6th Public Place Visit and Whole Foods Tour

On a very chilly day this week, sixth graders visited "Public Place," a brownfield that they will redevelop during our second unit. A manufactured gas plant owned by Brooklyn Union Gas occupied the site from the 1860s to 1959. The plant contaminated the land; coal tar and other toxic materials are estimated to reach 120 feet underground.

 We got a Birdseye view of the plot of land from the subway platform on Smith and 9th. Next, the kids walked around the neighborhood paying special attention to land use to guide them in their rethinking of the brownfield. They looked for specific examples of residential, commercial, industrial and institutional structures and different types of infrastructure. This information about what the neighborhood currently has will be used to reimagine the area. Their project must be sustainable (using goals from PlaNYC 2030) and benefit the people who live, work, and play in the area.

Next, we visited Whole Foods on 3rd street at Third avenue, which is a forma t brownfield. A representative from the Whole Foods education department shared their sustainable building practices.