Our group is focusing on composting in New York City and the environmental benefits it brings as a sustainable way of removing waste and acting as a natural fertilizer. Specifically, we are focusing on improving the public image of composting and how to get people to partake in it, as well as the challenges that exist in New York against composting and possible incentives that will convince people to partake in it. By analyzing the current situation, we can see how to improve the public image of composting in the future. We plan to interview people in the composting industry and other related environmental fields to learn about the barriers they face in promoting composting, as well as their opinions on how to most effectively increase the amount of people that compost. We have already interviewed several experts in the composting field and have set up future interviews as well. The articles we found encompass ideas and themes that will help us better understand the public’s current involvement in food composting. We also plan to participate in a composting event ourselves in order to see what the experience is like. The video will provide an overview of the current barriers composting organizations face in getting more people to compost and how we can initiate change and encourage more people to take part in it.
The Future of Local Produce and Urban Farms in NYC
Group #4: Amanda Lederman, Jennifer Mukofsky,Jonathan Park, Phoebe Lau, Sunny Xu, Yamel Favela
Abstract: In today’s day and age, New York City faces a variety of issues relating to food: Who has access to food? Is it healthy? Affordable? Recyclable? Who produces it? Furthermore, we will also explore the newest innovations relating to food production and distribution around New York. Accordingly, we will examine the cost and benefits to these new practices, why they are crucial to New York’s sustainability, whether they are really more efficient, and if they effectively contribute to the decrease in New York’s carbon footprint; moreover, we will consider if these practices worth implementing on a large scale. Our focus for this project will be primarily on the “hyper-local,” or locally produced food in New York. We plan to research and investigate the advantages of hyper-local food production and distribution by visiting some of New York’s Greenmarkets, food vendors and urban farms.
Future of Street Art in NYC
Group #2: Rachel, Susu, Cassie, Vivian, Wesley
Abstract: What is street art? Are they solely the unsanctioned designs like graffiti that most people view as vandalism or the commissioned and funded works like sculpture, lighting displays and wall murals? Regardless of how one defines street art, it pushes of boundaries and now it has expanded. Therefore, our final video for the Future of New York City class will focus on the changes in the forms of street art, the responses and attitudes towards the changes and what does the future hold for publicly displayed art. We will look at how street art, graffiti in particular, have changed from being thought as vandalism to now being funded, how advertisements have grown and became a form of art itself and how exhibitions constantly expand and evolve beyond the walls of museums and how they have become so easily accessible to the public eye. Through filming these various types of public artwork in the different neighborhoods of New York City, we will see where street art will be headed in the future.
Group One’s Midterm Abstract: What will the “Futuristic New York City” look like?
Group 1- Rebecca, Michelle, Zara, Luke, Sifan, Tom
Midterm Report Abstract
Global trends as well as local efforts prove that sustainability will be key in the future. After conducting interviews, doing research, and roving the field of New York City, we have come to the conclusion that sustainability and architecture, coupled together, will play a prominent role in the New York City’s future development. Our group’s goal is to produce an educational video discussing aspects of green architecture and sustainability. Our video will focus on LEED certifications, Hearst Tower, green roofs, and hopefully an architectural firm, as points of discussion with the common idea of “green architecture” always at heart. So far, we have completed our research, conducted public opinion interviews, and have received consent for an interview with a high-ranking member of Hearst Tower’s crisis management team. By Spring Break we will have completed any final interviews and will begin the video producing process.
