Pocahontas Greenway Report by Cesar Yoc

Sustainable Planning Master Plan for “Pocahontas Line Greenway”

Aerial image of South Bronx Community districts 1, 3, and 4.

Cesar Yoc Hunter College Department of Urban Affairs and Planning

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December 19, 2004 Prof. Tom Angotti Hunter College

12/9/2004

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The Smithsonian Conservation Research Center (Front Royal, Virginia) and the Bronx Zoo are institutions whose major goals are to research conservation and preservation methods to save endangered specie’s and their habitats. The Smithsonian Institution scientists research methods in the breeding of endangered wildlife. While the Bronx Zoo studies their biology and ecology.

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impacts of nations (1). The ecological footprint quantifies the “biologically productive areas necessary to continuously provide their (nations) resource supplies and absorb their wastes, using prevailing technology” (2). Figure 1, to the right, illustrates the countries with the highest and lowest ecological footprint per person. The United States ranks second only to the United Arab Emirates.

However, some of their efforts are in vain due to population increase and human encroachment of remaining pristine lands. Sustainable planning can assist scientists on their efforts to learn and preserve endangered habitat. Defining sustainability in an urban context is important in the implementation of sustainable procedures. Cities are not sustainable. They rely on outside resources to provide the needs of its residents. Allen writes, “Cities are not sustainable in themselves, as urban dwellers and economic activities inevitably depend on environmental resources and services from outside the built up area” (16).

Figure 1. WWF Japan The Ecological Footprint-the terrestrial report 2002 http://www.wwf.or.jp/activity/lpr2002/efp.htm The ecological footprint is a calculation of the impact humans have on world ecosystems. Wackernagel et al. uses the ecological footprint of nations to quantify the ecological

For each person in the United States it takes approximately 10 hectares of land to maintain one person’s lifestyle. 3

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There are over a million residents for each of the major cities in the United States. If you calculate one million times nine hectares, cities will be consuming nine million hectares of land for each individual. From 1963 to 2002 there has been an increase in the ecological footprint of the United States and other industrialize nations. Most of the highest consumption of natural resources occurs in North East States (See Map 1a, b in Appendix A). Thus, there is a need to apply sustainable methods to decrease the ecological footprint. First, sustainability needs to identify what parameters should be study to develop some of these methods. Allen provides of dimensions of sustainability that assist in the creation of these parameters. They dimensions include economic, social, political, ecological, and physical sustainability (16 and 17). All of these dimensions can be categories into human creations and natural occurrences. The first three are human creations and the last two are natural occurrences (e.g. Earthquakes, floods, Tsunamis etc.) Sustainable planning methods should include these dimensions. These dimensions are very broad in scope and might not apply to urban settings. Humans rely on natural resources to provide their means of subsistence. So, sustainability in an urban context could be define as a set of methods that increases efficiency of natural resource use, is

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flexible and resilient in coping with cultural trends and decreases migration to remaining pristine lands. The Bronx, a New York City borough, can be an ideal location for instituting sustainable innovations. The borough has experience social, economic, and environmental difficulties. Bronx history begins when the West Indian Company sold the land to Jonas Bronck, for whom the Bronx was named, in 1639. Native Americans where still residents of these lands, however, they did not practice land ownership. Skipping two hundred and ninety years of history, the Bronx begins experiencing industrial economic difficulties. The Great depression trigger the economic difficulties Bronx residents where going to experience before its collapse, it hit hard in the South Bronx, where most of the Bronx factories were located. Evelyn Gonzales notes that “the social collapse of the South Bronx occurred before its physical destruction (122)”. Thus, economic conditions, environmental discrimination, mismanagement, neglect and racial discrimination increase the social and physical deterioration of the South Bronx. In the early 1920s, the Bronx constituted mostly of Irish, German, and Jewish. After the 1950s, there was an increase in the Puerto Ricans migration to the Bronx. The new generations were going to deal with this economic and social unrest.

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Some family members and friends experience the social changes that occurred in the 50s, 60s, and 7os. They where the Puerto Ricans who migrated or where born during these generation. They told stories of the spread of the drug epidemic that took the lives of beloved ones. They also witness the spread of aids. Drugs, gangs, and arsons were more of a problem than today. The older generation started moving out from their apartments to suburban areas. As they moved out land value started decreasing. To make up for their losses, property owners started setting their apartments on fire to collect insurance money. You could see some of this burn structures in the Melrose section of the Bronx. Affordable Housing projects and highway projects of Robert Moses greatly shaped the current conditions of the Bronx. He built the Major Degan and Cross Bronx Expressway. 1 . Today the Bronx is experiencing economic and social progress. Bronx residents are very resilient and they are assisting in its recovery. Some of the improvements are due to some resident’s willingness to fight out the worse and bring progress. Yolanda Garcia was one of those residents who founded an affordable housing organization called NOSQUEDAMOS (WE STAY). She created nearly 1,700 new 1

Caro, Robert A. The Power Broker” Robert Moses and The Fall of New York. Vintage Books, New York, 1975. This incredible book talks about the influence Robert Moses has had in the planning decisions made in New York City during his tenure.

