1
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Kari: New York is a mega-city.

2
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What a view!

3
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There are more people here than
in 40 of the 50 U.S. states.

4
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That's one day's recycling.

5
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Holy guacamole.

6
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[ Foghorn blows ]

7
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For those who call
this place home,

8
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there's a constant push for
making the city more livable.

9
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These tower gardens
are brilliant.

10
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I'm Kari Byron.

11
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Go, go, go, go, go!

12
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I travel around the world...

13
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Whoa!

14
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This is nuts!

15
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...seeking out stories
of inspiring people...

16
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Girl: The more programs
like this there are,

17
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the more of a difference
there is.

18
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...who are working on solutions

19
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to some of the biggest
questions of our time.

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I'm fascinated by this.

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♪♪

22
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Over half the world's population
lives in urban areas.

23
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And with almost
10 million people,

24
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New York City is
the United States' largest.

25
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The city is made up
of five boroughs

26
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on just over 300 square miles
of land.

27
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That works out to be about
27,000 people every square mile.

28
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A city this big comes with
many challenges...

29
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Transportation,
housing, garbage collection.

30
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My question is
how do we make mega-cities

31
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like New York more livable?

32
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In 2017,
New York City's population

33
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grew to a record high of
8.6 million people.

34
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With so many people living
in such a small footprint,

35
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finding space to build places
for them to live

36
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and work isn't easy.

37
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So when developers
propose a new way

38
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to create 18 million
square feet for offices,

39
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shops, and 4,000 new homes,
that's a big deal solution.

40
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Hudson yards is one of the most
complex construction projects

41
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in the history of the city,

42
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all because they found
an unlikely place to build.

43
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So, what was the space
used for originally?

44
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The last 35 years
before this development,

45
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it was storage
for commuter rails.

46
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So it's just train yards,
open tracks.

47
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Just, like,
an empty spot in the city.

48
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We look back at maps
of the city in 1609

49
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and this actually used
to be a marsh.

50
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So as the city developed,

51
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those blocks were actually left
undeveloped for a long time,

52
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which is why they were
kind of available

53
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and became occupied
by the railroad tracks.

54
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Now, you guys are putting some
really tall buildings on them.

55
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What's the challenge of that?

56
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Because you had train tracks

57
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that were sunken below
the level of the ground,

58
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you have to build a ground plane

59
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to actually put all
of these buildings on.

60
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That's right.
They're building skyscrapers

61
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where thousands of new yorkers
will soon be living

62
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and working over
live train tracks.

63
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You can't make the city bigger,
so you have to build up.

64
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- Yeah.
- Definitely up.

65
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♪♪

66
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This is so cool.

67
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All of this has trains
running underneath it.

68
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They're fully in operation.

69
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We're not just standing
on the ground here.

70
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Yeah. This wasn't here

71
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a few years ago.

72
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More than 300 pillars

73
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were installed
between the tracks,

74
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creating a surface
floating above the trains.

75
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In not too long, people
will be coming on the train,

76
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walking on these stones
and pavers,

77
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and they're coming home
because they live here.

78
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This is their community.

79
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You can put the next one in.

80
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Sure.

81
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Throw it in there
with a little swagger.

82
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Come on, throw it in there.

83
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- Want this all done by tonight.
- [ Laughs ]

84
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Level with me.

85
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How is it?

86
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Oh, my god, she's on the money.

87
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I mean, this is
an incredibly unique project.

88
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It's not just a place to live.
I mean, this is beautiful.

89
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Hudson yards will also have
14 acres of open public space

90
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and a structure
called the vessel

91
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with more than a mile
of stairways overlooking it all.

92
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What kind of challenges
are there

93
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for planting trees
in some place this urban?

94
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I mean, this soil doesn't
look like it goes that deep.

95
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Yeah. What about the tree roots?

96
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So we have specific
engineered soil types

97
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that create horizons
just like you'd find in nature.

98
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But then also, do you see
the openings in those walls?

99
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Those are actually
what we call soil sharing voids.

100
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So the roots will be able
to actually extend

101
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beyond the planter
boundaries themselves.

102
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And then the other weird thing
about building

103
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on top of structure like we are
now is it doesn't get cold.

104
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You know, the earth,
if you dig down deep enough,

105
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is always 55 degrees.

