Urban Omnibus

While we rarely see our water system at work — even its most visible manifestation, the Central Park reservoir, is no longer used to distribute our water supply — it remains the city’s most critical piece of civic infrastructure.

Archaeologist Alyssa Loorya takes on the supposed tension between preservation and development, shares the particularities of urban archaeology, and tells the fascinating stories of some of her favorite sites and finds.

Eric Rothstein lets us in on the particular challenges of restoration, mitigation, and water resources management in New York and offers a measured but optimistic assessment of the role of green infrastructure in fostering sustainable urban development.

James McConnell, Assistant Commissioner for Strategic Data at the NYC Office of Emergency Management, dissects the process by which data turns into emergency response and reminds us that effectiveness in a crisis requires long-term planning supported by accurate information.

A special Thanksgiving edition of the Roundup looks at affordable housing in Queens, new sludge ships, the future of pay phones, a plan for new industry, the beauty of water infrastructure, and turkeys on Staten Island.

The New York Public Library’s geospatial librarian Matt Knutzen discusses his stewardship of half a million maps and 20,000 atlases and the contemporary applications of this vast, historical collection.

UnionDocs' Christopher Allen and Aris Dilone and Los Sures' Ramon Peguero discuss a four-year documentary project capturing Williamsburg's Southside that demonstrates how creative documentation of place can complement the work of community-based organizations.