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homes and apartment units that are completed or in construction (Kappstatter, 2005). However, there is much to be done like lowering unemployment rates, asthma, obesity and crime. The South Bronx is still riddle with racial discrimination, environmental injustice, neglect and other social abuses. The plan first looks at the current social, physical, and economic conditions of the South Bronx. While examining the trends and comparing them to other boroughs. After identifying the economic and environmental concerns, an abandon freight train line is the focal site to create designs that will strive to solve some of these problems. The site is an abandon freight train line, the Port Morris Branch of the New York and Harlem Railroad, located in the South East Section of the South Bronx. The naming of the greenway is due in part to the nickname given to it by its creator, Gouvernour Morris Jr (1813-1888). He was very proud of his mother’s heritage, Anne Cary Randolph Morris, who was a lineal descendant of Pocahontas; thus nicknaming the Port Morris Branch the Pocahontas line (McNamara 1982, 1992). Workers used to make fun of Morris by calling the line “Old Pokey.” The proposal focuses on rehabilitating the Port Morris Branch of the New York & Harlem Railroad, a freight train completed in 1852, and surrounding vacant lots. The plan will enable South Bronx (Mott Haven, Melrose, and Morrisania) residents to increase the use of an alternative mode of

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transportation (bicycling), learn about South Bronx history, and increase environmental awareness. This would create viable transportation to St. Mary’s Park, and would be a park itself. The greenway would be closer to where people live so they would not have to travel as far for open space. Daily commutes would also be more relaxing if the route was a greenway instead of a highway. In the average wait of fifteen minutes for a bus, a healthy individual could walk one mile, which would easily get one to

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a train station along the greenway. This exercise would reduce heart attacks, strokes, obesity, and a host of other ailments, which are cause by lack of exercise. This is a major financial and health benefit to the City, Insurance Companies and most of all, the Individual.

To begin the proposal there is a need to understand the current economic and social conditions of the Bronx. Emphasizing in how they relate to other boroughs of New York City. The Bronx has become a hotspot for Spanish immigrants for the last 20 to 30 years. It used to be populated mostly by Irish, Jewish, English, and Germans until the migration of Puerto Ricans in the Early 1950’s. Figure 2 illustrates ethnic population demographics for community districts 1, 3, and 4. These districts include Mott Haven, Morrisania, Highbridge and Hunts Point. Figure 2. Pie charts of race and ethnicity for Highbridge, Mott Haven, Morrisania, and Hunts Points (Community Districts 1, 3 and 4. More people in these neighborhoods are Hispanic compare to the New York City average of 27th percent. Bill Gilbert, from the Daily News, recently wrote an article about

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Dominicans constituting the highest percentage of foreign residents in the Bronx, approximately 124,000 residents. The population of the South Bronx is still mostly African American and Puerto Rican descent. Over the past ten years, there has been an increase in the Mexican population in Mott Haven. There has been an increase of diversity of people in the last decade. Dr. Lloyd Ultan is correct in saying that “the Bronx has residents from every continent on the face of the earth. If you count the penguins in the Bronx Zoo, that includes Antarctica (Bill 2005)”.

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Figure 3. New York City Department of City Planning Analysis of 2000 Census: Demographic/ Household Characteristics & Asian and Hispanic Subgroups 2000. According to the New York State Department of Health and Hygiene these group constitutes an average of 35% of the South East Sections of the South Bronx, a total of 109,420 (Figure 4). This percentage is high compare to the NYC Average Age which accounts for 24% of its population. The pie chart also demonstrate that there are less people between the ages of 65 and above that live in Highbridge, Morrisania, Hunts Point and Mott Haven compare to the NYC average.

The Bronx has the highest percentage of people under 18 in the city according to the 2000 census (Figure 3). Figure three shows the difference of population by age for each of the boroughs and the city combined.

Figure 4. Population average by age for Bronx Community Districts 1, 3, and 4 compare to New York City Average.

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Economic Conditions The pink bar (Figure 5) indicates that Manhattan has the greatest percentage of people whose income is greater than $100,000. The Bronx has the lowest percentage of people that make over $100,000 compare to the New York City Average.

Figure 6. United Way of New York City Analysis of 2000 Census and NYS Department of Labor Data February, 2003. Figure 5. United Way of New York City Analysis of 2000 Census and NYS Department of Labor Data February, 2003. The Bronx also has the highest percentage, approximately 25%, of people that earn less than $10,000. Over a million residents called the Bronx their homes, so if you make a quick calculation that is almost 250,000 people who earn less than $100,000 per year.

