How green could New York be? This is a question that Michael Sorkin has devoted much of his career to. As a globe-trotting sixty-six-year-old architect, urban planner, and critic, who’s published fourteen books and has designed buildings and public spaces from the Rockaways to Abu Dhabi, his most difficult feat has been his recent project, New York City (Steady) State. The goal of this project is to explore the possibility of a green, self-reliant city, with NYC being the first to be re-imagined and recreated as such. Constantly grappling with idealism verses practicality, he has been working steadily to find a medium state where the two philosophies can marinate to make Steady State become a reality. Sorkin currently lives in NYC and runs Terreform, a non-profit organization devoted to architecture that is both urban and green.
What do you think about this green urbanism project for NYC? Is it too ideal and not practical enough, or vice versa? Check out more about Sorkin’s vision and the progress of the project here. Tweet us your thoughts or share them on LinkedIn!