Page 30 - Engineering Career Guide for UT Austin

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One of the most critical and excit-
ing engineering frontiers is ur-
ban planning. Critical, because
we know the percentage of city-dwell-
ers is increasing and that providing
shelter, energy, and food for our plan-
et’s total population has negative im-
pacts on our environment. Exciting,
because there are so many possibili-
ties for creativity.
City living is expensive, and no-
where more so than in New York City.
The city’s lower-income residents
often cannot afford to live near work,
grocery stores, or healthcare facilities,
so they must spend time and money
getting where they need to go.
A new project in the Bronx is
changing lives, however. Via Verde,
which means “The Green Way,” is a
300,000-square-foot development
with 222 new and affordable homes
that were designed with health and
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New York City builds a new model of urban
housing with rooftop gardens and solar panels.
Healthier
Urban Living
sustainability in mind. Along with af-
fordable homes for rent and to buy,
there is a healthcare center and phar-
macy within the development, and res-
idents can walk to grocery stores. The
project is also near a subway station.
Hundreds of solar panels provide
energy to the complex, reducing the
residents’ electricity bills. Rooftop
gardens dissipate heat and absorb
rainwater runoff while giving space to
grow fruits and vegetables, as well as
to relax and to gather socially. Natural
daylighting and cross-ventilation im-
prove indoor air quality.
True to its name, there are green
spaces galore. Rooftops connect so
residents can stroll around up in the
air, and walkways create a big park.
The project set a new standard for
green affordable housing and shows
the power of thoughtful engineering
to transform low-income housing.
features
COURTESY DAVID SUNDBERG / ESTO