As shown on the Poverty Map (Figure 6), most of the Bronx has over 40% percent of people in poverty. Those numbers are more likely to have increase during the last four years, due to an increase in unemployment rates. According to a 2004 report by Empire State Development the Bronx has the highest unemployment rate, 9.6%, as of July 4, 2004, compare to other counties in New York State. Second in the list is Kings County with an 8.4% rate.

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It has become more difficult for people in the Bronx to increase their wages because most of them don’t actually finish high school. Figure 7 illustrates that over 30% percent of the Bronx population over 25 don’t actually finish high school. The numbers decreases in the North East Bronx, where most of the major Bronx Parks are located.

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people have to work hard to support themselves or their families. Health Conditions The Bronx and specially the South Bronx is a hotspot for people with asthma and obesity.

Figure 8. New York City Map of Asthma cases by zip code rate of hospital admissions per 1000 ages 0-17. Figure 7. United Way of New York City Analysis of 2000 Census and NYS Department of Labor Data February, 2003. Therefore, there is a need to educate people above 25, even though it is going to be difficult since at this age most

It has the highest asthma rate in the Country. Obesity also leads to high rates of diabetes (Karpati 8). The South Bronx and Harlem are locations for the most cases of asthma (Figure 8). The South Bronx has a rate above 9%.

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Obesity is also a major health concern for Bronx residents. Obese people could experience heart conditions, which sometimes leads to fatal hearth attacks. The bar chart indicates that 36% of adults in Highbridge, Hunts Point, Mott Haven, and Morrisania are not physically active. This percentage is below the national goal of 20%.

The highest populations of people that are obese in the Bronx are located in low-income neighborhoods. The South Bronx is an example of a low-income community that has a high proportion of adults who are obese. Obesity is due to lack of exercise and not eating properly. For the month of July 2003, more than 31% percent of the South Bronx did not exercise and more than 19% did not eat fruit the previous day. In addition, 27% of the populations of these communities are obese. The New York City average is 18%, which is above the national goal of 15%. More than 24% of South Bronx adults are obese, shown on the map (next page). This proportion is the highest in New York City, second been Brooklyn with 21%.

According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, most people eat less fruit than most New York City (NYC) residents do.

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Kristine Day says that “people with lower family incomes and lower levels of education are also more likely to get too little physical activity. In fact, nearly half of those individuals with less than a high school education report no regular leisure-time physical activities….US patterns of physical activity are similar to those in other developed countries (1).”

She pretty much described the South Bronx neighborhoods. The department of health and hygiene recommends that people should increase physical activity, maintain a healthy diet, and decrease calories.

However to apply some of these recommendations there is a need to identify some of the sources of these problems. The map on the next page is a land use map that will assist in explaining what cause some of these economic, social and health concerns. There is a lack of available recreational open space. Saint Mary’s Park is the only park available in the South East Bronx community overlapping districts one, three, and 4 (South East Section of Map). All the major recreational parks are located North East and South West on the map. 11

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Manufacturing facilities surround communities in the South Bronx. They are the barriers to water front access. Most of all they are the air polluters that created the asthma conditions of Bronx residents (Appendix A Map 4).

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houses are near these industrial sites. Map 3 in Appendix A is a zoning map of the South Bronx. In general, many zones in the South Bronx have an above R7 zoning district. Most of these zones are near industrial facilities.

Most of these abandon industrial sites provided jobs to Bronx residents during the industrial revolution. Low-income

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Map 1. Land use Map of the South Bronx. The Light Blue line is the Pocahontas Line Greenway. Brief History of the South Bronx Port Morris Branch History: 13

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The Port Morris railroad is a former branch of the New York and Harlem Railroad, completed before the civil war in 1852 (Gonzales, 2004)2. Railroad pioneer and Bronx resident Gouvernour Morris Jr. financed this railroad. He is the son of the most famous Bronxite in United States story, Gouvernour Morris Senior. The “Penman of the United States Constitution.,” whose reputation was sealed by James Madison, when informing historian Jared Sparks: “The finish given to the style and arrangement of the constitution fairly belongs to the pen of Mr. Morris, the task having probably been handed over to him by the chairman of the committee, himself a highly respected member, and with the ready concurrence of the others (Ultan 1968).” Dr Lloyd Ultan writes that he was the delegate that spoke the most at the constitutional convention and was able to “exercise some influence on the content, as well as the style of the final document (1968)”. His son accumulated his wealth through railroad building. He was the principle stockholder of the New York 2

The mapping division of the Humanities and Social Sciences currently holds an 1851 map that shows the Port Morris Branch. Thus providing additional evidence of its construction before the Spuyten Duyvil and Port Morris Railroad.

