Studio Reports

Experimental Research Studio: Jamaica Bay

Catherine Seavitt presents the process of an experimental landscape architecture studio and a framework of adaptive design strategies that merge ecosystem restoration with infrastructures to protect communities in Jamaica Bay.

Mitigate, Design, Restore: A Conversation on Hydrology and Habitat

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.

A More Resilient Neighborhood, Just Beyond the Grid

Aaron Reiss dives into Beyond the Grid, an ambitious plan underway in the Two Bridges neighborhood of Lower Manhattan to create a more resilient, connected, and sustainable Lower East Side by fusing heating, power, and communications infrastructures.

Profiles in Public Service

The Anatomy of Emergency

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.

The Storm That Will Be: Protecting Public Housing in the New 100-Year Floodplain

Elizabeth Rush looks at the particular challenges facing public housing authorities in high-risk flood zones and follows a design competition for a stormwater management plan in Jersey City to consider how responsive, site-specific architectural innovation can inform broader strategies for strengthening vulnerable communities.

Carnegie's Gift: The Progressive Era Roots of Today's Branch Library

Yael Friedman explores the social, philosophical, and architectural context of Andrew Carnegie's 1901 philanthropic gift to create neighborhood libraries across New York City.

Cooling Down Steam Heat: A Retrofit for Your Radiator

Marshall Cox, the inventor of a simple way to regulate the temperature of a steam-heated apartment, explains how reducing the energy wasted in aging infrastructure can offer new and important approaches to green technology.