The Streetscape of 145th Street

Across the United States, several urban and suburban areas show high carbon emissions attributed to transportation and residential uses. While New York City’s density and transit system keep per capita emissions at low levels, carbon emissions sources remain a topic of concern. The 145^th Street corridor in Harlem is no exemption: a surface temperature map developed from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (NASA-GISS) research group led by Stuart Gaffin shows that there are several pockets of higher temperatures within the New York City area. The Urban Design Lab preparatory study was presented to the community in February 2009 in an attempt to divulge useful information and educate the residents about the challenges and opportunities that this area has to offer.