Joshua Benson, the 33-year-old Acting Director of Bicycle & Pedestrian Programs for the New York City Department of Transportation, admits to being particularly fond of the basket sitting at the front of his simple single-speed bike, noting how it allows him to carry anything from groceries to his laptop and projector on the bike. Benson started riding a bike as a student at NYU and now commutes to Downtown Manhattan every weekday from his home … <Read More>
Search Results for: Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
Sunset Park rezoning plan sent to Council
128-block rezoning would establish height limits in Sunset Park. On August 5, 2009, the City Planning Commission approved the Department of City Planning’s rezoning proposal for Brooklyn’s Sunset Park. The majority of the 128-block rezoning area is bounded by 40th Street to the north, the Gowanus Expressway to the south, Eighth Avenue to the east, and Third Avenue to the west, with a small area to the north, bounded by 29th and 37th Streets, and … <Read More>
Court affirms dismissal of Atlantic Yards challenge
ESDC’s determination upheld that three blocks outside urban renewal area were blighted. In 2003, Forest City Ratner proposed to redevelop a 22-acre site in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. The site included portions of the Atlantic Terminal Urban Renewal Area and portions of three privately-owned blocks outside the renewal area. After Ratner’s proposal was accepted, the Empire State Development Corporation designated itself as lead agency for the project under state environmental law. ESDC prepared an environmental impact … <Read More>
CPC considers Toll Brothers’ waterfront project
- Toll Brothers’ proposed development, as seen from Bond St. looking south. Image:GreenbergFarrow.
Borough President believes development along Gowanus Canal may encourage DEP to initiate clean-up effort. On January 7, 2009, the City Planning Commission heard testimony on Toll Brothers’ proposed waterfront development at 363-365 Bond Street in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn. The project would be located on two full blocks along the Gowanus Canal, bounded by Carroll Street, Second Street, and Bond Street.… <Read More>
Designation of Prospect Hts. district widely supported
Community believes that unprotected rowhouse neighborhood faces development pressure. On October 28, 2008, Landmarks heard testimony on a proposed historic district encompassing about 870 buildings in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. The area is generally bounded by Grand Army Plaza, Flatbush Avenue, Pacific Street, and Washington Avenue. If designated, the historic district would be Brooklyn’s largest. The neighborhood includes significant structures, such as the 1887 Duryea Presbyterian Church, but its historic character lies in its residential rowhouses, … <Read More>
Andrew Dolkart: Teacher, Author, Advocate
When Andrew Dolkart, Director of Historic Preservation at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, was asked to characterize what it means to be a historic preservationist, he found the question difficult to answer. Upon further reflection, Dolkart described it as “a varied field” based on a value system that “honors the physical fabric of our communities.” Originally intending to pursue a PhD in art history, Dolkart turned to historic preservation, spurred by … <Read More>