Green Building for Affordable Housing in Manhattan
Semester
With New York City's population experiencing intense growth, it is predicted that by the year 2030, there will be for 265,000 more housing units. 77% of buildings in Manhattan were built between 1900 and 1929. The age of these buildings yields common urban environmental problems such as increased demand for energy, sewage overflow, indoor air pollution, and a higher cost of exporting waste. Green building solutions address these issues. Energy efficient lighting and appliances aid in lowering energy demand. Low flow toilets and showerheads aid in water conservation. Proper ventilation improves indoor air quality decreasing asthma rates. Green roofs decrease the urban heat island effect. After rigorously studying both the benefits and costs of green building, the team identified ways to increase such techniques within Manhattan. They proposed that green building begin by educating Manhattan constituents and creating a context for a green building policy, and by facilitating the entry of developers, contractors, homeowners and tenants into affordable green building markets. Green building is necessary to mitigate negative environmental effects of the urban setting. Accelerating green building technologies in New York City commands incentives to the industry and education to users and policymakers. Green building for affordable housing can increase cost savings in a stressed market.