good to see New York and other large metropoleis taking action and addressing their changing situations with sustainability in mind.
C. Tucker Pribor, Senior Associate
In other NY news, the mayor recently announced a medical state of emergency to combat the recentmeasles outbreak stemming from unvaccinated persons despite repeated evidence that the vaccinations are not linked to Autism.
Want help reducing the amount of waste in your life? Try getting a reusable coffee cup like the one sold byStojo, a favorite of ours here at Flat World.
Want to experience some of the very best NYC has to offer free of charge? Get a library card! Culture Pass, announced las year, is a program that allows library card holders to visit a number of city cultural institutions for free.
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