INTRODUCTION
In this article, I will talk about the future of New York in my mind, as I envision it. There are some tendencies in according to today’s urban development that allow us to conceive what future cities are like. My best guess is that these, in a great way, are influenced by the past — whether as a return to more spacious and human scaled cities or by seeing population exoduses increasing size.
My vision of New York will talk about five main areas: population, buildings, traffic, city elements, and city benefits. My time frame shall be 400 years in the future. Why 400 years? Because New York is celebrating it’s 400th anniversary this year and the influence for this vision relies heavily on two ‘very New York’ technologies — the subway and the pneumatic tube — so we can now see where New York is currently and have an easier idea of where it may be in the future. By ‘New York’ I am largely talking about Manhattan.
Some of my ideas have come from the readings from this semester. The Junk Space, Generic City, and Bigness readings. Of interesting note to me, this view was conceived prior to reading the paper on Masdar — so while some synergies are there, they are not influenced by that reading, so much as dovetails it.
NEW YORK c2400 a.d.
We find New York not a shell of what it once was, but BIGGER, BETTER, AND BETTER FOR MOST PEOPLE. It has become a beacon to the word, not of choice, but of necessity.
Sea levels have risen, climate change more or less the same, but air quality diminished and fresh water needs outstripped supply. A massive population growth brought with it increased traffic and as New York is an island the traffic had nowhere to go and the city could only grow up — literally! Bigness became something of ‘form follows function’.
POPULATION
New York continues to be a city of population increase. Other American, as well as foreigners have done what they have always have done. They come here to realize their future. And that future has largely come to mirror what it always has since its founding — one based on finance of one sort or another, because ‘money does make the world go round’. One big difference is that New York has come through its technology and finance to mean that only the well paid and well educated can now live here.
New York’s population will have reached between 29.4 and 29.7 million people by 2400. Average life expectancy for females is 130.2 years of age and for males is 124.5 years of age. Better living conditions and healthier lifestyles are largely behind the longer life expectancy. As we live longer, there are more of us crowded into the same space.
New York’s two key demographic features are its density and its diversity. The city has an extremely high population density per square mile — about 100,000 more people per square mile than the next densest large American city — that the population density of New York has come to be seen as ‘the vertical mile’. New York has a long tradition of attracting international immigration — and that continues, but now it is only the most educated people from what was third world and developed countries. The melting pot has continued to be just that, but now it is for the well educated.
Since more and people have flushed into New York, the city needed to find a new ways to control the people here. Long ago traffic was restricted by congestion pricing. What followed was a ban of all traffic together— including city services like garbage, fire and police services. The reason was not to make a greener city, but to make room for all of the people! New York’s government has built fences to enclose New York — only people who are qualified to the financial and education requirements of New York may live in New York. Now New Yorkers can work AND can enjoy their life. Those who live outside strive for the education and resolve they need to become true citizens of New York and come through the fence. More than ever before New York is an international city. One of bigness by nature and of cultures. What sets New York apart, is that the city government now can ‘cherry pick’ its habitants by the value they bring to the city. The test for residency is difficult, even for Americans, anyone may visit, but to live in a free city apartment, you must be pre-qualified and stay current, as there is just no room for those who don’t meet our financial standards. Others can still live near New York, in the outer borough and suburbs. New York though it’s productivity even underwrites these areas.
New immigrants must work as interns and apprentices in the outer borough and suburbs doing traditional jobs and the like for two years before even trying to take the residency test. It is the most significant way New York has restricted population growth. The old adage remains — ‘if you can make it here you can make it anywhere’ — but now making it here means you are truly the best of the best!