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and Harlem Railroad, a private company of the early and middle 1800s. He financed the development of the Port Morris railroad to industrialize the filled in, he had the marshes filled in and a causeway built, area we today call Port Morris. Later after he completed the railroad, in 1852, later purchase by the New York and Harlem railroad; thus becoming its first branch (Green Jr. 1926 and Gonzales, 2004). The Port Morris Branch was hardly use for passenger service, so it the first freight railroad in New York City. The railroads ran at grade level during the late 1800s until the land around Saint Mary’s park was filled in. This is the reason why today the rail line is below grade. During the 1860s, the New York and Harlem Railroad director is Gouvernour Morris Jr. He contributes to the completion of a connection to the Port Morris branch the Spuyten Duyvil Railroad. In April 24, 1867, the Spuyten Duyvil and Port Morris Railroad were charter. Its length was 6.4 miles and it connected the Harlem railroad at the Melrose yards with the Hudson River railroad at Spuyten Duyvil. The cost to complete was $989,000. Leased to Commodore Vanderbilt on November 1, 1871 until December 31, 1970, at an annual rental of eight percent of its cost. It was necessary for Commodore Vanderbilt to have control of this road in order to get to the Grand Central station

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in 1870. It was about the same time that the New York Central secured control of the Harlem Railroad, originally run by steam. (Jenkins, 1912). The New York Central Railroad was granted permission to lay tracks underneath Saint Mary’s park in 1903, thus connecting to one of the first city parks in the Bronx. The line was abandoned and annexed to the park in 1912.

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decreasing the use of the automobile two goals are accomplish. One is bicycle do not emit CO2 into the air and it provides people an active lifestyle. The active lifestyle decreases obesity levels and reduces asthma rates. However, the Greenway is use as a connector to commercial districts. It contains additional recommendations of the use of vacant lots. The vacant lots will enhance the community surrounding the greenway.

This line was later own by Conrail, the predecessor of Amtrak. Most of the lots are currently own by Rams-Spec, Inc.

The Pocahontas Line Greenway Plan The map below is a proposal map showing the “Pocahontas Line Greenway” recommended routes. The map on 14 is a transportation map that shows areas where bikers or pedestrian could travel by bus and train. The Greenway Map emphasizes the use of bicycles. As explain above one of the causes of asthma is air pollution. By

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Map 2: Pocahontas Line Greenway proposal map showing historic landmark locations and recommended routes for bicyclist.

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Map 3. Bus routes and train lines near the vicinity of the Pocahontas Line Greenway (Shown in Line Green-Passes under Saint Mary’s Park)

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B: Tax block & Lot 2384-23 Owner: Rams-Spec Inc. (East 163 St.) Property Type: Vacant Market Value: N.A. C: Tax block & Lot 2365-15 Owner: Rams-Spec Inc. (East 161 St.) Property Type: Vacant Market Value: N.A. Period balance: $50.44 D: Tax block & Lot 2364-58 (3rd Avenue) Owner: City of New York Period Balance: $49.75 Market Value: N.A.

Owners This is a list of the owners for each tax lot; that make up the “Pocahontas Line Greenway.” A: Tax block & Lot 2391-5 (East 163 St.) Owner: N.Y. and Harlem Railroad Property Type: Vacant Market Value: $218,000 Total Tax Due: $8, 415.48

E: Tax block & Lot 2360-1 (East 156 St.) Owner: Rams-Spec, Inc. Market Value: N.A. Tax block & Lot 2359-1 (Westchester Avenue) Owner: Rams-Spec, Inc. Market Value: N.A. Tax block & Lot 2276-31 (Brook Avenue) Owner: Rams-Spec, Inc. Market Value: N.A.

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Tax block & Lot 2276-52 (Saint Ann’s Avenue) Owner: Rams-Spec, Inc. Market Value: N.A. Tax block & Lot 2557-80 (Saint Ann’s Avenue) Owner: Rams-Spec, Inc. Market Value: $48,500 Type: Vacant Land-Rezoned Vo = Zoned Residential (Not sure if that includes the whole tunnel, said to be annex by New York City Parks and Recreation) F: Tax block & Lot 2573-78 (East 144th Street) Owner: Metropolitan 47th LLC Market Value: 0 Tax block & Lot 257-53 (Saint Mary’s Street) Owner: Metropolitan 47th LLC Market Value: N.A. Period Balance: $ 200.34 Tax block & Lot 2575-41 (Wales Avenue) Owner: Metropolitan 47th LLC Market Value: N.A. Period Balance: $1,691.78 Tax block & Lot 2599-1 (Southern Boulevard) Owner: Bruckner RR, LLC

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Credit: $52.25 Market Value: N.A. Tax block & Lot 2599-175 (East 141st Street) Owner: SJRR Realty LLC Market Value: N.A. This data was gathered from the department of finance ownership records. The trail is owned primarily by one company, RamsSpec Inc. of California. On one side, NY & Harlem RR owns a small portion and on the other side Metropolitan 47th LLC, Bruckner RR, SJRR Realty owns small parcels. The City of New York has also confiscated a parcel in the middle of the railway. The main approachable candidate is Rams-Spec due to the fact that they own enough of the land to make the greenway practical.

