icons
Sustainable
After years of neglect, much of New York City’s
urban infrastructure is being redeveloped sustainably
and includes an impressive memorial planned for
Ground Zero. Ewen Rose reports
M
anhattan’s concrete canyons are the most
potent symbols of the entrepreneurial
drive that made the US an economic
superpower, but in many other ways
New York is unlike the rest of the country. Despite the
sea of yellow cabs, it is a city of walkers and subways.
New York thrives on public transport, and its approach
to upgrading its heavily congested rail networks says
much about its instinct for sustainability.
Grand Central Terminal is the jewel in its transport
crown and was the subject of a triumphant restoration
project in the 1990s. Now restored to its former glory,
it is also more than just a station to be passed through
as fast as possible. The comfort of its grand interior was
transformed by air conditioning from steam-absorption
chillers that are linked to the local district heating
system, giving it long periods of ‘free cooling’.
However, the train and subway systems are under
siege. They are heavily congested and the layout of
the original system leaves the Eastside of Manhattan
poorly served. The big problem is that the ageing
transport system does not connect seamlessly.
Therefore, commuters coming in from
outlying areas to work in the city often
have to make a number of changes to
get to their final destination. >
An artist’s impression of the
new PATH terminal transport
hub at the site of the former
World Trade Center
30 CIBSE Journal March 2009
CIBSEmar09 pp30-32.34 usabuildings.indd 30 5/3/09 16:13:59
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