Creative Design meets Public Infrastructure!
by Sonam Velani Greetings from the great city of Seattle! As many of you know, I’ve been on the road reporting on creative climate solutions across the globe the past few weeks - diving into what works, what doesn’t, and why. There are nuggets of wisdom across our streets and neighborhoods that often just sit in people’s brains, or worse, in people’s PDF reports that don’t see the light of day.
Our goal with Parachute x Streetlife is to surface these solutions through a creative storytelling platform, particularly highlighting climate adaptation and resilience technologies that have co-benefits not just for our climate, but also for our broader communities and public spaces.
That brings me to the brand new Denny Substation here in Seattle, the world’s coolest electrical substation (and I can say that with authority since I’ve been to 50+ of these marvels from London to Shanghai!). We are limited in our word count here on Substack, so for simplicity’s sake, here’s a full thread on why Denny makes my heart buzz! ⚡️
It wasn’t long ago that public infrastructure projects were both functional and beautiful. Might I remind you of the former glory of Penn Station, the original Grand Central Station, or the legions of grand mansions and libraries along 5th Avenue? Luckily we’ve still kept the iconic Brooklyn Bridge and a wealth of intricately designed bridges, water towers, and piers from the early 19th and 20th century. But somewhere along the way, building infrastructure became devoid of human connection and place.
Too often we see concrete slabs that function as mere utility (no pun intended), rather than a core part of a community. Usually the ugly thicket of metal bars and wires for wastewater treatment plants or power stations are tucked into the far corners of a city. It’s no secret that America’s infrastructure is in dire need of significant investment - the American Society of Civil Engineers has infamously given the US a C- on its Infrastructure Report Card.
So, it’s unexpected when a project goes against the grain and makes you do a double take! With funding from the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Bill and the $385 billion of climate spending as a part of the Inflation Reduction Act, we have a unique opportunity to reimagine the role infrastructure can serve in cities. From sea walls to salt sheds, these investments should become community assets and contribute to the beauty of our streets and neighborhoods.
We’re seeing these creative design marvels come to life across the globe, and we’ve got some beauties right here in our backyard!
The Spring Street Salt Shed in Tribeca is an architectural marvel, shaped just like the product it holds: a grain of salt. With walls that are six feet thick, the shed holds up to 5,000 tons of salt – much needed given the intensity of snow falls we face with climate change. The blueish hue in the concrete is a result of slag, and over the years as the walls are exposed to sunlight, the color will fade away and will resemble the color of salt.
Right next door is arguably the city’s most beautiful sanitation garage! New Yorkers produce 14 million tons of trash every year (here’s my personal plea to use less stuff!). The DSNY Manhattan District 1/2/5 Garage is home to over 150 sanitation vehicles that go across the city collecting all our waste. The Garage is where they rest and refuel behind the 2,600 aluminum fins that reduce solar heat and under a 1.5 acre green roof with 25 plant species that reduce the urban heat island effect in the neighborhood.
The FDNY Rescue Company Firehouse in the Bronx might be new, but the characteristic red that dates back centuries is as vibrant as ever. This is one of five special operations rescue facilities in NYC - where elite firefighters are trained to handle emergencies like building collapses or scuba operations in our rivers and ocean. The functions inside the building are stacked as such, and also provide some R&R areas for our brave first responders who are tackling more and more climate related emergencies than ever before.
Surrounded by water on three sides, the Hunters Point South Park has seen days as a wetland, an industrial hub, and a rail stop. After decades of neglect, the City embraced these diverse identities and created a beautiful waterfront park worthy of all New Yorkers. A 30-foot high cantilevered platform with views of the Manhattan skyline serves as a barrier against future sea level rise while still maintaining a biodiverse ecosystem home to native birds and aquatic species. Underneath it all lie 7,500 feet of sanitary and storm sewers, 3,700 feet of water mains, and 4,000 feet of new and reconstructed streets. All this supports 5,000 new housing units (60% are sub-market rate), two new schools, a beautiful new library, and the best waterfront views in the world!
by Sonam Velani