more than meets the eye

Latest news from Justice in the Green.

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more than meets the eye

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Sustainable communities in Hackney: January 14 students' presentation at Wally Foster Community Centre

Email rec'd from Matthew Wood-Hill, Development Planning Unit, University College London
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Dear All,

Thank you a lot for all your support so far with the work on Justice in the Green. The feed-back from the students are really positive and we are looking forward to seeing the outcomes of their work. We would like to invite you to take part on two upcoming Justice in the Green events: the students' presentation and the exhibition.

*Students' Presentation:*
We would like to invite you to join on January 14 the students'  presentation at the Wally Foster  Community Centre.

Your presence would be crucial and really important so that they can share with you their major findings as well as receive feed back from you on the work done so far. During that  presentation they will also be introducing their idea/pitch for the short video clip they are producing as an audio-visual report. The objective is that this video will be uploaded in the Justice in the Green website together with a series of testimonials to start building up an interactive map of Hackney Marshes and surrounding green areas. The idea is that in the future community members will be able to upload themselves videos, events, statements and pictures related to these areas. After receiving your feed on findings and pitch, they will still have a week to refine their analysis and outputs.

Bellow is the schedule for the day:

10.00-10.30 - Group 1:  Unstructured Play
10.30-11.00 - Group 2: Collective Sports
11.00-11.20 - Break
11.20-11.50 - Group 3: Cultivating Spaces
11.50-12.20 - Group 4: Creative Arts Expression
12.20-13.00 - General Discussion
13.00-14.00 - Lunch
14.00-14.30 - Group 5: Being with Nature
14.30-15.00 - Group 6: Moving through Nature
15.00-16.00 - Discussion and Wrap-up

*The Exhibition:*
Also we are already preparing for an exhibition at some point in February (probably also at the Wally Foster Community Centre) where we hope we could have a day of discussions and interaction among community members engaged on the use and appropriation of public/green spaces in Hackney. It would be great to get the various community groups interested to have stands/spaces to present their work or/and run activities/workshops during the day of the exhibition. From the UCL side, we would like to present the interactive map in this event and explain to the wider community how it works.

Please let us know if you will be able to attend the events and, in the case of the exhibition, if you are interested in having a space in the hall. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you there!

Best wishes,
Alex

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Sustainable communities in Hackney: January 14 students' presentation at Wally Foster Community Centre

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Mapping sustainable communities in Hackney

 More info on UCL’s Mapping sustainable communities in Hackney project. There’s also a link in the list of websites below to the Justice in the Green website. It includes more information, reports and short films on the work undertaken in Millfields in 2008 and 2009 so do take a look. 







Matthew Wood-Hill, Postgraduate Teaching Assistant, MSc Environment and Sustainable Development, Development Planning Unit, UCL:
“Previously the students' work has been structured according to specific areas in and around E5. This year the project has taken an interesting turn, using a more thematic approach to how the Marshes and other green spaces in the vicinity are being used. The six themes being addressed by individual student groups are:
• Creative Arts Expression;
• Unstructured Play;
• Collective Sports;
• Cultivating Spaces;
• Being with Nature; and
• Moving through Nature.
As with previous years we are examining as the key concept the potential for the creation 'environmental justice' in the area in relation to these themes. The groups have specific community organisations with whom they are encouraged to work with in their research, and we hope that the emphasis on a theme rather than a geographical areas can provide the chance to look at broader linages between the different themes, and how they conflict/interact with each other.  

We can now confirm the date and place of the student's presentations of the work they have been doing over the past couple of months. The event will take place in the Wally Foster Community Centre, just off Mabley Green, between 10am and 4pm on Friday 14th January. I'll update you again when we have more information (such as, for example, when each specific student group will be presenting). The invitation is extended to all members of the community and local residents, so you are more than welcome to attend and to publicise this on your blog if you wish. We hope to run another event or exhibition that will be far more community rather than student-oriented sometime in February.”

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Mapping sustainable communities in Hackney

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Name That Landmark

 


Message from UCL Development Planning Unit students: 




Name That Landmark

We need U to help us rename sites and spots within the Hackney Marshes and surrouding green spaces.
Join us on Sat 8 Jan 2011
for a “mis-guided” walk + mapping workshop.

How?
Meet 10am St Mary of Eton Church Hall, Eastway E9. From there we will divide into 3 groups, and walk (1-2 hrs) around the Hackney Marshes, and surrounding green spaces, re-naming landmarks and sites personal to U. We will reconvene at the St Mary of Eton Church Hall + re-write the map according to our findings.

Sat 8 Jan 2011

10am – 4pm

St Mary of Eton Church Hall, Eastway, E9

We are a team of DPU students conducting research for Justice in the Green, with a focus on the Creative Arts. The resulting map will be presented at the Hackney Wick Community Hall, Jan 24th, and be available online.

