Optimal Electricity Distribution Framework for Public Space: Assessing Renewable Energy Proposals for Freshkills Park, New York City

Sustainability

Kaan Ozgun¹  Ian Weir²  Debra Cushing² 

[1] Creative Industries, School of Design, Department of Landscape Architecture, Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point, 2 George St, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, QLD 4001 Australia;

关键词: renewable energy distribution;    public space;    sustainability;    LAGI;    Freshkills Park;    New York City;    triple bottom line (TBL);   

DOI  :  10.3390/su7043753

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.