海角视频

Hear from Associate Principal Mikayla Hoskins, Cities Consultant Sydney Holgado, and Graduate Cities Consultant Yara Eliyan as they share their groundbreaking work with the Battery Park City Authority. Discover their innovative process and learn how this exciting collaboration began.

We are excited to share insights from Mikayla, Sydney, and Yara on 海角视频鈥檚 impactful work with the Battery Park City Authority. In this discussion, our experts dive into their collaborative efforts to advance sustainability in Battery Park City, highlighting the challenges and successes of their ambitious projects. From developing comprehensive sustainability plans to implementing innovative infrastructure solutions. This conversation offers a unique perspective on the dedication and expertise driving 海角视频鈥檚 mission to create sustainable and resilient urban environments.

Mikayla, Sydney, and Yara on 海角视频’s work with Battery Park City Authority

How did our work with BPCA Start?

Mikayla Hoskins: We started working with Battery Park City Authority many years ago on the creation of their sustainability plan, which was their reintroduction as leaders in the sustainability world having originally been founded as a development agency for the neighborhood. At the time, they were transitioning toward more of an operational body overseeing the sustainable management of the Battery Park City neighborhood, and so the sustainability plan was re-envisioning how they could be sustainability leaders from that lens, in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders in the neighborhood.

This plan charted the future through 2030 in terms of different sustainability ambitions, targets, and actions, across a number of topics from materials and waste to energy and site biodiversity. The plan also served as an early roadmap towards BPC’s target for carbon neutrality by 2050.

Through the planning process, we got to learn a lot about the organization and the staff there and turn an inspirational, holistic sustainability vision into a reality in this plan.

Could each of you talk about why this work is important to you, how you think it鈥檚 going to benefit people in the future, and what your specific role is on it?

Sydney: In general, as a neighborhood, Battery Park City is unique in how it is situated and operated, but in some ways also serves as a microcosm in New York City itself. It represents a lot of the challenges and opportunities that other spaces might be facing both in New York and elsewhere. The neighborhood has the opportunity to build on its reputation as a precedent and case study for other urban sites in implementing sustainability actions.

Personally, I鈥檝e been working on BPC projects since I first joined 海角视频. It has given me a strong foundation and understanding of how our sustainability planning efforts can lead towards early-stage implementation. It鈥檚 been invaluable to me, to see, experience, and be involved in that process.

Yara: What I appreciate so much about this project is that it takes a very holistic view of sustainability compared to other sustainability projects. It targets resiliency, biodiversity, open space, pedestrianization, and different aspects of waste, rather than only focusing on energy emissions alone. BPCA is a highly collaborative client- they talk about what鈥檚 not working, what should be changed, and are willing to adapt with the times. It鈥檚 great to have a client that is eager to adapt and learn with us.

Mikayla: It鈥檚 really exciting to work with a client that is so willing to engage and recognize how they can improve and invest in making those changes for the betterment of the whole neighborhood. It鈥檚 a challenge that鈥檚 so cross-cutting and has many different layers. There鈥檚 always a new perspective to take or a new topic to talk about. Part of why we鈥檝e had such a long and fruitful relationship with BPCA is because it’s so comprehensive the way they look at sustainability. I’ve personally enjoyed the project as it’s started with a high-level plan and goal setting, then advanced towards implementation pathways and further strategy exploration- and I’ve been able to follow the work through the full process. We have had the pleasure of working closely with BPCA as they implement the plan, navigating the challenges as they come and seeing behind the curtain.

That being said, this work can be a challenge because we want to give them the best; we have to offer, always thinking of the cutting-edge new topics. Since we’ve built such a good relationship with BPCA, we understand them as an organization, we know how they work, and we understand their motivations. To know them to this degree ups the ante in terms of us delivering high quality work that meets their specific needs. On the flip side, it makes this work all the more rewarding because we’ve been able to maintain the relationship for a number of years and it continues to evolve in exciting ways.

Can you talk about our relationship with BPCA and how it has been working with them?

Mikayla: BPCA has been a really great client. They aren鈥檛 afraid to have hard conversations and really get into the details of what鈥檚 achievable, but also maintaining a visionary ambition. They really do want to achieve the commitments that they鈥檝e set out but are also very practical.

It鈥檚 not so much a client relationship where we鈥檙e like, 鈥淗ere are the product and here鈥檚 our recommendations.鈥� We鈥檙e really co-creating the solutions with them, which is always enjoyable for us too. We lead many workshops and engagement sessions with staff from multiple departments who have different responsibilities, and the diverse perspectives round out our work with implementation front of mind.

Sydney: I would agree, I think something that鈥檚 come up in our engagement with BPCA recently is how they can have a high impact through their sustainability work. It鈥檚 been really interesting to have conversations with them and to see what high impact might mean because it鈥檚 not always cut and dry, like saving X amount of energy or reducing emissions by X percent. There are other ways they can really influence the neighborhood and those who live there and visit. So, it鈥檚 been really nice to work with such an ambitious client that impact oriented in an open-minded way.

