Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Virtual Tourism - New York City

Digital technologies have radically changed tourism. A tourist today has many options to experience different settings in space and time.

Digital assisted tourism refers to the use of apps for mobile devices such as iPhone and iPod to enhance the travel experience. Such apps can provide personal guidance on issues of interest, and fill in the missing information about a place’s history and legends.

Virtual tourism goes one step further. It recreates the experience of travelling in a digital form. It can also recreate historical settings which no longer exist.

Virtual tours can be especially useful for universities and in the real-estate industry, looking to attract prospective students and tenants/buyers, respectively, eliminating for the consumer the cost of travel to numerous individual locations.”



Reference: Three-dimensional virtual tourism, Wikipedia 
 
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Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Design Competition for Tiny but Affordable Apartments


New York City is sponsoring a design competition for affordable housing consisting of 275 to 300 square-foot apartments. The city will waive zoning regulations which require a minimum living space of 450 square feet per apartment. The submissions are due by September 14th.

Among other criteria, the submissions will be judged on designs for common spaces in the building and on their success in drawing air and light into the units.”

Reference: Yee, Vivian, Efficiencies Wanted; Emphasis on Efficient, New York Times, July 9, 2012
 
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New York City’s Digital Road Map

A road map was developed in 2011 to make New York City a leading digital city in the world. It has four major components: Access to Technology, Open Government, Engagement, and Industry.

NYC Digital is continuing to introduce new goals as existing goals are met. The next steps will be providing education and outreach. Crucial on the goal list will be to provide high-needs individuals with federally funded broadband.”

State of the Digital City: Government 2.0 - Wagner Policy Alliance NYU



Reference: Haller, Chris, New York City’s Road Map for the Digital City, engagingcities.com, May 14, 2012
 
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Friday, June 29, 2012

Glenmore Gardens, Brooklyn NY



The Glenmore Gardens project involves sleek, semi-detached two family homes, which were built at a very affordable $110 per square foot cost. The project was funded through NYC Housing Preservation and Development’s “New Foundations Program.”

Reference: Arieff, Allison, Affordable Housing That Doesn't Scream 'Affordable', the atlanticcities.com, October 21, 2011
Photo Credit:  Courtesy Arieff, Allison, Affordable Housing That Doesn't Scream 'Affordable', the atlanticcities.com, October 21, 2011
 
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Noteworthy Affordable Housing, The Bronx NY

The Via Verde project is a subsidized housing project that exceeds LEED Gold standards. It has sustainable features such as green roofs, solar shading and rainwater harvesting, and includes spaces for growing fruits and vegetables, bike storage and open recreational area.

In stark contrast to the proliferation of “green luxury” condos popping up all over New York, here sustainability isn’t used as a marketing tool but rather as a way to create what residents wanted: a healthy place to live.”



Reference: Arieff, Allison, Affordable Housing That Doesn't Scream 'Affordable', the atlanticcities.com, October 21, 2011
 
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Friday, June 15, 2012

Pier 76's Proposed Transformation


New York City’s Javits Convention Center could expand further towards the Hudson River. It is currently undergoing a $463 million renewal and expansion. A redesigned convention center could include 1 million square-foot casino and hotel development and possibly a Ferris wheel. Other sites being explored include Willets Point, Sunnyside Queens, Yonkers raceway and the Governor’s Island.
Before a casino becomes a reality, a constitutional amendment allowing full scale gambling must be enacted. If that does not happen, the casinos may lose interest in this project, because “Convention centers are not that profitable."

Reference: Kuczala, Jon, For new convention center, all bets are on, CrainsNewYork.com, June 10, 2012
Photo Credit:  Arnold Reinhold under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.
 
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Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Ambitious Plans for the 125th Corridor in Harlem

An ambitious revitalization plan for the 125th Street Corridor in Harlem includes eight large scale developments, between the Hudson River on the West to East River on the East. Some of the proposed developments are listed below:

A parking garage located between Lenox Avenue and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard will be transformed into a 19 story tower and cultural hub featuring a theater, recital hall, rehearsal space and entertainment venues.

Columbia University is expanding on to a 17 acre, $6 billion super-campus between Broadway and 12th Avenue near the Hudson River.

A landmark building located at Park Avenue known as “The Corn Exchange Bank” will rehabilitate its historic façade and add an additional six stories of office and retail space.

The Victoria Theater site which is adjacent to the Apollo Theater, will be turned into a $140 million, 26 stories high mixed-use complex with a hotel, several theaters and apartments.

A retail market site at 260 West 125th Street will be redeveloped as a National Jazz Museum, Harlem Visitor’s center and movie theaters.

A 22 block area under the Metro-North tracks known as “The Marqueta Mile” will be redeveloped as an upside down High Line Avenue, with an open air market offering food, arts and crafts.

The Taystee Bakery site between Morningside Avenue and Amsterdam Avenues will be redeveloped as a 328,000 square-foot complex for retail, manufacturing, commercial and creative tenants. The Harlem Brewing Company will have its brewery and a beer museum and other facilities at this location.



Reference: Feiden, Douglas, 125th St. Commercial Corridor adds another possible star; already developing Taystee Bakery, other sites, New York Daily News, May 21, 2012
 
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