DPU. Justice in the Green. UCL, 2011

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Name That Landmark

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Eco Towns – a green oasis or a mirage?

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Are those “Eco Towns” that are currently being proposed a knight in shining armor or are they but misguided desperation?

I must admit that I am not a house builder, a banker or an energy magnate. I am neither a property developer, a broker or an oil buyer. Nor did I benefit from the last umpteen years of house price rising, simply because I have never owned a house, and have been renting always. Nor have I, so far, inherited a house from someone (anyone out there who wants to leave me one in their will?). Also, I have never every even gone down the line of changing my energy supplier to get a better deal and a lower rate. I might get tempted if one came along that would be truly green, so to speak, but so far all I have seen is hype and lies, such as from N-Power. I also do not really have to worry, personally, as to the cost of gasoline or diesel as I do not own nor drive a motor vehicle of any kind.

Having said all that, however, I cannot, but, help noticing that there are some pretty serious goings on in the markets at this moment in time.

Share prices of the major British house builders have fallen by up to, and in some cases by more than, 80% during the last twelve months. There are banks issuing rights calls in order to bolster their threadbare balance sheets and refill their coffers left, right and center and one major bank in Britain – Northern Rock – has already gone to the wall, basically. There there are the major oil suppliers and controllers of this substance who seem to be downing the last few drinks at the bar before time is called. There is all that going on and in addition to that food prices are spiralling ever upwards for the first time in years. These are scary times indeed and many people, here in Britain, and in other developed nations, such as and especially the United States are very worried as to where this is going. It is not, it would appear, the politicians that do the worrying, but the people on the grassroots level. The rise in prices of gasoline and diesel in the United states has led farmers to return to mule power, for instance, and their fuel is about half (and that is a lot by US standards) in comparison to the costs in the United Kingdom.

As prices fluctuate in every direction imaginable and perceivable it is very hard to see any real end to it, presently. So far, to my knowledge, there has not been a single mainstream statement, figure or proposal that clearly points the way back to what was getting to be a very comfortable status quo. When one reads some of the broadsheet newspapers lately it appears to be a page by page roller coaster with one column flirting with the idea that we are heading for global collapse immediately followed by a reassuring, though often more than shaky, article proposing that an end date to the debacle is in sight.

Perhaps in these turbulent times there is a shining knight on the horizon? Is he not right now approaching on his horse? Look it is Sir "Eco Town", the savior of us all. So, at least, we are lead to believe, here in the UK.

"Eco" - what an interesting word. But who really knows what it means exactly? Is it environmentally friendly? Is it fair trade? Is it the new "green"? Is it more than "green"? Is it all of the above? I personally do not really know even despite the fact that I write on “green” issues, and neither, I am sure, do most people. And I am not even sure that the government knows either. At times “eco” seems to be a fashionable term that can be strapped to any concept or plan with the immediate effect of breathing new life and viability in to it., whether or not it can do anything really. Much like the “Eco Button”, the ever so highly praised and hyped tool to reduce your PC's “carbon footprint” (oh, how I hate that word).

How fast are Eco Towns coming to our rescue? Well, not all that fast at all. The first of them, if we are lucky, will be ready in 4-6 years, but knowing how any projects end up in this country it is more like 6-10 years, I should think. Aside from everything else, those “Eco Towns” are going to need an awful of a lot of energy to bring them into being. In addition to that we all will have to buy into the concept for it to work; we have to buy those houses in those “Eco-towns” and move in.

So, once those much-praised “Eco-towns” are built then what do we do? Re we to desert our existing towns and all move into Eco-towns? What good will they be when we have Eco-towns? How will we all cook our tea and whatever in boring old normal town? What about all the old roads, shops, internet cables, phones, sewers, drains, water pipes, electric cables, central heating systems, high streets, the rest of the infrastructure and all that – I do not think that I need to go on? What about all of that and everything else?

First of how many of those “Eco-towns” are there being built? Will it be a chosen 50,000, or whatever the small number may be, who get to live in Eco-town luxury whilst the rest of us all will have to tough it out outside the walls? I suppose these Eco-towns will also be immune to the tempestuous markets? All the food, energy and shelter comfortably catered for within the confines of those gated communities?

The “Eco-Towns” are, the way I see it, nothing but another gimmick of this government. Another silly idea to make themselves look “green”.

Let us “green” our existing villages, towns and cities and through empowerment regain a sense of community and more than just a sense of... let us, in fact, go a create community, real community.

Gordon Brown found himself in the firing line again in the papers not so long ago that for daring to ask the North Sea oil producers to up production and then hinting that nuclear power is the way forward.