Rail Line Conditions The railway is depressed about 10 to 20 feet below grade. There is a mix of soil, foliage, rocks, old rail road ties and tracks. Retaining walls look to be in good condition, made of nicely cut boulders. There are bridges for all roadways crossing the railway. With an average width of 40 feet it is wide enough for a multi purpose area. The railway goes under St. Mary’s Park and should be adjoined. The issue of access to the trail can be easily solved with stairways and ramps. An

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example of this is shown as done in Indianapolis; TN. Access should be confined to major transportation, residential and commercial hubs and other park recreational areas.

The Plan

The greenway should be fill in a couple of feet to allow easier access. Therefore, it looks less like a ditch and avoiding trash dumping from residents of residential housing surrounding the greenway. The total width is a minimum of 14’ feet for multi-users. According to Charles A Flank guideline to accommodate all no motorized user groups in an urban area the width should be at least fourteen feet.

The sketch identifies where the greenhouse is going to be located and entrances. The entrances allow easy passage for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Before

After

These images depict some greenway construction ideas. The multi-use bicycle and wheelchair lane contains an

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asphalt surface. A natural surface will separate pedestrians from bicyclist’s and wheelchair users. The final design will depend on the engineers. This rendering just provides the framework to a flexible design.

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The sketch below provides information about the width, in feet, for pedestrian (natural surface), bicycle lanes (asphalt), and gardens (natural surfaces). Benches are located at appropriate locations. In some tunnels the width of the greenway is 30 feet, so no gardens can be constructed only for pedestrian and bicycle lanes.

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The sketch above provides dimensional ideas for the construction of the greenway for 40 feet width areas. The bicycle/wheelchair lane for a two-way path should be at least

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14 feet. The pedestrian two-way path should be at most 16 feet. The greenway is about 2 miles long, so there should be a proper distance to construct rest areas. This could be done while constructing a thorough plan for the greenway. It should

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also have educational, regulations, and information signs. Educational signs could be design by students through a school competition.

Entrances

The entrances should be design similarly to the Minneapolis Greenway, as shown on the image below. The ramp has to be slightly smaller due to the width of the railroad. The Minneapolis Greenway is wider so this ramp is more suitable than the Pocahontas Greenway. One suggestion to allow easy access is to fill in the Greenway, not at grade level just a couple feet to allow a more suitable ramp to be constructed. The entrances will barrow some ideas from the Minneapolis Greenway, shown below. People are able to bring up their bikes without getting in the way of people walking up or down the stairs.

Section 1A is the end of the Greenway and the connections to recommended bike routes are show on the Greenway map. A large parking lot needs to be move to a vacant land or bought off to create bike shops and bike storage areas for people to leave their bikes if they do not want to use it while they travel to other locations. This area is steep. However the end of the greenway has an entrance that is grade level so there is no need to build a ramp. That is if the parking lot is removed (Shown in Image 1 above). One of the first major reconstruction projects is to clear of vegetation and

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garbage. Before doing this there is a need to perform an environmental assessment to search if there are any pollutants. The freight train line is over one hundred and fifty years old.

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feasible since a theater be a part of the college. This theater could be used on weekends for movies, plays, concerts etc. the proceeds could go to increasing events and a portion of it to student research and employers. The main objective of the college will be to study the Bronx’s planning history, outside instructions regarding zoning, transportation planning and other disciplines within the field and to develop ecological innovations that will help the Bronx communities. The college is name after Yolanda Garcia who recently passed way, February 17.

I looked over the NOSQUEDAMOS plan for the Melrose section of the Bronx and it looks like a good plan. The only additional suggestion is to turn the old Bronx courthouse into a college. In the greenway map has a theater, which is still

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President). There are sewer easements parallel and perpendicular to this section of the Pocahontas greenway. This information may be important to engineers when they are planning to fill in the greenway or locating places to install bathrooms. About two blocks from this area there is a beverage recycling facility. So, the recycle bottles will be easily transported to the facility.