106
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But here it's not true
because we're over train tracks.

107
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Covering the tracks

108
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traps the heat generated
by the trains.

109
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Temperatures can reach up
to 150 degrees,

110
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which would definitely
kill the trees.

111
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This smart park uses huge fans

112
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to remove the heat
at the track level.

113
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And directly beneath the trees
are cooling pipes

114
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that will activate
if the soil gets too hot.

115
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So you have the air condition

116
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the dirt underneath?

117
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The system is there to do it.

118
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Yeah, just in case.
Otherwise, the trees could die

119
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and you're going to
have something where you've put

120
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a lot of effort
into something that won't last.

121
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It's some really cool science
just to plant a tree.

122
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That's right.

123
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At the top
of the tallest building here

124
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is an amazing observation deck,
and there is no way

125
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I can visit without
checking it out.

126
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Time to go up.

127
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♪♪

128
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This is like an amusement
park ride, this elevator.

129
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Wow! What a view!

130
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We're on the 100th floor.

131
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That puts us just over
1,000 feet in the air.

132
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This is the highest outdoor
viewing space

133
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in all of New York.

134
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I mean, look how tiny the statue
of Liberty looks from here.

135
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Looks like a doll.
Yeah, she really does.

136
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You can see Connecticut,
long island sound,

137
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every bridge in New York City.

138
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You can also see how densely
packed the city already is.

139
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With millions of people living

140
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and working
in all those buildings,

141
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there really is nowhere else
to build

142
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that doesn't involve
knocking down whole blocks

143
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or displacing communities
of people.

144
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I mean, this is
some perspective.

145
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The planning and engineering

146
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to build a building this tall
on top of train tracks.

147
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Yeah. Previously,
this was kind of a no man's land

148
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between hell's kitchen to the
north and Chelsea to the south.

149
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Now we've got a whole other

150
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neighborhood here,
and a big one.

151
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Taking something
that was completely unused

152
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and turning it
into a livable space.

153
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Nelson: It's a pretty
spectacular place to be.

154
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Sam: New York is such a
grab-and-go kind of culture.

155
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There's so much just coming out
of every building every day.

156
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Everyone can just choose to help
make this happen every day.

157
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As you'd expect, a mega-city
can produce a lot of waste.

158
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New York City alone produces
14 million tons of trash

159
00:06:54,448 --> 00:06:55,792
every year.

160
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That's why reducing
and recycling are so important

161
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to making a city more livable.

162
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The average American throws away

163
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81 pounds of clothing a year.

164
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Now, that sounds
like a crazy number,

165
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but what's crazier is that
calculates to 15 million tons

166
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per year, just waste
going into the landfill.

167
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One of the best ways to reduce
those numbers...

168
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Shop at vintage stores.

169
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♪♪

170
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Donating your old clothes
is a great alternative

171
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to having them end up
in a landfill.

172
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[ Laughs ]

173
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Yes.

174
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And instead of buying new,

175
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you can give a second life
to fabulous finds.

176
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It's a treasure hunt
in vintage stores.

177
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It's all a numbers game.

178
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What do you think?

179
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Not only am I reducing waste,

180
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but I get to do with
a fun '80s shopping montage.

181
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♪♪

182
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This has got me thinking,

183
00:07:58,445 --> 00:08:02,280
how does New York City
as a whole deal with recycling?

184
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Let's find out.

185
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New yorkers produce 12,000 tons
of garbage every day

186
00:08:10,324 --> 00:08:13,903
and only recycle
about 17% of it.

187
00:08:13,927 --> 00:08:19,042
Most of the recycling ends up at
the Sims facility in Brooklyn.

188
00:08:19,066 --> 00:08:20,510
Wow.

189
00:08:20,534 --> 00:08:22,378
This is intense.

190
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So, most of the city's recycling

191
00:08:23,770 --> 00:08:26,649
actually gets placed out
on these barges.

192
00:08:26,673 --> 00:08:30,119
I have never seen
that much recycling.

193
00:08:30,143 --> 00:08:33,056
How long a period of time
is this?

194
00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:35,792
A day.
That's one day's recycling?

195
00:08:35,816 --> 00:08:39,262
It's tons of recycling,
literally tons.