Those people who were born in New York may stay in New York, but after four-year college they must also take the test if they want to stay. If they fail, they lose their residency status and must depart for other cities. Those born in the borough and suburbs may take the test upon completion of four-year college as well. New York plays no favorites on this issue. All are welcome as long as they qualify. The test includes these qualifiers: education, morals, ethics, lifestyle standards and financial goals. The bottom line is New York now has the MOST PRODUCTIVE PEOPLE WHO CAN LIVE AND WANT TO LIVE TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY. Not so much a utopia, but rather what is needed to live in an urban oasis ‘on top of each other’. Even pets are tested before they come into the city for compatibility. New York truly has become a BIG APPLE,
Educationally, save the Universities — Columbia and New York University — all residents get their education through a universal media system. The model is efficiency, besides that, the school buildings were removed to make room for people and infrastructure. Teachers themselves live in the borough and suburbs.
Social life is a very important part to our resident’s daily life. People’s social life will be more diverse — due to cultural mixing and pastime interests. 4 days work and 3 days off work — the traditional weekend but a ‘roaming ‘flex day’ to maximize office efficiency and power use. New York’s government places emphasis on interaction and each culture becoming familiar with each other as a way of social ease, that we are indeed, all in this together. As a result, our residents are all very proud of living in the city and being New Yorkers — not dissimilar to the Greek concept of ‘the polis’ — now New York is TRULY A METROPOLIS!
As such, clubs and recreation activities recreation are available 24 hours a day. People go to work round the clock since they offices can only accommodate so many employees at the same time. Additionally, New York interacts with global markets on an unprecedented scale.
With increased ‘off time’ from work since people now work a more efficiently, people can enjoy their ‘life in the sky’ Trips to outer-space and other continents are easy and quickly booked and made. The best part is that we can all afford it as we are all paid well from finance jobs.
Families and the family unit have changed a bit — people more enjoy their freedom — without family burden people are more independent and usually will not get married until 50 years of age. While public schooling is done at home, there are boarding school options for social interaction. Parents are always welcome to see those children who prefer not to live at home.
BUILDINGS
New Yorkers live in BIG customizable standard spaces. The need for BIG comes from density and a way to counter it. Since the 19th century, since New York is an island, the only way to grow was to grow up. So space needs must be on large scale and with 500 story, terraced buildings block after mega block the only way to show personal style is to customize one’s standard space. Since each person and family unit have different needs, each person is given 1000 square feet of space that they may build out as they see fit. Additionally each apartment unit has 500 square feet of outdoor space. For efficiency in construction and design, all base apartments are created equal — generic in its approach, but individualistic in its customization. Apartments are movable so that orientation with the sun may be followed if resident wishes it.
The apartments awe inspiring to visitors from other cities. Fire brigades and police stations are housed in each mega tower. Cleanliness prevails, not by choice, but by design. The pneumatic tube has re-emerged. Due to staggering heights, high speed elevators are not enough. The speed and efficiency of pneumatics (like the mail and library systems of the 20th century) had made this all possible. Food deliveries, mail, even garbage services utilize pneumatic tubes. Even rapid transit is by pneumatics — direct to your office or home! The best part of the pneumatics are that they are clean and quiet, with little to no maintenance. The garbage is encased in bio degradable pods and sent to processing facilities along a pneumatic line. Restaurants, lounges and clubs, grocery stores, even green markets… are part of the mix in all mega apartment buildings.
Other municipalities can’t do this, but New York can. Because of our entrance tests, high incomes and mega profits, all residents pay nothing for their apartments. Best of all, apartment buildings and office towers are beyond green and beyond carbon neutral. With water level rise and solar cell film, glass clad buildings. New York has an abundance of hydro and solar energy — the sun shines each day, and when it does not, water turbines work with the tides. Even the water desalinization plants generate electricity. Water is a rarity, so rainwater is purified and recycled for municipal park, and apartment terrace watering as well as toilet water supply. Long ago the water reservoirs were taken off line as inefficient. Green buildings with green spaces — the envy of the world! Air is not free, it takes money to keep it clean and New York has found a way to even pay for it at no cost to its occupants! Even garbage produces energy and green benefits!
