Reviving New York's rivers -- with oysters! | Kate Orff

The Importance of the American Landscape

The speaker discusses their passion for the American landscape and how it has shaped history and character. They highlight the need to reconnect with nature and rebuild these connections.

Reimagining Connections between Urbanism and Ecology

• Our country has flattened and homogenized the landscape, leading to a loss of connection with plants, animals, and the environment.

• The built environment faces challenges such as urban population growth, biodiversity decline, rising sea levels, and climate change.

• Design should aim to rework and re-engage urbanism and ecology in a more productive way.

Rethinking Design Approaches

The speaker emphasizes the need for new tools, approaches, stories, heroes in design. They introduce the eastern oyster as their hero in addressing global climate change.

Harnessing the Power of Oysters

• The eastern oyster can agglomerate into mega-reef structures while providing ecological benefits.

• "Oyster-tecture" is an urban design project that harnesses the power of oysters, mussels, eelgrass, and people towards making positive changes.

• The speaker focuses on two sites: Gowanus Canal and Governors Island in New York City.

Blending Urbanism and Ecology

The era of big infrastructure is over. Architecture should not be detached from its context. New approaches are needed to address current challenges.

Merging Urbanism with Ecology

• Top-down solutions are no longer effective; new tools are required.

• Architecture should consider its surroundings instead of being isolated objects.

• Blending urbanism and ecology can lead to exciting new possibilities.

Introducing Oyster-Tecture

The speaker introduces the concept of "oyster-tecture" and explains how it can address environmental challenges while promoting community engagement.

The Power of Oysters

• Oysters have remarkable filtering capabilities, improving water quality.

• They were once abundant in New York Harbor and played a significant role in the city's culture and economy.

• Oyster reefs act as natural wave attenuators and support diverse ecosystems.

Back to the Future with Oyster-Tecture

The speaker describes the back-to-the-future concept of oyster-tecture, which aims to recreate the intelligence of historical settlement patterns for a sustainable future.

Artificial Ecology and Settlement Patterns

• Developing artificial reefs in the harbor can protect inland settlements from storm surges.

• Cleaner and slower water allows for new ways of living with water.

• Oyster-tecture addresses core issues: ecological restoration, climate change resilience, and community involvement.

Understanding Historical Context

The speaker explores the historical geography of New York Harbor to inform their design approach. They highlight the importance of salt marshes, islands, and oysters in the past ecosystem.

Rediscovering History

• Islands, salt marshes, and beaches served as natural wave attenuation for upland settlements.

• Oysters were once abundant in the Gowanus Canal itself.

• The concept of oyster-tecture draws inspiration from this historical land settlement pattern.

Facing Common Challenges

The speaker acknowledges that problems like sewage overflow and contamination are common in many cities. They emphasize that these challenges need to be addressed collectively.

Shared Challenges

• Many cities face similar conditions such as sewage overflow and contamination.

• A map shows contaminants exacerbated by storm surge and sea-level rise.

• Collaboration is essential to tackle these shared challenges.

The Intelligence of Oysters

The speaker highlights the intelligence and ecological significance of oysters, emphasizing their ability to filter water and create natural reef structures.

Oyster's Filtering Abilities

• Oysters can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day, improving water quality.

• They were once a vital part of New York's culture and economy.

• Oyster reefs provide habitat for numerous species and act as wave attenuators.

Conclusion

The speaker concludes by reiterating the importance of oysters in addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable urban design.

Harnessing the Power of Oysters

• Oysters offer a solution for ecological restoration and climate change resilience.

• By integrating oyster-tecture into urban design, communities can actively contribute to positive change.

• The speaker emphasizes the need for innovative approaches that reconnect with nature.

Cultivating Oysters for Reef Restoration

The speaker discusses the concept of regenerative and productive ecology by cultivating oysters in a giant oyster bed. The goal is to create a new urban public space that dynamically develops with the threat of climate change.

Oyster Bed Concept

• The central idea is to reset and return to an ecology that is regenerative, clean, and productive.

• The oyster bed consists of interconnected pilings with woven curly ropes, which are inexpensive and easily available.

• Working with what we have today is essential in addressing climate change.

• Instead of drawing, the focus was on learning how to weave ropes to develop this new soft infrastructure.

• The diagram shows how the infrastructure grows over time from an oyster bed to a new dynamic urban public space.

An Amphibious Public Space

• This project creates a new amphibious public space where people can work and have fun in innovative ways.

• It also forms an anfibio program that combines scientific monitoring with recreational activities.

• A new term introduced is "flupsy," which stands for floating sprouting system.

• Flupsy devices are rafts with oyster nurseries underneath, allowing water to flow through them.

• Students and divers are involved in this project, envisioning a new way of living and relating to water.

Future Possibilities

• The "flupisication" of Gowanus presents the future potential of creating oyster farms along the coastlines.

• These farms could be a new form of urban public space, and the community can benefit from oyster cultivation.

• The ultimate goal is to witness the parade of oyster seeds towards the reef, creating a new blue-green aquatic park.

Questions about the Project

The speaker addresses two questions related to the project.

Questions Answered

• The first question is not mentioned in the transcript.

• The second question is about witnessing the parade of oyster seeds and cheering them on as they settle on the reef.

Creemos con base en nuestros cálculos

En esta sección, el hablante menciona que creen en algo basado en sus cálculos.

Cálculos y creencias

• El hablante menciona que tienen ciertas creencias basadas en sus cálculos.

• No se proporciona información adicional sobre los detalles de los cálculos o las creencias específicas.

Pero creemos, con base en nuestros cálculos

In this section, the speaker mentions that they believe in something based on their calculations.

Calculations and beliefs

• The speaker mentions that they have certain beliefs based on their calculations.

• No additional information is provided about the details of the calculations or the specific beliefs.