196
00:08:39,286 --> 00:08:42,365
And that's just the part that
was actually put out properly.

197
00:08:42,389 --> 00:08:44,367
There's so much else that
just goes right into the trash.

198
00:08:44,391 --> 00:08:47,403
I can't believe how much plastic
I'm looking at right here.

199
00:08:47,427 --> 00:08:49,439
And right there, see that?

200
00:08:49,463 --> 00:08:50,807
That's my recycling.

201
00:08:50,831 --> 00:08:52,809
Oh, I see that, yeah.
Right there.

202
00:08:52,833 --> 00:08:54,911
We're going to follow
my recycling

203
00:08:54,935 --> 00:08:57,235
all the way through
to see where it goes.

204
00:08:59,205 --> 00:09:01,017
Kari: Okay, so from the barge,

205
00:09:01,041 --> 00:09:03,820
where does the recycling
go from there?

206
00:09:03,844 --> 00:09:05,722
Monica: It goes onto
our tipping floor.

207
00:09:05,746 --> 00:09:09,492
That's where we gather up all of
our material that we receive.

208
00:09:09,516 --> 00:09:12,662
How much recycling
comes through here in a day?

209
00:09:12,686 --> 00:09:14,097
About 800 tons.

210
00:09:14,121 --> 00:09:15,765
800 tons?! Yeah.

211
00:09:15,789 --> 00:09:17,734
66 tons an hour.

212
00:09:17,758 --> 00:09:19,669
Over 20,000 tons a month.

213
00:09:19,693 --> 00:09:21,471
Holy guacamole.

214
00:09:21,495 --> 00:09:23,172
It's like the Himalayas.

215
00:09:23,196 --> 00:09:24,908
Monica:
It's beautiful, isn't it?

216
00:09:24,932 --> 00:09:28,244
It's like a sort of
jagged rainbow of colors.

217
00:09:28,268 --> 00:09:30,680
This is metal, glass,
plastic cartons

218
00:09:30,704 --> 00:09:32,882
from all across New York City.

219
00:09:32,906 --> 00:09:35,218
So what are the things that
can't go in the recycling bin

220
00:09:35,242 --> 00:09:37,053
that you see all the time?

221
00:09:37,077 --> 00:09:38,354
Bowling balls.

222
00:09:38,378 --> 00:09:40,390
Bowling balls? Every day

223
00:09:40,414 --> 00:09:41,558
several bowling balls, at least.

224
00:09:41,582 --> 00:09:43,726
We have a little collection
in our office.

225
00:09:43,750 --> 00:09:45,328
Coffee cups. Coffee cups?

226
00:09:45,352 --> 00:09:46,496
Coffee cups.

227
00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:48,498
They all have the little
recycling symbol on them.

228
00:09:48,522 --> 00:09:52,168
Some do, but they have
these plastic liners.

229
00:09:52,192 --> 00:09:54,304
And that plastic lining means
that it doesn't really go

230
00:09:54,328 --> 00:09:57,273
through that paper
recycling process too smoothly.

231
00:09:57,297 --> 00:09:59,475
So you've got paper on the
outside, plastic on the inside.

232
00:09:59,499 --> 00:10:00,977
They're both
recyclable products.

233
00:10:01,001 --> 00:10:02,111
But when you
put them together...

234
00:10:02,135 --> 00:10:03,346
That's it. ...They're not...

235
00:10:03,370 --> 00:10:06,583
Usually they'll get
filtered out.

236
00:10:06,607 --> 00:10:08,484
With my recycling off the barge,

237
00:10:08,508 --> 00:10:10,987
it's ready to head into
the sorting facility.

238
00:10:11,011 --> 00:10:12,555
There it goes.

239
00:10:12,579 --> 00:10:14,657
That is going to get scooped
into this first

240
00:10:14,681 --> 00:10:17,260
conveyor belt,
down into the shredder,

241
00:10:17,284 --> 00:10:19,762
which opens up
those plastic bags,

242
00:10:19,786 --> 00:10:21,664
and started getting sorted out
from everything else

243
00:10:21,688 --> 00:10:23,288
that it's traveling with.

244
00:10:26,392 --> 00:10:28,404
As my bottle heads
through the facility,

245
00:10:28,428 --> 00:10:31,908
it first passes under
this gigantic magnet.

