Big Dreams and Big Apple Seeds — New York City in 2030

Nancy Anderson, Executive Director of the Sallan Foundation, takes a first look at New York City Mayor Bloomberg's "PlaNYC: A Greener, Greater New York" in her Torchlight column. Here's what she discovers.

In the Italian Renaissance, the ideal city was a utopian vision with blue skies, traffic and litter free-streets, and spotless marble walls. The only thing missing was people.

Today, we have Mayor Bloomberg's urban vision, PlaNYC. He sees a city filled with people, 9,000,000 of them by the year 2030. They will live, work and play in buildings that no longer emit 79% of the City's carbon dioxide inventory.

There will be one million more trees around town and many fewer cars and trucks in Manhattan. The Mayor makes big promises that he says he'll deliver on in 127 separate initiatives.

Anderson looks at these promises and sees a field covered with Big Apple seeds that just might grow into sturdy trees. Some of these seeds will take root and flourish others won't. But which ones and will they really matter?

It's too soon to say but it's not to soon to start asking. Meeting or beating PlaNYC's 30% carbon dioxide reduction goal requires more than good intentions and 127 Big Apple seeds.

When Anderson looks ahead to 2030, does she see a sustainable city or just a rag-tag heap of hopes? Read her Torchlight column entitled "In Dreams Begin Acountability" and find out.