The City of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio Foreword from the Mayor 4 Introduction 5 SUSTAINABILITY Housing and Neighborhoods 7 Parks and Public Space 9 Brownfields 11 Waterways 13 Water Supply 15 Transportation 17 Energy 19 Air Quality 24 Solid Waste 26 Climate Change 29 Climate Resiliency 30 Sustainability Indicators 32 Implementation 34 Overview 55 Climate Analysis 56 Coastal Protection 58 Buildings 60 Economic Recovery 61 Insurance 63 Utilities 65 Liquid Fuels 66 Healthcare 67 Community Preparedness and Response 69 Telecommunications 70 Transportation 71 Parks 72 PlaNYC PROGRESS REPORT:Sustainability & Resiliency 2014 1 (continued) Environmental Protection and Remediation 74 Water and Wastewater 77 Other Critical Networks: Food Supply 79 Other Critical Networks: Solid Waste 80 Brooklyn-Queens Waterfront 81 East and South Shores of Staten Island 82 South Queens 83 Southern Brooklyn 84 Southern Manhattan 85 Milestones and Metrics 86 Implementation 90 2 PlaNYC PROGRESS REPORT:Sustainability & Resiliency 2014 PlaNYC PROGRESS REPORT:Sustainability & Resiliency 2014 3 Manhattan Bridge Credit: John Lee Foreword by Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City A VISION FOR A SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT NEW YORK CITY New York City is at a pivotal and transformational point in its history. As a city, New York has the critical components to become the most sustainable, resilient city in the world: a committed citizenry, exten- sive public-sector resources, infrastructure expertise, access to private capital, strong labor unions, and science and technology innovators. New York Harbor is the cleanest it has been in the last century, and our air quality is fourth cleanest nationally. We are preparing for a future with climate change by making infrastructure investments and spurring economic growth in our most at-risk and vulnerable neighbor- hoods. We have the potential to be a global leader in the fight against climate change and its effects by committing to initiatives that conserve energy, reduce waste, increase affordable housing, and protect all New Yorkers through improvements to our built environment and natural defenses. In doing so, we will build New York City’s green economy to create local jobs and stimulate further investment in our city’s future. We will encourage all New Yorkers to take part in this movement and participate in strengthening our city for the challenges ahead. Aging infrastructure, climate change, a fast-changing economy, and the critical need to preserve our environment combine to make urban sustainability and resiliency an urgent priority. Building on recent progress, we will expand and create new pathways to advance environmental and infrastructure initiatives and we will continue to work towards our goals of a sustainable and resilient city for all New Yorkers. We will provide more units of affordable housing for our increasing population. We will further reduce our city’s carbon emissions. We will reduce energy consumption in our largest buildings, and we will continue to provide support to communities most affected by Hurricane Sandy as we will rebuild a stronger, more resilient New York. In order to achieve these ambitious goals, we will need the involvement of every New Yorker, the ingenuity of forward-thinking, innovative agency and City leadership, and the partnership of private and public sector institutions, all of whom bring new perspectives and solutions to the challenges we face. Together, we can build an equitable New York City that is sustainable and resilient for all residents and set a global example for an urban future. Bill de Blasio, Mayor 4 PlaNYC PROGRESS REPORT:Sustainability & Resiliency 2014 Introduction The City’s PlaNYC Progress Report 2014 make sure that its PlaNYC initiatives reflect provides an update of what progress has been the most up-to-date and robust data and made since the previous year in the areas of information. Accordingly, the City issues an sustainability and resiliency. This issue, the update to PlaNYC every four years, with the sixth progress report since the PlaNYC brand next update due out in 2015. This update was created in 2007, features for the first process allows the city to be responsive time a progress report on the City’s resil- to changing conditions and to continually iency plan, A Stronger, More Resilient New serve the needs of all the City’s citizens. York. This report is compiled and written As shown in the following pages, the City by the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning has made tremendous progress since and Sustainability and the newly-formed 2007 towards building a sustainable city. Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency. It Over 800,000 trees have been planted, air features information from City agencies that quality is greatly improved, and carbon are responsible for the programs that improve emissions have been reduced 19 percent. the quality of life for all New Yorkers. These Since last June’s release of the City’s initiatives focus on New York City’s environ- first climate resiliency plan, much early ment, providing more housing, improving progress has been achieved in strengthing public space, and improving the way the the coastline, upgrading buildings, City’s infrastructure serves its residents, and protecting infrastructure, and making increasing the City’s resiliency to extreme neighborhoods safer and more vibrant. weather events and climate change. However, much remains to be done to continue Following the maxim of what cannot be to build a truly sustainable and resilient New measured cannot be managed, the City’s York. The City and of all of its agencies are sustainability and resiliency initiatives are committed to the actions required to accom- designed so that progress can be reported plish that ambitious but necessary goal. on an annual basis. The City strives to PlaNYC PROGRESS REPORT:Sustainability & Resiliency 2014 5 6 PlaNYC PROGRESS REPORT:Sustainability & Resiliency 2014 We recognize that strong neighborhoods are Revitalizing economic development in all among our greatest assets. Each neighbor- boroughs, highlight: Hunter’s Point South hood has its own distinctive character, history, and culture; maintaining this diversity plays Over the past year, the New York City Economic a vital role in the continuing health of the Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has continued city. New York City must create and maintain to facilitate the creation of new transit-oriented sustainable, affordable neighborhoods that neighborhoods with affordable housing and commu- benefit all New Yorkers. Sustainability means nity amenities on formerly underutilized sites. At not only more energy-efficient buildings, but Hunter’s Point South in Queens, NYCEDC completed also the walkability of our neighborhoods, critical basic infrastructure work, including new the availability of choices for transportation, roadways, sewers, and sidewalks, to pave the way and access to employment opportunities for development on the site. NYCEDC completed and retail, including healthy food options. work last summer on a 5.5 acre waterfront park that incorporates important resiliency elements PROGRESS UPDATE to protect the site from flooding and to allow the site to drain quickly during climate-related events. Beyond code and law enforcement, the Depart- These improvements, which constitute a $66 million ment of Buildings (DOB) continues to do its part investment, will anchor future phases of the project, to support sustainability programs. For example, which will establish a new mixed-use neighborhood the department administers New York State’s Solar with a public school that opened for the 2013-2014 Property Tax Abatement Program and Green Roof school year, retail, open space, and approximately Tax Abatement Program, which helps eligible prop- 5,000 new units of housing, with a minimum of 60 erty owners offset the cost of their photovoltaic and percent affordable. green-roof installations. Plus, we have partnered with NYC Service in NYC °CoolRoofs, which helps building owners coat their roofs with a reflective material – thereby reducing the amount of heat absorbed, which can raise ambient air temperatures and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. PlaNYC PROGRESS REPORT:Sustainability & Resiliency 2014 7 Developing sustainable neighborhoods Preserving housing through with walkable destinations for retail and preventative action local services The Housing Preservation and Development’s (HPD) In the past year, New York City Economic Develop- Proactive Preservation Initiative exceeded the 2013 ment Corporation (NYCEDC) launched Staten Island annual targets of buildings surveyed. Approximately Storefronts “Race for Space” competition to attract 40 percent of buildings surveyed warrant enhanced new retail to downtown Staten Island. The compe- enforcement actions such as roof to cellar inspec- tition was designed to incentivize retail tenants to tions or litigation. Of those, about 35 percent have lease currently vacant ground floor retail space. experienced a drop in violations. NYCEDC announced nine winners of the competi- tion. Collectively, these businesses, most of which are owned or operated by Staten Island residents, will receive $425,000 and invest over $11 million in their businesses. Of the nine businesses, two are currently open, and the others are anticipated to open in summer 2014. Competition prizes will be disbursed as the winners open for business. Battery Park City Credit: John Lee 8 PlaNYC PROGRESS REPORT:Sustainability & Resiliency 2014 New York City’s