Roosevelt Island Vital Design

a Cradle to Cradle® Islands Project

Winter 2010
Thanks to the Province of Fryslan &
Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation

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wiki The vital design wiki
• Multimedia Research Resource
• Online Collaboration Platform (open source capability)
• Presentation Tool

rooseveltislandvitaldesign.wikispaces.com
One year subscription paid for by the project
Options
• RIOC Internal Database
• RIOC and Invited Partners Interactive Platform
• Public/Private Open Source Website

Wiki Screenshots

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WATER Water access access
history Historically the island had ferry connections to Manhattan and Queens,
but with the opening of the 36th Avenue Bridge to Queens ferry transit
largely died out in the mid 20th century

EXISTING • Growing demand exists for waterborne access

• 2 Ferry landings in Manhattan within 10 minutes on the east side alone
• Multiple locations to connect to in Queens, Brooklyn, and regionally
• Tidal current speeds at their peak are almost 3x the Hudson —
a challenge for small craft  
• The Oil Dock (see #2) most recently accomodated mid-sized
vessels
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Recommended Landfill Excavation

• Recreational boating/small craft require a channel, basin, inlet
• Target remaining development sites or underutilizied space
• Consider marina functions
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Ferries
• Lobby for Phase 2 of NYC's 2  
Citywide Ferry Program
• Oil Dock
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3  

Roosevelt Island might be best thought of as a

landing or layover, rather than an origin for large-
scale public programs or anything for novices
Solar Powered Vessel, Hong Kong

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WATER runoff & conservation
EXISTING Urban Runoff
• A significant amount of the island is already designed to allow
runoff from rain and snow to infiltrate and nourish the landscape.
Still, there are many areas where capture rates could be improved

Water Conservation
• Many buildings on the island pre-date newer conservation
caption?
strategies such as LEED or USEPA’s “Water Sense” fixtures and
appliances

Recommended Urban Runoff

• Create a runoff recapture goal of 75% of the island’s surfaces.
This calculation should include building roofs, planted areas,
parking and transportation areas
caption?

Water Conservation
• Create a baseline for current water consumption on the island —
per resident, household, and per institution and establish a goal for
reducing consumption by x% per year over the next xx years. A
good milestone would be Roosevelt Island @ 50 years old.

caption?

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energy supply/GENERATION
EXISTING RIOC purchases electricity generated by hydropower (NYPA), but residential
buildings mostly purchase electricity from ConEd, which offers a m
 ix of sources

Steam Plant
• 95% of output serves hospitals
• Runs on #6 fuel oil

Tidal Energy
• Operated by Verdant Power, located on Roosevelt Island
• First phase 30 turbines (1MW capacity) 2012
• Two additional tidal energy installations are being planned for the East River
(Natural Currents, LLC and NY Tidal Energy) Steam Plant

Solar
• The Octagon has one of the city's largest arrays
• Community gardens
• Southern campus designed for passive solar

RITE: Verdant Power RITE: Water Turbine Octagon PV panels Community Garden PV

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energy supply/GENERATION
Recommended Steam Plant
• Energy and Resource Solutions study recommends Combined Heat and Power
• Consider Combined Heat and Power (CoGen) plant (requires additional
natural gas line) Roosevelt Island Annual
Electricity Consumption
• Incentivise switch to ConEd renewable providers

Tidal Energy
• Expand existing programs to serve Roosevelt Island
• Phase 1 (30 East Channel turbines) = 5% of total load = all RIOC properties
• Consider production/distribution of tidal energy systems on island

Other Renewable Sources

• Anaerobic Digestion (see materials section)
• Wind Turbines
• Combined Heat and Power (CoGen)
Residential Buildings &
• Expand Photovoltaics: streetlights may cut consumption by > 50%
Racquet Club; 74%
• Smart Grid technology: monitor and manage energy consumption, savings
Goldwater Hospital; 11%
and electricity/heat supply (Incentive bonus for buildings with
Coler Hospital; 9%
greatest reductions)
RIOC Properties; 5%
Steam Plant & Misc.; 1%

Solar Park - find out where from Klaar Solar powered street fixture

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access transportation
EXISTING Autos
• Island is auto dependent "…[A] modern urban environment that
• Parking is costly, obstruction of views emphasizes its river setting and includes
• GPS tracking is available to users with smart phones a complete ban on private cars…"
Mayor V. Lindsay, 1973
Bicycles/Peds
• Lack of continuous path/clear pike baths
• Bridge ramp unfriendly to cyclists

Public Transit
• Red Bus vs. MTA bus: duplication
• Overcrowded F train
• Poor ADA accessibility

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Discontinued promenade New tram in action Bike racks at capacity

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access transportation
Recommended Autos
• Convert RIOC fleet to electric
• Encourage alternative modes
• Develop carpooling/car sharing programs
• Private electric vehicle incentives
• Take advantage of available technology

Bicycles/Peds
• Island-wide bike sharing
• Encourage bike shops and ubiquitous parking
• Offer discounts to cyclists at local businesses and on the tram
• Improve continuity of the promenade around the island
• Mark clear bike/pedestrian lanes where possible, esp. bridge access
• Require all buildings to offer bike storage/racks Trolley service to QB elevator
• Reintroduce vertical access to Queensboro bridge, for pedestrians and cyclists

Public Transit
• Countdown clocks for users without smart phones
• Universal access for all modes of transportation
• Pedestranize intermodal connections
• Celebrate the tram! (tours, interactive maps/diagrams/timelines)

Open Spot application

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materials
Deliveries
EXISTING • Poor data on deliveries to island
• No current RIOC protocol for material delivery
• Barges supplying marble to FDR Memorial

