How Thriving Natural Areas Help Stop NYC Sewers from Overflowing
A new report by the Natural Areas Conservancy is the first to quantify the stormwater capture capacity of the city’s forests, wetlands, and grasslands—helping prevent untreated sewage from overflowing into local waterways.
It makes a case for the city to invest more funds in keeping New York City’s forests—like those found in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx or the Greenbelt on Staten Island—alive and thriving.
“Because we are not actively always measuring some of the services that these natural areas are providing to the city, they are often undervalued. And when they are undervalued, they become underfunded,” said Jeffrey Clark, senior manager of applied research at the NAC and author of the study.
What's ahead this week in housing: The City Planning Commission will vote today on a rezoning proposal for a 54-block swath of Long Island City, called the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan, to allow for new housing development—an estimated 15,000 additional apartments over the next 10 years. Plus, seven of the city's affordable housing lotteries will close to applicants this week.