246
00:10:31,932 --> 00:10:35,745
♪♪

247
00:10:35,769 --> 00:10:37,146
Whoa!

248
00:10:37,170 --> 00:10:39,182
This is nuts!

249
00:10:39,206 --> 00:10:42,518
Sam: This is all the metals
that the magnet has picked up,

250
00:10:42,542 --> 00:10:47,323
and those are going up that way
to get sorted out by size.

251
00:10:47,347 --> 00:10:51,761
These are all the plastics going
to the optical sorting cameras

252
00:10:51,785 --> 00:10:54,897
separating clear from color.

253
00:10:54,921 --> 00:10:56,766
Recycling rainbow!

254
00:10:56,790 --> 00:10:58,890
Exactly.

255
00:11:00,192 --> 00:11:02,572
Kari: Once the plastics
are sorted by color,

256
00:11:02,596 --> 00:11:05,830
they're compressed and baled
into gigantic cubes.

257
00:11:09,301 --> 00:11:12,281
Sam: Over 1,000 pounds,
every bale.

258
00:11:12,305 --> 00:11:13,583
So, from the barge,
through the plant,

259
00:11:13,607 --> 00:11:15,818
compressed into bricks,
and then what?

260
00:11:15,842 --> 00:11:17,587
Where does it go?
What happens to it?

261
00:11:17,611 --> 00:11:21,424
It gets sent out to processors.
They chop them up into these.

262
00:11:21,448 --> 00:11:24,227
They all are sorted by color,
melts them down,

263
00:11:24,251 --> 00:11:25,895
and makes these pellets

264
00:11:25,919 --> 00:11:27,964
to make whatever you want
out of that plastic.

265
00:11:27,988 --> 00:11:30,967
So this could become
another bottle in its next life.

266
00:11:30,991 --> 00:11:35,371
It could be a kid's toy.
Exactly right.

267
00:11:35,395 --> 00:11:39,242
I had no idea
the amount of recycling

268
00:11:39,266 --> 00:11:42,912
that comes in in one day.
This is incredible.

269
00:11:42,936 --> 00:11:45,048
New York is such a grab-and-go
kind of culture.

270
00:11:45,072 --> 00:11:48,151
There's so much just coming out
of every building every day.

271
00:11:48,175 --> 00:11:50,687
How does it feel to give
this plastic in second life?

272
00:11:50,711 --> 00:11:53,089
It feels great.
I mean, knowing that it could be

273
00:11:53,113 --> 00:11:55,591
something different
that could be useful,

274
00:11:55,615 --> 00:11:56,592
it's a great thing.

275
00:11:56,616 --> 00:11:57,994
And everyone has a part in this.

276
00:11:58,018 --> 00:12:00,129
Everyone can just choose
to sort something into

277
00:12:00,153 --> 00:12:02,165
that recycling bin

278
00:12:02,189 --> 00:12:03,700
and help make this
happen every day.

279
00:12:03,724 --> 00:12:05,802
Very small choice can make
your city more livable.

280
00:12:05,826 --> 00:12:07,670
Yeah. Yeah.

281
00:12:07,694 --> 00:12:09,405
♪♪

282
00:12:09,429 --> 00:12:11,307
[ Horn honking ]

283
00:12:11,331 --> 00:12:13,832
I kind of want to drive
a big truck right now.

284
00:12:15,267 --> 00:12:17,580
What does New York City have
none of?

285
00:12:17,604 --> 00:12:18,581
Space.

286
00:12:18,605 --> 00:12:19,916
Growing in an urban environment

287
00:12:19,940 --> 00:12:21,617
is a totally
different experience.

288
00:12:21,641 --> 00:12:24,642
These tower gardens
are brilliant.

289
00:12:27,980 --> 00:12:29,625
Kari: There aren't many places
in the U.S.

290
00:12:29,649 --> 00:12:32,195
Where people outnumber trees.

291
00:12:32,219 --> 00:12:35,364
While there are 5.2 million
trees in New York City,

292
00:12:35,388 --> 00:12:37,533
that's actually 3 million
less than the number

293
00:12:37,557 --> 00:12:39,836
of people living here.