Section 2A is where most of the open construction of the greenway will occur, since this is the area where the Greenhouse and compose heap. The compose heap will recycle some of the trash that is accumulated in the greenway. This will be use to maintain the greenhouse and the gardens; an alternative to using fertilizer. East 152nd street and Bergen Avenue has a sewer easement according to grade maps provided by the Bureau of Planning & Development (Office of the Bronx Borough

This is a very important area for the Greenway, since it contains many vacant lots. The avenue parallel to the

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buildings show on image 1 is Third Avenue. This area is called “The Hub”, a South Bronx commercial district. Image 2 is the land where a replica of a living machine will be located. It will connect to the plazas main bathroom; discuss later in the paper. This is to learn more about living machines and its potential for sewage treatment. Living machines were introduced by John Todd and Nancy Todd of Ocean Arks International. John Todd is one of the founders of the New Alchemy Institute on Cape Cod, Massachusetts; best known for implementing ecological theory into environmental solutions (Carroll 1990). They have successfully constructed living machines at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (Florida). 3 John Todd describes living machines as “basically a home for variety of organisms, in some cases thousands of species, which serve a function that helps assist human needs.” The nine principles for designing living machines are: 1. Microbial Communities 2. Photosynthetic Communities 3. Linked Ecosystems and the law of the Minimum 4. Pulsed Exchanges 5. Nutrient and Micronutrient Reservoirs 6. Geological Diversity and Mineral Complexity 7. Steep Gradients 8. Phylogenetic Diversity

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9. The microcosm as a Tiny Mirror Image of the Microcosm The final product is called brown water; which aesthetical is a great concern. That is the reason why this living machine should be used for research from students at the nearby propose college. My suggestion is to learn about new technologies and trying to develop innovative methods in managing sewage waste. Most of this vacant land except for the Municipal Parking, own by the Department of Transportation or DOT, is owned by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

Here are some articles that focus in the use of this technology. Guterson, Mary “Living Machines” Putting Human waste back in its place: at the bottom of the food chain In Context, No. 35. Spring 1993: 37-38. Sauter, Steven “A Ray of Hope in Ashfield” A town chooses a solar aquatic sewage treatment plant. Sanctuary, November/December, 1996: 15-16.

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My brothers sketch describes a building with retail stores in the first floor, restaurants in the second floor, and residential for the remaining floors. The middle of the building includes a pedestrian passage to Third Avenue, which will also lead to other stores. The same ideas are use to construct the municipal parking facility, parcel 2-2363-16. The parking facilities tax bock is 2363 lot 16. Property address 2984 Third Avenue, shown on image 2 above. The market value for this land is $2,500,000. It has decrease in value since 2000, the highest been 2002 with a market value of $6,720,000. There where no taxes that where needed to be paid as of April 2004 according to department of finance records.

The sketch is an idea for a vacant tax block 2363 lot 24, whose property address is 3002 Third Avenue. According to department of records, the market value for this land is $1,120,00 as of April 2004. The taxable value for this land is $45,000. Image one above shows the current condition of this tax lot.

This land should be used to construct a childcare facility, computer complex for residents, school supplies store (an idea from a retire architect that volunteers at the Bronx Borough President Office), and apartments in the last three floors. The building power comes alternative technology (Active Solar Panels) and uses methods that reduce health problems. The energy technology is an active solar heating technology. The site has a flat topography; however, some of these panels will be block by other buildings surrounding them. Habitat for Humanity New York City can assist in finding proper material that will reduce health effects. The sketch shown on the next page is for a propose plaza for tax block 2361 lots 1 and 26. Both of this lots are own by the department of Housing Preservation and Economic

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Development. The fountain should be a sculpture to commemorate the Piccirilli Brothers. They are brother who carved the Lincoln Monument in Washington DC, the pediment at the New York Stock exchange, the lions outside the Social Sciences and Humanities Research library and other city sculptures (Ferchaw, 2001). Their shop studio was near

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the vacant lot, East 141 Street and Willis Avenue. The memorial is in the middle of plaza (look at the sketch below). The water fountain commemorates sculptural legacies that are pass by people throughout New York City. It will be also and educational tool for people that want to know more about the history of the Bronx.

My mother remembers the days of “Teatro Puerto Rico,” located in the corner of Brown Place and East 138

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Street, where Bob Abbott and Lou Costello once perform their acts and popular Hispanic musicians came to perform. This is one of the first theaters I attended about thirteen years ago; when it was mainly used to show old movies. The theater was reminiscent of theaters constructed before television became popular.

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Image 1, Section 3A, is the site for a propose garden with benches and tables for recreational use. Some stairs should be constructed to allow people to walk the greenway and go to the restaurants. Too many ramps are costly and should be used in places where people with wheelchairs and mothers with strollers could enjoy the greenway.

This is the reason for movie screen in the sketch. People could see documentaries, foreign movies, or other television events. The area should have surveillance camera and proper security, so people could feel safe to enjoy themselves.

