The six proposed WTC design lack an understanding of the site's importance. A Flash gallery allows comparisons of the designs.
"But ultimately, the designs reveal how fixed many of the initial planning decisions seem to be. In each, significant portions of the street grid that was removed in the 1970s would be rebuilt, dividing the 16-acre site into smaller parcels. Part of West Street would be replaced by an underground tunnel to connect the site to nearby Battery Park City. About 11 million square feet of commercial office space and 600,000 square feet of retail space would be replaced. And all of the plans include a museum and one or two cultural venues. Most of these ideas were formulated within months of the September attacks.What the proposals lack is any sense of the site's importance as a monumental expression of one of the most tragic events in the nation's history."
Thanks to Laura Kranz
FULL STORY: Ideas for Ground Zero: Where's the Imagination?
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.
Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.
California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.
HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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