Week 8: Sustainable Transport

     Ralph Buehler joined us via Skype on Thursday to discuss differences among sustainable transport between the United States and Germany. Sustainable transport refers to any mode of transport that does not have much of a negative impact on the environment. Because of the low impact on the environment, sustainable transport is sometimes referred to as "green transport." I found this cool website that gives ideas about possible alternatives to current transportation technology. Some of the ideas listed on this site, such as the Busycle which combines the human power involved with biking and the convenience of a bus, will never be commonplace. Most of the ideas that do seem plausible have solar panels involved. There are airplanes with solar panels on the wings. Boats also have solar panels as roofs or along parts that do not come in contact with the passengers. I believe those ideas will one day be seen on planes and boats everywhere because those two methods of transportation are always out in the sun, so why not merge green technology with the vehicle to generate power?

     Ralph talked about parts of neighborhoods that have smaller roads designated for bikers first, cars second. This would definitely encourage more bike riding in that particular area but I do not think that is a good way to promote sustainable transport overall. Bicycling cannot replace cars in today's society because of the distances travelled. Personally, I wouldn't even want something like that in my own neighborhood. Being in a car having to yield to bikers on a narrow road would be frustrating if you're just trying to go a few blocks to get back home. Sustainable transport isn't just about improving the environment, it's also about efficiency.

     One idea that was mentioned that definitely needs to be implemented everywhere is the cost of subway/metro riding lowering the more frequently the customer uses the service. Cheap bus and subway prices would definitely decrease car congestion in cities. That is one of the easiest changes to implement within the next couple months. For now, green technology keeps developing and won't be mainstream in cities until the initial cost is cheaper than it currently is. We need to make changes starting with things such as the subway prices that will affect all city dwellers positively and also clean up the smog created by mass amounts of cars on the roads.


This is something that definitely needs to be changed

Week 7: The Benefits of Public Space

In class on Tuesday we learned about the three definitions of a public space; an open space, a space of public debate and an accessible space. But what are the benefits of a public space? Well simply look at any major college campus and you'll see their quad or drillfield is a home to many different activities. From people who walk tight ropes to sorority girls who are pushing their homecoming queen nominee on you, the quad/drillfield is a public space home to many college activities. But there's more to it than that. According to this site there are ten benefits of creating a public space.
One of the biggest and most obvious benefits of public space is that it helps the local economies flourish. I know for a fact that in my home town we have our farmer's market in our town square, the most central part of the city, and because of this, we have more people who are able to go. Not only that but our local paper is handed out there. And during the winter, we cover part of the square with ice and open up a small ice skating rink where anyone can skate for a small price. This is just in my small home town, I can't imagine how much a public space could flourish in New York City.
Another advantage is that public space reduces crime. New York City's Bryant Park is a huge testament to that. In the early 80's the park was a crime cesspool but after several changes the park now attracts 10,000 citizens in the summer and hosts a film festival. Now public spaces are not only a great place to spend your free time but they also have a much larger functional purpose in society.
Also public spaces have been found to improve the environment. People take much better care of the local environment when it is out in the open and accessible to everyone. It also provides a place for people to go out and play and get exercise. So not only do public spaces look nice, they have much larger purposes in society.
Ameen Mustafa