This sketch is an idea for the lots shown in Image 1 and 2. These lots are own by the department of Housing Preservation and Development. Developers want to use this land for Housing, but the train that passes right next to it decreases it land value. The cracking of the concrete floor and noise will only bring cheap houses to this land. If they build it

Cesar Yoc and Brendan Rains Sustainable Communities Urban Affairs and Planning

they might crack and if more money is use to maintain the house than it is not it a cheap house anymore. These lots should be used for the construction of stairs that helps pedestrian to enjoy the greenway and a bike store. There is a junior high school across the street from these lots, so the creation of the gardens could be a school project. They could create their own recreational oasis.

December 19, 2004 Prof. Tom Angotti Hunter College

This is a Chicago Illinois Sear building tunnel renovation that was made into retail stores (National Association of Home Builders, 2002)4. The Saint Mary's park tunnel is design similarly to the Chicago tunnel. Saint Mary’s Park first opened in 1914. The parks department opens the first Bronx playground and New City first indoor recreation center in 1951.

They could be thought about the complexity of ecosystems; close and open systems. Close ecosystem requires fewer inputs of energy and exporting few wasters, than any other component of the urban ecosystem (Spirn, 1984). However, the vacant lots are fragments of an ecosystem so it requires more human input to maintain them. This knowledge and understanding of ecology our future leaders will be thought on the principles that will maintain ecosystems for our next generation.

visit www.usequities.com/Corporate/News/2001News/News042001.htm for brief description of the “Metramarket”

Cesar Yoc and Brendan Rains Sustainable Communities Urban Affairs and Planning

December 19, 2004 Prof. Tom Angotti Hunter College

All this structures should focus on providing easy exits and entrance in case of emergencies. I was thinking of acquiring electric vehicles, like the once used at the Bronx Zoo for emergencies.

The entrance to the restaurants and retail stores can be develop near the area shown on image 4 section 3B. An open space, shown on image 3, in Saint Mary’s Park is not properly being use. This space could be use for skateboarding on the summer and a ski rink for the winter. The park originally had a ski rink according the New York City Parks description of the original construction of Saint Mary’s Park. New York City Parks and Recreation annexed the tunnel under the park during the early 1950s, due to it been abandon by the New York and Harlem Railroad.

There is a number 6 train station stop here and it will be important to design something similar to the image below. This section requires more cleanups because there is more vegetation and water. The water needs to be drain out to allow for the construction of the greenway.

Cesar Yoc and Brendan Rains Sustainable Communities Urban Affairs and Planning

December 19, 2004 Prof. Tom Angotti Hunter College

Point section of the South Bronx during the late 70’s. However, it is still a nuisance for people that want their communities to progress economically and culturally.

Restaurant Regulations

Security Surveillance cameras and police presence are important for safety reasons. The South Bronx was once a place where crimes occur for most of the year. There are signs of a new age for Bronx residents. Over the last eleven years there has been a reduction in crimes. A 2004 New York Police Department Crime report reports that there has been a -66.3 eleven year percent change in murders, larceny, robbery, assaults and other crimes; for the 40 precinct and similar numbers for the 41st and 42nd precinct. These are the precincts for Mott Haven, Melrose, and Hunts Point. The 41 st precinct, now relocated, is where the movie Fort Apache the Bronx was filmed, 1981. The movie is base on a police perspective of the social and physical conditions of the Hunts

People should eat right so it is important to provide a balance diet where a person could enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables. A Mexican, Puerto Rican, Indian, Chinese, etc. restaurants should be constructed to allow diversity and thus providing residents knowledge of variety of foods eaten around the world. Have a management section. We should try to understand where some of this food comes from and how it is affecting there own communities. If we know the cost of their labor we should be able to compensate them for it. Our communities are connected to the rest of the world and it is our responsibility to know where the food products come from.

Conclusion “Choosing an ineffective or detrimental policy for coping with a complex system is not a matter of random chance. The intuitive process will select the wrong solution much more often than not. A complex system- a class to which a corporation, a city, an economy, or a government belong-behaves in many ways quite the opposite of the simplest systems from which we have gained our experience (Forrester 9).” 32

Cesar Yoc and Brendan Rains Sustainable Communities Urban Affairs and Planning

The greenway is a counterintuitive method that relies less on the use of the use of automobiles, while promoting alternative modes of transportation. Creating only the greenway didn’t make me feel that it was meeting its intended goal to allow more physical activity to reduce asthma and obesity levels. People need to be able to find places that could walk or bike to. They all want to feel comfortable and it is imperative for planners to develop plans that focus in reducing these concerns.

December 19, 2004 Prof. Tom Angotti Hunter College

the United States natural oasis need to be maintained by people that lived in cities. If we can plan communities that decreases urban sprawl and increase environmental consciousness, and will assist fellow conservationist, who are working hard, at the Bronx Zoo and the Smithsonian Institution to save endanger wildlife. The decisions we make today has provided decisions that our next generation need to make. Therefore, it is important for us to find methods to not only help our communities but also influence other communities around the world.

