Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting New York City with few friends. The trip itself was fun with visits to the Empire State Building, Central Park, Museum of Modern Arts, 9-11 Memorial, Flushing, China-Town, Time Square etc…
It was strange that I was unable to fully relax myself and enjoy the trip as it seems like every corner that I turned to visions of David Owen’s Green Metropolis appears. The book itself is a must read for anyone who is interested in urban planning, development, and lifestyle. During my trip, I was able to confirm various points that Owen used to support his vision of NYC being the most sustainable.
1. The water quality in NYC is pure. I was able to drink water from the faucet.
2. Lack of Personal Automobile is no problem in NYC. I walked at least 20 miles during the three days in NYC and another 20 miles on subway. If everyone in NYC has a car as most Americans do in other cities, than I would say, NYC will have a constant traffic jam.
3. The various green technologies throughout the city. For example, the use of sensor lights on the streets, converting old rails into high rise parks, using central park as a storm water runoff measure, etc.
Here are some pictures that I took during the trip…
