A proposal to replace a public plaza with an office building in Lower Manhattan brings up the question: does the downtown belong to residents or to businesses?
Apartment dwellers need open space. Investment banks need trading space. And in Lower Manhattan, where every inch isprecious, the two needs are colliding over an elevated one-acre public plaza.The Goldman Sachs Group proposes to eliminate the 28-year-old plaza...and replace it with a 240-foot-high building...Which invites a question as the fight over 55 Water Street goes before the City Planning Commission today: just whose downtown is it, anyway? By community, does one mean the residential pioneers who came to settle an embryonic neighborhood, or a business that can trace its history in Lower Manhattan to 1869, when Marcus Goldman set up shop on Pine Street?
Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan
FULL STORY: Goldman Sachs Seeks to Turn Open Space Into Trading Space

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Greening Oakland’s School Grounds
With help from community partners like the Trust for Public Land, Oakland Unified School District is turning barren, asphalt-covered schoolyards into vibrant, green spaces that support outdoor learning, play, and student well-being.

California Governor Suspends CEQA Reviews for Utilities in Fire Areas
Utility restoration efforts in areas affected by the January wildfires in Los Angeles will be exempt from environmental regulations to speed up the rebuilding of essential infrastructure.

Native American Communities Prepare to Lead on Environmental Stewardship
In the face of federal threats to public lands and conservation efforts, indigenous groups continue to model nature-centered conservation efforts.
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