What does sustainability mean to you?” was one of the main questions raised at FABnyc’s Convening for Understanding Urban Sustainability: One Block At A Time on Saturday, February 23 at Cooper Union. Hosted by Fourth Arts Block (FAB) collaboration with the Cooper Union Institute for Sustainable Design, the Convening brought together artists, activists, architects, city officials and members of the community to discuss the ways in which sustainable initiatives can be implemented in the East 4th Street Cultural District and beyond.
As attendees arrived, they were encouraged to interact with colorful info graphic survey posters—made by FAB’s own Phoebe Stern—on which they marked their gender, occupation, and where they live (among other questions) with stickers. Other walls were covered with posters made by Cooper Union’s Martha Giannakopoulou, presenting the block from different vantage points: block profiles, building profiles, and unit profiles. Infrared scans documented the ways in which each building on the block retains and loses energy, while drawings and photos illustrated the very diverse structures and people that make up our block.
These posters ultimately depicted the highly complex relationships that occur between the street, people, and the buildings on East 4th Street, relationships that should enhance the way that sustainability is discussed in terms of this block (and most blocks in NYC).
Betsy Imershein, Director of SUSTAIN, opened the convening with a compelling discussion about the difficult task of changing people’s relationships to their trash and environment. “According to research,” Imershein said, “there exists an enormous gap between what people report is important to them in terms of sustainable behaviors, practices and purchases and what they actually do—with 80% identifying their importance and only 50% actually taking action.”
Armed with markers, sticky notes, and posters with a plan of the block, attendees were given the task of discussing this issue amongst others, lead by four fearless group leaders: Giannakopoulou, who led a table on “Streetscape & Public Engagement”; CUISD Professor Lydia Kallipoliti, who led a table on “Reimagining the Urban Form & Sustainable Block Ecology”; CUISD Professor Kevin Bone, who led a table on “Life of the Block: Building Envelop & Retrofitting the Built Environment”; and FAB Executive Director Tamara Greendfield, who led a table on “Actions, Learning & Behavior Change for Culturals & Businesses.” These breakout groups bounced around questions, problems, and potential solutions when dealing with the issue of engaging and effective initiatives that promote sustainability.
The groups brainstormed for one hour before breaking for lunch. Although the day was halfway done, there was still much work to do, and all were pleasantly surprised by the two guests that dropped by during lunch appeared. First came Manhattan Borough President, Scott Stringer, who flashed his distinctive smile, and exclaimed that East 4th Street would soon be “the most sustainable block in Manhattan!” Next New York City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, stopped by to express her support for FAB and SUSTAIN, closing off the day’s speeches on a distinguished note.
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer & Tamara Greenfield
As the convening slowly came to a close, the groups reunited to share their findings and present their posters. Although many questions were raised and creative ideas were proposed, there were several notable themes that were raised throughout the convening:
-What are people’s ethics towards their trash and relationship to the environment?
-What is the role of the community in changing these ethics?
-Can the government be relied upon to make change happen quickly and effectively?
-What is the role of the arts in sustainability initiatives?
-How can different groups (architects, activists, government officials, artists) work together to effectively create change?
-Can the ideas and initiatives for East 4th Street be implemented in other areas of NYC and the country?
At the end of the day, attendees were buzzing with ideas and eager to continue discussing these issues outside of the convening. Although much was accomplished that day, ultimately there was a feeling of “what’s next” that lingered as attendees filtered out of Cooper Union. What is the next step to create actual change? Activists encouraged immediate action, while architects talked about design plans and others discussed grants and city reform.
What I learned from the convening is that sustainability is a BIG issue that needs to be discussed at every level: from making recycling easier, to building “lighter” buildings. FAB has and will keep the conversation going, and it is important that others do as well. It is amazing to see how much work went into talking about sustainability on ONE block! Imagine all the work that needs to be done when taking on a whole city and (eventually) country. So let’s get working!
What are your thoughts on sustainability? Let us know at info@fabnyc.org.