The opposition, on the other hand, surprisingly, were pointing out that if 1 in 3 houses were retrofitted with micro-generation and the energy market decentralized we would not need the nuclear power stations.

This does strike a chord with me as empowerment is the fastest way to enable a group – in this case a country – to achieve anything. It also strikes a chord with me as I have been advocating, ever since it made sense to me after reading “Small is Beautiful” just that, namely, small decentralized power generation plants but everyone I have ever spoken to in the field of energy production and government just benignly smiled at me as if I was an imbecile for suggesting that.

Micro-generation and decentralized energy production is, in my opinion, the only way forward. Neither oil, gas or coal, and not even nuclear – unless we can go down the fusion route – will help us. The infrastructure also if way too vulnerable. Local generated heat and power, however, does not suffer from those problems.

The building in of resilience to our communities is what we must do. We must look to build communities that will smooth the transition from an oil dependent community to an alternative form of energy, all the while seeking to drastically reduce the amount of CO2 in response to the changing climate.

And there is also more than one problem that I have with those “Eco-Towns” a-la British Labor (now there is a joke) government (and here is yet another of those joke – government, as they couldn't govern a school let alone a country), but one especially, and that is the fact that, according, so the British government would like everyone to believe, the Freiburg model, about 1/2 of the residents in such “Eco-Towns” will nor be PERMITTED to own a car. Duh? They government is going to order and compel one half of the residents – which half precisely – that they cannot and must not and will not be allowed to own a car? Welcome to 1984. A little late, I know, but arrived it has. The lie also lies in them claiming it to be according to the Freiburg model: in Freiburg it is more than 50% who have chosen – CHOSEN by their own free will – not to want to have a car. Slight difference, is it not. Freely chosen not to have a car or being told you cannot have a car and will not be allowed to have a car. Now, I do not own or drive a car and as a cyclist I would be happy to have a few cars less on the road but... to my dying day I will defend anyone's right to own a car if they so wish.

So, how are we going to mobilize and motivate our communities to vacate their current abodes for pastures greener (or rather "eco") next door without a sense of community? It is community that makes up a village, a town, a neighborhood. What if community could regain itself in situ and can, in fact, "eco" and “green” the existing towns? What is to say that we cannot build resilient sustainability in to our existing neighborhoods without involving the oil intensive construction of yet more estates, and towns, even though those may be “eco” ones?

Personally, I do not think that we need the fabled “Eco Towns”. Instead, what we need are empowered villages, towns and city neighborhoods; real communities of people of all types, ages and classes.

I think that, rather than even thinking about those gimmick towns, those so-called “Eco-towns”, for that is all that those are, gimmicks, we should, nay we must, “green” our existing villages, towns, city neighborhoods, and create real local green communities in the existing places that there are currently. There is NO NEED whatsoever for such “Eco-towns”. They are neither a “green oasis” nor a “knight in shining armor”. They are, in fact, a waste of time and money.

If we go down the road that the current British government seems to have embarked upon, namely that of constructing such “Eco-towns”, we – one – will be wasting lots of money and especially energy and resources and – two – the possibility of using such monies in regenerating our existing villages and towns, our existing neighborhood and “green” those. It can be done, and more than likely a lot easier and a lot better than building those new towns.

© M Smith (Veshengro), June 2008

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MAYOR BLOOMBERG UNVEILS MASTER PLAN TO REMEDIATE AND REDEVELOP THE WILLETS POINT PENINSULA IN NORTHERN QUEENS

Plan Envisions a Vibrant, Mixed-use Neighborhood with Affordable Housing, Office and Retail Space, New Parks and Playgrounds, a Public School and Convention Center

Largest "Green" Development will create 6,100 Permanent Jobs, 20,000 Construction Jobs and Have a $1.5 Billion Impact On the New York City Economy

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today unveiled the Master Plan for the Willets Point peninsula located on the Flushing River between Shea Stadium and Downtown Flushing in Northern Queens. The Plan includes the transformation and remediation of the contaminated 60-acre area - one of the most contaminated in the City - into a vibrant, mixed-use district with affordable housing, office and retail space, new parks and playgrounds, a new public school, cultural and community uses and a state-of-the-art convention center and hotel. This will be the first neighborhood, and the City's largest development project to incorporate "green" building technology. The redevelopment will create 20,000 construction jobs and 6,100 permanent jobs for a total positive economic impact on the New York City economy over the next 30 years of more than $1.5 billion. Joining the Mayor at the announcement at the Queens Museum of Art were Queens Borough President Helen M. Marshall, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding Daniel L. Doctoroff and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President Robert C. Lieber.

"For far too long, the Willets Point peninsula in Northern Queens has been an area marked by unrealized potential and neglect, inhibiting growth in Downtown Flushing and Corona and steadily becoming more and more polluted," said Mayor Bloomberg. "Today, finally, we're doing something about it. Our plan will revitalize the area, creating a new, vibrant neighborhood with thousands of new jobs and a mix of uses, including affordable housing, parks and open space, cultural institutions, retail amenities, office space, a public school and a convention center and hotel. Through the remediation of heavily contaminated land, the use of innovative green building technologies and the development of considerable parks and open space, Willets Point can and will serve as a model for sustainable development."

"I'd like to thank Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Doctoroff, EDC and the team of city agencies that has worked together to plan for the future of Willets Point," said Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. "My office has been working closely with the mayor's team for the past five years on this project. And, as chair of the Advisory Committee, comprised of elected officials from the area, I look forward to working with everyone to build the Willets Point of tomorrow."

Today, Willets Point is among the most heavily contaminated areas in New York City. It is saturated with widespread petroleum contamination resulting from decades of spillage and neglect. Environmental hazards have been exacerbated by the area's high water table, which spreads pollution throughout the site, allowing it to seep into the groundwater and contaminate Flushing Bay and Flushing River.

The Master Plan unveiled by Mayor Bloomberg calls for the remediation of the 60-acre, waterfront site and outlines a comprehensive vision for its future. The planned uses include:

· 5,500 residential units, affordable to a mix of income levels
· 500,000 square feet of office space
· One million square feet of new retail space, including restaurants and shops
· Open space, parks and playgrounds
· Dedicated community and cultural space
· A convention center and hotel

"When we look at Willets point, we need to look at it in the context of the surrounding area - including a resurgent and thriving Downtown Flushing and the new Citi Field nearby, and we need to look at it in the context of building a greener, greater New York," said Deputy Mayor Doctoroff. "We need to reclaim and remediate brownfields and we need to foster the development of green buildings and create mixed use neighborhoods. When realized, this master plan will do precisely that, and it will dramatically augment Downtown Flushing's continued growth."

Borough President Marshall will lead a special task force of elected officials, labor representatives and advocacy groups to create a plan designed to promote minority- and women-owned business participation and local hiring as part of the redevelopment of Willets Point. The task force will convene this spring with the goal of releasing a series of recommendations by fall 2007.

As part of the Master Plan, the City is also creating a dedicated Business Relocation and Workforce Assistance Plan for the roughly 250 businesses located in Willets Point today. The businesses, which include about 225 auto-related repair and about 25 light industrial and manufacturing establishments, employ approximately 1,000 workers earning about 40% less than other similar auto-related workers elsewhere in the New York City. The assistance plan, which is being created by NYCEDC and the Department of Small Business Services and is expected to be announced this summer, will include one-on-one targeted relocation support, financial and technical assistance, job training and placement services, legal immigration services, English as a Second Language (ESL) and General Educational Development (GED) test preparation, and other social services.

"With the opportunity to unlock the potential of Willets Point comes a responsibility to support and retain the existing businesses and employees located in the area today," said NYCEDC President Lieber. "In the coming months we will announce a Business Relocation and Workforce Assistance Plan that will include an array of services designed to help local companies and workers."

In 2002, the Bloomberg Administration identified Flushing as an area of tremendous potential for growth. That year, the City formed the Downtown Flushing Task Force comprised of local and state elected officials, community members, advocacy groups, local business leaders and community board representatives. After a yearlong community based planning effort, the task force drafted a three-pronged plan to reconnect Downtown Flushing, revitalize the Flushing area waterfront, and redevelop Willets Point. Based on that work, in 2004 the City created the Willets Point Advisory Committee (WPAC), chaired by Borough President Marshall, to help advise planning for the redevelopment of Willets Point. Through the consultative development process, the City created a series of goals and guidelines used to shape the Master Plan unveiled today. Throughout the process, the City conducted extensive outreach, hosting or attending more than 60 meetings with the public, elected officials, community groups, local business organizations, existing Willets Point businesses, environmental advocates, housing advocates and labor groups.

Today's Master Plan unveiling coincides with the start of the project's public scoping process. A series of public approvals are necessary through the City's Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), including a rezoning to a mixed-use commercial zone, creation of an urban renewal plan, and several street de-mappings. The multi-month ULURP process, expected to begin this fall, incorporates the community board, Borough President, City Planning Commission and City Council and offers several opportunities for public comment on the plan. Pending approval through ULURP, the City expects to select a developer and begin the acquisition process in summer/fall 2008. Environmental remediation would begin in 2010.

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MAYOR BLOOMBERG UNVEILS MASTER PLAN TO REMEDIATE AND REDEVELOP THE WILLETS POINT PENINSULA IN NORTHERN QUEENS

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