What have been some of the bigger efforts to come out of the sustainability plan since it has started?

Mikayla: One of the first things that came out of the sustainability plan was to build upon this work, lengthen the time horizon, and layer on GHG reduction potential to build a Climate Action Plan and roadmap to achieving the neighborhood’s target for carbon neutrality by 2050. Ultimately, we wanted to see how far the actions in the sustainability plan could get BPC towards this target. The answer isn’t so simple. A lot is dependent on external stakeholders and policy progress like the CLCPA.

From our analysis in this plan, there鈥檚 still work to be done. This comparison has helped inform some of the thinking around sustainability plan implementation and how BPCA can accelerate impact, like Sydney said, and show progress related to emissions and other metrics within the sustainability plan. As part of this work, we鈥檝e been developing annual greenhouse gas inventories for BPC to start tracking progress related to their carbon neutrality target.

Sydney: We鈥檝e also worked on a number of infrastructure feasibility and advisory projects across different sectors, like district energy and electric vehicle charging. Through this work we’ve also developed resources for buildings. For example, we also helped compile an EV charging guide for building owners to begin implementing that infrastructure.

Yara: Another major initiative we supported in collaboration with partners SCAPE and AKRF was a biodiversity data audit and urban tree canopy assessment. This project documented the existing conditions, explored processes, and introduced a new accessible software for tracking urban tree canopy and biodiversity in the neighborhood for data management. Additionally, we began investigating the urban heat island effect and potential solutions to enhance thermal comfort in Battery Park City (BPC) open spaces. All these efforts were outcomes of the sustainability plan, which is exciting as it encompasses all the open spaces under the authority鈥檚 direct control.

We actually talk about the release and assessment in the progress report. This progress report focused on looking at what they’ve accomplished by the end of 2023, as they鈥檝e had three years since the original plan’s release, and really dive into all their targets, goals, and sub-actions to see how they鈥檙e doing and where they should lean into focusing efforts moving forward.

You mentioned a few of the challenges, such as achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Were there any other challenges that you’re trying to work through?

Sydney: BPCA as an organization has a lot of these aspirational goals, but in their role as an authority, they don鈥檛 have direct control over the internal functions of the buildings, so they are still working through how to advance and measure progress accordingly.

Keeping this unique lens in mind as we work toward BPCA’s goals, we鈥檙e thinking about how they can also keep up with New York City鈥檚 ambitions climate legislation. With Local Law 97 for example, we鈥檙e exploring how the Authority can support compliance even though they do not control individual building’ operations. Likewise, the impending EV charging requirements will impact the buildings鈥� infrastructure. While working towards BPCAs own sustainability and climate goals, we鈥檙e also discussing what BPCA’s role is in regard to these legislative initiatives.

Yara: In assessing compliance with these legislative initiatives, we鈥檝e had to analyze individual building energy audits, BPCA utility bills and pull from other sources to review what progress has been made for both their internal targets and broader policy compliance. This data review also sparked conversations about what other, more appropriate, measures we should be looking at in the future. We need to find a balance in what data is available and how to accurately convey progress and impact.

Mikayla: I think that鈥檚 one of the challenges of doing these kinds of progress reports after releasing a sustainability plan. It鈥檚 cool and unique that we get to have been involved in both, reflecting on the sustainability plan. Some things maybe weren鈥檛 as successful and trying to dig into what are the reasons why and who鈥檚 responsible. Taking a fresh perspective on the content of that plan through this process has been really interesting and just another way to deepen the relationship we have with BPCA and understand what the right metrics are or really focus on implementation, which is also really rewarding. I think all of that鈥檚 been boiling up through this process and has been exciting. So, we鈥檙e excited to see this progress report go out into the world and see what happens next.

I love working with BPCA as a client, because they treat us as a partner in their vision to make Battery Park City an innovative model for urban climate action. For me it鈥檚 not just about achieving another net zero plan, but striving for aa community-driven, exemplar-sustainable neighborhood. Working with BPCA to be part of something that is bigger than the sum of its parts is both rewarding and exciting. Seeing how Mikayla, Sydney, and Yara have developed and grown 海角视频鈥檚 work at Battery Park City is a testament to their talent and makes me proud and privileged to be part of such a wonderful team.

Robert Okpala, Partner and New York Office Co Director

As we continue to work with the Battery Park City Authority, our commitment to sustainability and innovation remains unwavering. The collaborative efforts Mikayla, Sydney, and Yara showcase our commitment to fostering a greener, more resilient urban landscape. Their expertise and experiences underscore the significance of comprehensive sustainability planning and its transformative effects on communities.

We are proud of the progress made so far and excited about the future possibilities. The journey with BPCA has been both challenging and rewarding, pushing us to think creatively and act decisively.

To learn more about the Battery Park City Authority project click the link below.