Community activists in the South Bronx are working to "daylight" a long-buried stream and re-integrate some natural water treatment processes into the dense urban atmosphere.
This article form The New York Moon looks at the history of the stream and the efforts to bring it back.
"This project is no quixotic effort to stand athwart centuries of urban development yelling "stop!" Petersohn and his colleagues hope not only to recover a lost ecosystem but to put this system to work serving the needs of a twenty-first century urban community. Designed by the Gaia Institute of New York City, whose mission is to explore "how human activities and waste products can be treated to increase ecological productivity, biodiversity, environmental quality, and economic well being," the wetland will act as a water-catchment system that takes millions of gallons of water a year out of New York City's combined sewer system, reducing processing costs and preventing hazardous overflows."
FULL STORY: Rewiring the City
Last Mile: Micromobility in the Outer Reaches of NYC’s Outer Boroughs
In 2021 New York City rolled out an e-scooter program in some of the city’s most underserved transportation zones, focused on equity and access. Urban planner Thandi Nyambose gives an insider’s view of the program from the ground.
A Bronx Community Fights to Have its Voice Heard
After organizing and giving input for decades, the community around the Kingsbridge Armory might actually see it redeveloped — and they want to continue to have a say in how it goes.
NYC E-Scooter Program Threatened Despite High Ridership
Rental scooters in Queens and the Bronx provided close to two million trips in 2024, with many trips starting or ending near transit. Some city officials want to remove them.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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