The 234 Apartment

EAST VILLAGE (KUSI) — City planning officials gave final approval Wednesday to the building of Quartyard II, an innovative urban park in East Village. The project, first conceived by a group of students at the New School of Architecture and Design, was built with old shipping containers at Park and Market but closed in June when the property was turned over for re-development. Last month, the agency that handles development matters granted a conditional use permit to a new site at the corner of 13th and Market. The proposal included tables , games, food and beverages, an off- leash dog area and a stage for live entertainment. Lt. Colonel (Ret.) David Gapp, who lives in the area decided to appeal the permit, saying the live music was not appropriate for the neighborhood.  Gapp said while there were no residential buildings adjacent to the old Quartyard location, he said 2,000 people live in seven nearby buildings in the area around the new site. Gapp says many of those residents are...

Long Island City waterfront ." /> The project will bring 1,000 apartments, commercial space and a new school to the Long Island City waterfront . View Full Caption NYCEDC HUNTERS POINT — Critics of the city's plan to build a school, offices and 1,000 apartments on the Long Island City waterfront called it "irresponsible" to develop the site because it's located in a hurricane evacuation zone that's prone to flooding during storms. Advocates said they would rather see the two city-owned parcels — located next to the East River at the end of 44th Drive — converted to public parkland, with plantings, oyster beds and other green infrastructure to help make the area more resistant to floods.  "We think continuing to build in a flood plain is irresponsible," said Diane Hendry, a member of the LIC Coalition, an advocacy group that launched a petition last week opposing the city's plans. "The land is a natural wetlands. It should be preserv...

By Phillip Garjay Innis What lessons can African countries learn from Sierra Leone ’s devastating mudslides? Was the disaster due to natural events or is there a social dimension? Is there anything such as a ‘ natural disaster ’? What can be done to reduce risks? On August 14, 2017, torrential rainfall caused a hillside to collapse in Sierra Leone ’s capital city. This torrential downpour triggered mudslides that killed hundreds of residents and destroyed properties. As of August 19, 2017, the death toll is placed at 467, with approximately 600 still missing. Heavy rainfall is not a strange phenomenon in Sierra Leone . The country experiences heavy annual rainfall and is  ranked 12th globally  in annual precipitation by rainfall. Sierra Leone received  over 2,500 mm of rain from 2013 to 2017, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Sierra Leone is therefore familiar with heavy rainfall . Torrential downpours are common in August and September. The country has ...