294
00:12:39,860 --> 00:12:42,805
One of the ways to make
a mega-city more livable

295
00:12:42,829 --> 00:12:44,107
is to add green space

296
00:12:44,131 --> 00:12:45,742
wherever possible.

297
00:12:45,766 --> 00:12:47,176
On the West Side of Manhattan,

298
00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:49,112
there's an old elevated
train line

299
00:12:49,136 --> 00:12:52,036
that's been repurposed into
a one-of-a-kind public park.

300
00:12:54,406 --> 00:12:56,486
Stretching for nearly
a mile and a half,

301
00:12:56,510 --> 00:13:00,723
it's a beautiful park that winds
through the towering buildings.

302
00:13:00,747 --> 00:13:03,459
The high line functions
as a green space in the city,

303
00:13:03,483 --> 00:13:05,895
but also as a green roof
with pathways

304
00:13:05,919 --> 00:13:08,464
designed to drain storm water
into plant beds

305
00:13:08,488 --> 00:13:10,188
rather than a sewer system.

306
00:13:12,391 --> 00:13:16,172
New York City is home
to roughly 1,700 parks.

307
00:13:16,196 --> 00:13:19,776
There are more trees planted
every year, and rooftop gardens

308
00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:22,745
and even urban farms
are popping up all over.

309
00:13:22,769 --> 00:13:24,280
These urban green spaces

310
00:13:24,304 --> 00:13:27,049
have proven
to have many positive effects,

311
00:13:27,073 --> 00:13:30,787
improving the air quality,
promoting activity,

312
00:13:30,811 --> 00:13:34,724
and providing an opportunity
to eat healthier.

313
00:13:34,748 --> 00:13:36,025
What a great example

314
00:13:36,049 --> 00:13:38,628
is happening
at green Bronx machine.

315
00:13:38,652 --> 00:13:42,431
Here, a group of young urban
farmers have found a unique way

316
00:13:42,455 --> 00:13:44,267
to make the south Bronx greener.

317
00:13:44,291 --> 00:13:46,769
Michaela: Today, we're learning
about plants and seedlings

318
00:13:46,793 --> 00:13:49,105
and how they grow
in unexpected places.

319
00:13:49,129 --> 00:13:50,573
Can you show me? Sure.

320
00:13:50,597 --> 00:13:53,109
Michaela Ritz is a graduate
of this program,

321
00:13:53,133 --> 00:13:54,811
which is run by her father,
Steven.

322
00:13:54,835 --> 00:13:57,547
[ Laughs ] Thank you.

323
00:13:57,571 --> 00:13:59,549
I didn't know
there'd be wardrobe.

324
00:13:59,573 --> 00:14:01,284
Is this what
the urban farmers wear?

325
00:14:01,308 --> 00:14:04,253
At least here in the Bronx
they do.

326
00:14:04,277 --> 00:14:07,623
The goal is to teach students
the importance of eating healthy

327
00:14:07,647 --> 00:14:09,125
and growing their own food

328
00:14:09,149 --> 00:14:11,761
to help green
the concrete jungle.

329
00:14:11,785 --> 00:14:14,797
We don't use soil here.
Kari: What is this, foam?

330
00:14:14,821 --> 00:14:16,632
No, this is rockwool.

331
00:14:16,656 --> 00:14:18,568
Michaela:
It's wool made from rock.

332
00:14:18,592 --> 00:14:20,269
Cool. You take the rock,

333
00:14:20,293 --> 00:14:21,337
you crush it up,

334
00:14:21,361 --> 00:14:23,472
and then once
it's very, very fine,

335
00:14:23,496 --> 00:14:26,542
you could spin it into thread
so that it sticks together,

336
00:14:26,566 --> 00:14:28,544
and that's what we put
our seeds in.

337
00:14:28,568 --> 00:14:30,213
It's very light.
Very light, right.

338
00:14:30,237 --> 00:14:32,181
Now, imagine if that was
a tray full of soil.

339
00:14:32,205 --> 00:14:33,249
Do you think
it would be the same?

340
00:14:33,273 --> 00:14:34,383
Oh, much heavier.

341
00:14:34,407 --> 00:14:36,085
That's another
reason rockwool helps us.

342
00:14:36,109 --> 00:14:39,255
It's light, space saving,
and it holds a lot of water.

343
00:14:39,279 --> 00:14:42,291
Well, that's a cool innovation.

