Mapping the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of NYC Buildings
In November, 6sqft shared a study that showed luxury buildings in NYC were among the worst offenders for driving climate change. The report from Climate Works for All stated that “a mere two percent of the city’s one million buildings use 45% of all of the city’s energy.” Widening the scope, a new map from Brooklyn web developer Jill Hubley (who also created this fun map of NYC street trees species) color codes the greenhouse gas emissions of all city lots with single properties over 50,000 square feet and lots with multiple properties over 100,000 square feet–those that are required to follow benchmarking laws for energy and water consumption under Mayor de Blasio’s plan to cut such emissions 30 percent by 2030.
What the interactive map shows is that NYCHA properties have some of the highest amounts of emissions, as do large complexes like Stuy Town and big institutions such as Pace University and the Time Warner Center. The area clustered below Central Park is also a hotbed for emissions. But it’s comforting to see that the majority of the map reads teal (lower emissions) instead of brown (higher emissions), and some of the best-faring locales include NYU, Battery Park City, Pratt Institute, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Hubley created the map by merging the city’s energy disclosure data with PLUTO tax lot information. The ranking is based on carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions. When a user hovers over a lot, they can see how that number breaks down into direct and indirect emissions, as well as the owner of the property and when it was built. We do wish it included addresses to make deciphering locations a bit easier, but overall this is quite the handy map. Explore it HERE >>
RELATED:
