Abstract
Integrating renewable energy into public space is becoming more common as a climate change solution. However, this approach is often guided by the environmental pillar of sustainability, with less focus on the economic and social pillars. The purpose of this paper is to examine this issue in the speculative renewable energy propositions for Freshkills Park in New York City submitted for the 2012 Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) competition. This paper first proposes an optimal electricity distribution (OED) framework in and around public spaces based on relevant ecology and energy theory (Odum’s fourth and fifth law of thermodynamics). This framework addresses social engagement related to public interaction, and economic engagement related to the estimated quantity of electricity produced, in conjunction with environmental engagement related to the embodied energy required to construct the renewable energy infrastructure. Next, the study uses the OED framework to analyse the top twenty-five projects submitted for the LAGI 2012 competition. The findings reveal an electricity distribution imbalance and suggest a lack of in-depth understanding about sustainable electricity distribution within public space design. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research.
Highlights
A growing body of research suggests energy potential mapping to design more sustainable cities based on local energy potentials at multiple scales [1]
The application of renewable energy infrastructure within urban environments is growing rapidly, yet it is still commonly conceived of as an add-on feature, rather than as an integral characteristic of urban space. This underestimation of the potential for renewable energy systems is demonstrated in both the urban design profession and their counterpart policy makers, where the focus is on increasing the environmental sustainability of cities by retrofitting spaces and buildings with so-called “techno-fixes” [2] (p. 24) [3], such as green walls and photovoltaic arrays
Individual buildings are designed with green infrastructures at ever-increasing rates, landscape architects and urban designers need to investigate the integration of renewable energy within urban open spaces where the contextual issues are more multi-layered than in private domains
Summary
A growing body of research suggests energy potential mapping to design more sustainable cities based on local energy potentials at multiple scales [1]. The application of renewable energy infrastructure within urban environments is growing rapidly, yet it is still commonly conceived of as an add-on feature, rather than as an integral characteristic of urban space. This underestimation of the potential for renewable energy systems is demonstrated in both the urban design profession and their counterpart policy makers, where the focus is on increasing the environmental sustainability of cities by retrofitting spaces and buildings with so-called “techno-fixes” [2] Individual buildings are designed with green infrastructures at ever-increasing rates, landscape architects and urban designers need to investigate the integration of renewable energy within urban open spaces where the contextual issues are more multi-layered than in private domains
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