344
00:14:42,315 --> 00:14:45,728
Inside the rockwool goes
a teaspoon of microgreens,

345
00:14:45,752 --> 00:14:49,465
which are tiny seeds that grow
a big bundle of plants...

346
00:14:49,489 --> 00:14:52,468
Kale, cabbage, and lettuce.

347
00:14:52,492 --> 00:14:54,437
Who wants to do arugula?

348
00:14:54,461 --> 00:14:56,372
The word "arugula"
is just a cool word to say.

349
00:14:56,396 --> 00:14:57,340
Rolls off your tongue.

350
00:14:57,364 --> 00:15:00,376
I know. Arugula.

351
00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,346
After a couple of days,
the seeds will sprout

352
00:15:03,370 --> 00:15:05,014
and then each bit of microgreens

353
00:15:05,038 --> 00:15:10,119
is moved to a tower structure,
creating a vertical farm.

354
00:15:10,143 --> 00:15:12,021
And so the water circulates
from the bottom

355
00:15:12,045 --> 00:15:13,623
down in here up to the top

356
00:15:13,647 --> 00:15:15,291
and then just drips
onto all the plants?

357
00:15:15,315 --> 00:15:16,392
Yeah, like a shower.

358
00:15:16,416 --> 00:15:19,829
This is so simple
but so elegant.

359
00:15:19,853 --> 00:15:22,164
You know what else is
pretty cool about these towers?

360
00:15:22,188 --> 00:15:23,366
It takes less space.

361
00:15:23,390 --> 00:15:24,867
It takes less space.

362
00:15:24,891 --> 00:15:27,236
And what is New York City
have none of?

363
00:15:27,260 --> 00:15:29,227
- Space.
- Space.

364
00:15:31,864 --> 00:15:35,912
We had to do this outside,
we would probably need an area

365
00:15:35,936 --> 00:15:39,482
the full size of this room
just to get enough food.

366
00:15:39,506 --> 00:15:41,884
And you can see
it's only a three-foot diameter

367
00:15:41,908 --> 00:15:44,020
for a tower.
We can roll it around.

368
00:15:44,044 --> 00:15:45,187
We could spin it.

369
00:15:45,211 --> 00:15:46,422
Kari: Growing
in an urban environment

370
00:15:46,446 --> 00:15:48,124
is a totally
different experience.

371
00:15:48,148 --> 00:15:49,892
These tower gardens
are brilliant.

372
00:15:49,916 --> 00:15:52,895
They take so little space,
but they grow so much.

373
00:15:52,919 --> 00:15:55,364
They're really
practical and efficient.

374
00:15:55,388 --> 00:15:58,234
They are about maybe
25 of us in total.

375
00:15:58,258 --> 00:16:00,636
All of you could get
a full bag of food

376
00:16:00,660 --> 00:16:04,240
from this amount of space
and what we grow.

377
00:16:04,264 --> 00:16:06,442
Does it taste better
when you grow it yourself?

378
00:16:06,466 --> 00:16:07,410
Yeah.

379
00:16:07,434 --> 00:16:09,946
Girl: Always so fresh.

380
00:16:09,970 --> 00:16:11,580
Beautiful.

381
00:16:11,604 --> 00:16:13,416
You guys have really
become experts.

382
00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:15,785
Yeah.

383
00:16:15,809 --> 00:16:19,121
So your energy
is going to provide the blenders

384
00:16:19,145 --> 00:16:20,489
with their power.

385
00:16:20,513 --> 00:16:23,292
Are you guys ready? Yeah!

386
00:16:23,316 --> 00:16:25,750
Kari: Go, go, go, go, go, go!

387
00:16:28,554 --> 00:16:30,366
Look at that.

388
00:16:30,390 --> 00:16:32,468
You not only get the exercise,
but you get to drink.

389
00:16:32,492 --> 00:16:34,537
There's a reward.

390
00:16:34,561 --> 00:16:36,672
♪♪

391
00:16:36,696 --> 00:16:38,841
Boo! Aah!

392
00:16:38,865 --> 00:16:43,245
What about growing plants makes
the city more livable for you?

393
00:16:43,269 --> 00:16:46,349
Isn't much places to plant
in New York City.