Sometimes smalls design contribute more to society than tall structure. This are the lessons learn from planners of the past who created big structures at the expense of environmental deterioration and cultural fragmentation. In

Acknowledgements I like to acknowledge the following people due to their information and guidance they provided me throughout the project. While given Brendan Rains a tour of my neighborhood to see the conditions of the Saint Ann’s bike lane, we started asking ourselves about what can be done to rehabilitate the railroad track that was parallel to the bike lane. Ever since that tour I have been thinking of constructing the greenway to increase the use of alternative modes of transportation for people in my neighborhood. The idea for restaurant

construction in the Saint Mary’s tunnel came from professor Tom Angotti, a faculty member of the Hunter College Urban Affairs and Planning Program. Here is a list of people and organizations that provided or helped me gather information about the Pocahontas Greenway and Bronx history. Laura Tossi (Bronx Historical Society librarian) Dr. Lloyd Ultan (Bronx Historical Society Historian) Dr. Peter Derick (Bronx Historical Society) 33

Cesar Yoc and Brendan Rains Sustainable Communities Urban Affairs and Planning

Moises Rivera, who told me to contact Dr. Lloyd Ultan for Bronx History (The Bronx Museum of the Arts) Librarians at the Mapping Division of the Humanities and Social Science research library (NYPL) Librarians at the New York Historical Society Librarians at Mott Haven Library Sam Goodman (Bronx Borough Presidents Office) Dan Donovan and Ryan C. Wirth (Bureau of Planning and Development Office of The Bronx Borough President) Larry Furlong (Electric Railroaders’ Association)

December 19, 2004 Prof. Tom Angotti Hunter College

work. I told her that my idea is to construct a building that will allow families to find what they need close to where they live, thus reducing the need to use cars to access these resources.

Organizations contacted: NOSQUEDAMOS Sustainable South Bronx Friends of Brook Park Rails to Trails Conservancy Transportation Alternatives South Bronx Clean Air Coalition My friend William Diaz who took pictures of the rail line, some his photos used in the sections. My brother Alberto Aguila sketched the mix residential and commercial building. Information about the Minneapolis Greenway, greenway construction guidelines and the Chicago tunnel project came from some Rails to Trails Conservancy listserv members. The idea for the childcare facility came from a Bronx mother. She felt that providing this facility would help her in finding proper resources for her children while she goes to

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Cesar Yoc and Brendan Rains Sustainable Communities Urban Affairs and Planning

Carroll, Debra “Greenhouses That Grow Clean Water” Solar Aquatic Treatment of Wastewater SunWorld, Volume 14. Number 2, 1990: 71-72. Ferchaw, Lawrence Teacher honors forgotten sculptors. The Bronx Beat. April 23, 2001 Flink, Charles; Olka, Kristine; Searns, R.M. Trails for the Twenty First Century Island Press, Washington D.C., 2001. Forrester, J. Urban Dynamics Cambridge, MIT Press, 1969. Orientation and Chapter 6: Notes on Complex Systems Gonzales, Evelyn. The Bronx .Columbia University Press, New York, 2004: 109-129. Green Jr., Warren J. New York’s first Railroad, The New York and Harlem 1832 to 1867 New York Historical Society Quarterly. Bulletin 9, January, 1926: 107-123.

December 19, 2004 Prof. Tom Angotti Hunter College

Kappstatter, Bob South Bronx renewal champion dies at 53. New York Daily News. February 21, 2005: CN 12. McNamara, John Railroad Tunnel Was Known As Bronx’s ‘Pocahontas Cut’ The Bronx In History. December 30, 1982. McNamara, John Running the “Pocahontas Mile” Tracks The Bronx In History. March 5, 1992. New York City Department of City Planning Analysis of 2000 Census: Demographic/ Household Characteristics & Asian and Hispanic Subgroups 2000. Sanderson, E.W. et al. The Human Footprint and the last of the Wild. Bioscience, Vol. 52, No. 10, October 2002: 891-904. Caro, Robert A. The Power Broker” Robert Moses and The Fall of New York. Vintage Books, New York, 1975.

Harlem Children’s Zone, Inc. and Department of Pediatrics at Harlem Hospital Center. Reducing Childhood Asthma Through Community-Based Service Delivery-New York City, 2001-2004. MMWR. Vol. 54, No. 1. January 14, 2005: 11-12. Jackson, Martin; Samtur, Stephen M. The Bronx Then & Now Back in the Bronx Publishing, N.Y., 2003: 1-176. Jenkins, Stephen The story of The Bronx 1639 to 1912 The Knickerbocker Press, N.Y.; 1912: 229-237, 367.