New York's busy airspace can be an inescapable nightmare for residents who experience noise pollution on a daily basis.
Concerned about the negative impacts of the noise and pollution caused by helicopter travel in and around New York City, a Brooklyn council member is demanding an investigation into the pros and cons of allowing so much helicopter traffic in the city's airspace. "Council Member Brad Lander put in a preliminary legislative request for such a "'cost-benefit' study after the legislature’s Economic Development Committee took up a bill this week to consider limiting helicopter companies’ use of city-owned heliports to slightly lower-noise vehicles." Gersh Kuntzman reports that according to Landers, the city is putting the interests of "tourists and well-heeled travelers" ahead of residents who deal with the noise on a daily basis.
At a recent hearing, the Economic Development Committee stated that the helicopter industry offers meager revenue for the city, providing only "a few dozen jobs and $2- to $3 million per year in revenue." Council Member Lander contends that "the quite significant human harm of helicopter noise and pollution has not been calculated." Lander suggests a "misery index" to gauge the amount of disruption and distress faced by New Yorkers due to noise and pollution. According to the city's 311 logs, "the number of complaints about tourist and commuter helicopters rose nearly 270 percent, from 840 complaints in 2017 to 3,094 complaints in 2019."
FULL STORY: Lander: City Must Study Whether the ‘Benefit’ of Helicopters Covers Their Egregious Health Costs
Helicopter Noise Complaints Surge in New York
Residents argue the city and state must do more to regulate the hundreds of flights that criss-cross the area on a daily basis.
Using Tech to Control Noise Pollution
Several cities are piloting programs that use machine learning to identify and understand urban noise patterns and enforce noise ordinances.
Learning About the City by Running for Office
When you are trying to get people's attention, a city feels very different.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
