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Alvin Puentevella

Chief Creator, Congress Investor Group

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Rebuild post Hurricane Sandy NYC with sustainability and Green economy in mind- What sustainable & green upgrades would you like to see?

NYC will be receiving a large sum in Federal aid and investment funds from the private sector.

This seems like an unprecedented opportunity to create a Resilient and Green NYC.

Related Talks:
Topics: Economic sustainability Green Economy collaborative government environement social change
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    Henry Woeltjen 10+

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    Dec 19 2012: Could we not have self sustaining cities? Why hasn't some millionare invested in a "green city" that relies on the workers to support everybody.

    Farming
    Textiles
    Factories

    You could have companies come in and set-up just as you would anywhere else.....but the residents would grow their own food and those who couldnt grow food...would work in the local businesses.

    You wouldn't make money....you would earn vouchers for the local stores and food mart. It would be fresh food...right from the farm to your plate. We could have the best schools in the country..and a low population to start.

    After that works out...you build outwards and allow more peope to move in. Not sure why nobody has done this...im sure if I won the lotto...I would build my own city.
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      Alvin Puentevella

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      Dec 19 2012: Thanks for your feedback Henry. See Fritzie's post below about Sustainable Cities Collective.
      Yes, I agree with you about basic components such as farming, textiles, factories. I believe in local production and independence... especially on a planet that gets bombarded with meteors now and again.. not to mention other man-made calamities.

      It just so happens that I'm actually working on the development of urban indoor farms in the context of land/property reclamation and remediation. It's not free but it provides 24-hour fresh, organic and chemical-free produce as well as lots of jobs at all levels for the community. I believe indoor farms can form a strong nexus for local green economies and vibrant communities.
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    Fritzie Reisner 100+

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    Host
    Dec 8 2012: Alvin, I have another lead for you. Do you know the blog collection Sustainable Cities Collective? I read a grand total of three blogs, two of which are about making urban areas work. One is the aforementionned, which gathers interesting urban interventions, and the other the BMW-Guggenheim Lab blog. As you are a New Yorker, you probably are well aware of what the Lab is doing. They went from NY to Berlin and just opened in Mumbai.
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      Alvin Puentevella

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      Dec 19 2012: I just noticed this post. Sorry, didn't see the notification email.
      Thank you FR. I'll definitely check it out!
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    Fritzie Reisner 100+

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    Dec 7 2012: Since you haven't listed any TED talks here, you might want to check out some of these! http://www.ted.com/talks/tags/name/sustainability/page/1
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      Alvin Puentevella

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      Dec 7 2012: Thanks Fritzie. I will check them out.
      Do you have any personal preferences for what sustainable and green upgrades NYC could use?
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        Fritzie Reisner 100+

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        Dec 7 2012: This is not an area in which I have any expertise. But here is a useful link to Sieman's Green Cities Index as applied to various parts of the world. I have not explored this yet, but there are likely sources of best practices in the area of urban sustainability. Such a compendium, and familiarity with NYC's geography, built environment, and the relationship between natural and built environment are the areas I would study up on in formulating suggestions.
        http://www.siemens.com/entry/cc/en/greencityindex.htm
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          Alvin Puentevella

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          Dec 7 2012: I just met the Siemans Chief City Exec for NYC at the Bloomberg breakfast with Al Gore the other day. Thanks for the link. I'll review with. I'm fascinated by this congruency!
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