Recommended • Establish a target and methodology for reducing vehicle

deliveries
• Urban Consolidation Center, to coordinate island deliveries
• Establish a protocol and encourage waterborne deliveries
100% deliveries on Island are truck based

Waterborne marble delivery to construct the Four Freedoms Memorial Park

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materials
Waste
EXISTING Residential/Commercial/Construction
• Non AVAC waste is collected by truck on Roosevelt Island
• Food waste = 20% of waste stream in NYC (No recovery program: PlaNYC
considering anaerobic digestion pilot in the Bronx)
• No current RIOC protocol for material recovery

AVAC System
• Collects residential and school municipal solid waste (MSW) without trucks
• System has operated continuously since installation and every new building
connects to the network
• Innovative to this day, the system requires investment to handle sorting and
to increase capacity

Avac facility interior Roosevelt Island AVAC system

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materials
WASTE
Recommended Residential/Commercial/Construction
• Establish a target of improving the recycling rate by 50% (for example)
• Explore the feasibility of separating organic waste and processing it to generate energy
(biogas) and compost with an anaerobic digestion facility, possibly the City’s first
• Designate storing area such as the AVAC facility yard for material recovery
• Waste management protocol of 75% recovery of construction debris (LEED)
• Explore urban farming

AVAC
• Establish a plan for the next 40 years, beginning with a feasibility study to explore upgrading
the system to include recyclables and commercial waste
• Establish knowledge sharing with AVAC operator at Summit Plaza in Jersey City, NJ.

R.I. Weekend Farmers Market Separate inlets for recycling and organic Modern collection facility - where is
waste - where is this? this?

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hospitals
hospitals
NORTH
Coler Goldwater kitchens were replaced by vending machines in 2007. Patient food is prepared
off site.
• Target hospital food: reopen the kitchens and plant gardens on hospital grounds to provide
fresh ingredients. Improve the quality of the food options, encourage staff to eat together,
encourage staff and patients to participate, and raise the profile of the facility.
• Consolidate the two campuses into the Northern campus.

SOUTH
The southern campus was built in the 1930s and will likely close if fire safety upgrades are not
made by 2013. It was laid out to max solar benefits and to consider the roof for ulterior energies.
Southern Campus is being considered for alternative uses.
• Program the Southern Campus to support the health and hospital sector with programs such
as assisted living facility, food service/production, laundry, and swing space for east side hospital
renovations (consider initial design competition)

Solar benefit configuration Hospital Cafeteria Hospital Corridor

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energy access WATER materials
infrastructure institute
overview • Innovation and environmental quality were part of Roosevelt Island’s development, but RIOC
does not have the resources to establish long term planning and sustainability projects to ensure
Roosevelt Island as a model for the future.
• Roosevelt Island offers one of the best vantage points for understanding New York Harbor
•

Main street storefronts Exhibit at eco-development visitor's center in Sweden Fast trash exhibit

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energy access WATER materials
infrastructure institute
Recommended • Encourage creation of an independent “infrastructure institute” on the island to work with
RIOC, institutions, agencies and residents with four main roles: research, planning, cultural
programming and outreach. A storefront would provide a cultural anchor on Main Street for
residents and visitors.
• A capital expense item that would take 3—5 years to realize
• RI “Corps” (like AmeriCorps or Teaching Fellows) to bring experienced professionals to train
island residents to play a more active role in the stewardship and maintenance of the island’s
landscapes—current residents present untapped labor pool for landscape stewardship
• Create an interpretive “Water Walk” along the East Channel with interpretive information
about the Ravenswood Power Plant, NYCs’s combined sewer system, the Island’s steam
infrastructure, “de-watering” pumps, the Channel’s tidal power potential, and the richness of life
in the waters surrounding the island

Green Apple Tours Collaboration

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Infrastructure Institute
Establish an independent “Institute of Urban Infrastructure”. From Anaerobic Digestion
Health and Hospitals to Education, Parks, Transportation and Waste Explore the feasibility of separating organic
Management, Roosevelt Island is a microcosm and a model location waste and processing it to generate energy
from which to learn about the natural and human infrastructure of (biogas) and compost with an anaerobic
New York City. Research, exchange, programming and funding could digestion facility, possibly the City’s first
provide a focus for raising awareness and monies for recommenda-
tions like those contained herein. A storefront…and visitors.

Promenade
Build continuous promenade
Coler Goldwater Hospital: North with clear distinction for bikes
Consolidate all healthcare functions. Focus on vs. peds
food preparation, consumption and waste.

Ferry Access
Connect with NYC's Citywide
ferry pilot program starting in Bike Sharing Station
Spring 2011 Combine bike parking with bike
AVAC
sharing, comparable with cities
Build on an impressive infra-
like D.C. and Montreal
structure. Designate storage
area for construction materials
Tidal Energy
Expand the RITE tidal energy project to serve
Steam Plant Roosevelt Island. The 30 planned East Channel
Consider expanding to a larger turbines would provide enough power (5%) to
capacity, Combined Heat and Power supply all RIOC properties with electricity
plant, with new natural gas line

anaerobic digestion
separating organic waste and
processing it to generate energy
(biogas) and compost with an
anaerobic digestion facility
South Hospital
Support the health and hospital sector with programs such
as assisted living facility, food service/production, laundry,
and swing space for east side hospital renovations
Queensboro Bridge Vertical
Transportation
Feasibility Study + competition with high
design aspirations and specific fiscal
requirements can yield creative solutions.
Gravity fed and renewably powered lifts,
commercial programming at the pylon
and connecting to the pedestrian infra-
structure of the Tram.
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