And simplicity reigns. No more monthly bills. Since there is a surplus of power and water. Bills are almost non-existent. At the end of each year (billing cycle) residents get one mega-bill. Our New York is all about efficiency. Not utopian by design, utopian by evolution!
TRAFFIC
Sure our neighborhoods have generic looks to them — but not feels. Cultures mix evenly, but there are pockets of small enclaves of people from different places. You can see it in the food and clothing offerings. Our people make our streetscapes. The way they uses their space creates a look. So we have interaction on that level.
The subway is gone — abandoned long ago from sea-water rise and storm flooding (in the outer boroughs it still exists only as an el, like it first did in New York). In its place is the modern el. The subway was crowded, noisy and inefficient. The new el has none of that. It’s all pneumatic, like the very first subway! The only difference is that you have your own unit to travel in and move from your apartment directly to where you desire to go — no more waiting for people or sick passengers, as clean as you want it to be and completely noiseless since it operates on compressed air. The units are clear plexi-glass and the tubes are as well — allowing for beautiful light to always reach the street. The old subway tunnels carry all personal pneumatic deliveries. A side aspect is with no more subways and cleaner environments, rodents are more or less a rarity — gone like the pigeon! Even subway and street crime is a thing of legend in New York!
And because of pneumatic els, and tests to become residents, and fences around New York’s entrances. Cars have vanished as well — so efficient are the pneumatics! Fire services, ambulances you name it — all pneumatics! Old roads still exist. Gone are the traffic signals and engine exhaust. They are now glorious clean, pure, green walking promenades. Our gift to ourselves — inspiration to all what can be done — in this our city — our creation!
As a result of clean air and glorious space, New York’s residents have become ‘health-crazy’. Their attitude is so strong for this rare clean outdoor space — unseen in any other city — that people get more exercise than ever before. Biking, walking, running… transportation efficiency and pneumatics have made it all possible.
CITY ELEMENTS
Parks: All parks known from the 21st century still exist but there is a new type of park as well. They are buildings called ‘park buildings’— vertical parks, almost 500 stories high — all park! Each park has their own character and there can be many parks in each building. The central park can be a 30-100 story high park with different layers, tiers and terraces for recreation and the arts. These ‘park buildings’ offer New Yorkers year round recreation in a temperature controlled environment!
Water: as mentioned earlier in the building section, water is very precious. We have found a way to manage it and even recycle it. We no longer depend on aging water aqueducts. We desalinize our harbor’s water so that we can meet all our water needs and be resource and power independent. Our excesses of both are given to other municipalities and cities as our ‘good will gesture’ to society.
Roads: As mentioned under transportation, roads no longer carry any vehicular traffic, since New York is contained on a small island and we have excellent pneumatic transport, Our roads have become urban oasises. With clean air a reward to all!
Public areas: Public areas play an very important role in New York’s future. Since people have more spare time, they love to enjoy the city’s public areas — glorious street promenades, parks and park buildings.
CITY BEENEFITS
While there is a generic sense to this ‘NEW’ New York, it is the openness of public space and the ability to customize private space that makes it so special. Sure all of our buildings are green, not sterile, but outwardly similar. You see the specialization on the inside. Sure everything is clean, but not sterile, just clean because the things that cause air and noise pollution are no longer part of our city. Sure we are all of an educated class, but we are culturally different. BUT WE ARE ALL NEW YORKERS. We love or personal space, we love or green spaces, we love or green life, we love making money. We are good people who through a testing process, have developed a community where we are one, and WE LIKE IT THAT WAY. We have become a model city to all — of bigness and of greatness — of big greatness. The true capital of the world. So press the button and tie your safe belt on your pneumatic unit!
CONCLUSION
So you may now see that this concept for the future of New York takes form out of our readings — sociological factors of a community working as one like a polis; the reason why some things can be generic and good by its final use; something of junk space, where everyone lives in a box (albeit a customizable one) , and of course of BIGNESS, because New York of now, or the future is nothing less than BIG in every way.