394
00:16:46,373 --> 00:16:49,552
Girl: Programs like this
just help our earth

395
00:16:49,576 --> 00:16:54,790
and make us all eat better,
sleep better, and feel better.

396
00:16:54,814 --> 00:16:58,260
It's giving the kids
what they need to live.

397
00:16:58,284 --> 00:17:01,130
That's why we have
the green Bronx machine.

398
00:17:01,154 --> 00:17:03,632
Kari: These young farmers
are all doing their part

399
00:17:03,656 --> 00:17:07,603
to make the city greener,
healthier, and more livable.

400
00:17:07,627 --> 00:17:11,273
You can have fun in knowing
that you're making a difference.

401
00:17:11,297 --> 00:17:13,009
All of the greenery around here

402
00:17:13,033 --> 00:17:14,777
creates such
a happy environment.

403
00:17:14,801 --> 00:17:16,211
It's bright,
and when you walk in,

404
00:17:16,235 --> 00:17:18,314
you just immediately
feel different.

405
00:17:18,338 --> 00:17:20,950
I think through
the power of a plant,

406
00:17:20,974 --> 00:17:23,119
it unlocks so much more.

407
00:17:23,143 --> 00:17:25,254
Cheers!

408
00:17:25,278 --> 00:17:27,590
Mmm, I can taste the bicycle.

409
00:17:27,614 --> 00:17:28,991
[ Laughs ]

410
00:17:29,015 --> 00:17:30,848
That's good.

411
00:17:31,884 --> 00:17:33,929
Oh, I'm going to race.

412
00:17:33,953 --> 00:17:37,166
Erica: You can get from
the Bronx to wall street

413
00:17:37,190 --> 00:17:38,134
in under an hour.

414
00:17:38,158 --> 00:17:39,935
So this is one of the solutions

415
00:17:39,959 --> 00:17:42,505
to making the city more
livable through transportation.

416
00:17:42,529 --> 00:17:44,295
Mm-hmm.

417
00:17:48,634 --> 00:17:51,280
Kari: In mega-cities where
millions of people are trying to get

418
00:17:51,304 --> 00:17:53,482
where they need to be,
getting from one place

419
00:17:53,506 --> 00:17:57,286
to another can be expensive
and time consuming.

420
00:17:57,310 --> 00:18:01,913
One key element to making a city
more livable... transportation.

421
00:18:05,384 --> 00:18:07,463
The five boroughs of
New York City

422
00:18:07,487 --> 00:18:11,300
are connected by Bridges,
tunnels, and ferries.

423
00:18:11,324 --> 00:18:12,802
[ Foghorn blows ]

424
00:18:12,826 --> 00:18:14,437
Despite all this traffic,

425
00:18:14,461 --> 00:18:17,440
less than half of the people
here own a car,

426
00:18:17,464 --> 00:18:19,375
so being able
to get around easily

427
00:18:19,399 --> 00:18:23,746
and affordably without one
is incredibly important.

428
00:18:23,770 --> 00:18:27,483
I cycle and I really enjoy that
because it's free for me,

429
00:18:27,507 --> 00:18:29,585
apart from maintaining my bike.

430
00:18:29,609 --> 00:18:32,054
And it gets me out and about
in the city in new spaces

431
00:18:32,078 --> 00:18:34,957
and places all the time.

432
00:18:34,981 --> 00:18:37,493
This bike path goes all the way
down the West Side.

433
00:18:37,517 --> 00:18:40,463
They built it just so you
can get across the city.

434
00:18:40,487 --> 00:18:42,731
Oh, I'm going to race.

435
00:18:42,755 --> 00:18:44,467
I'm beating you, cab driver.

436
00:18:44,491 --> 00:18:46,769
[ Bell rings ]

437
00:18:46,793 --> 00:18:48,003
To get around New York,

438
00:18:48,027 --> 00:18:49,805
I typically just take
the subway.

439
00:18:49,829 --> 00:18:52,675
It's most convenient,
it's the most affordable.

440
00:18:52,699 --> 00:18:54,143
I can just kind of
get on the train

441
00:18:54,167 --> 00:18:56,200
and get to wherever
I need to be.

442
00:18:59,138 --> 00:19:00,249
New York even boasts

443
00:19:00,273 --> 00:19:02,451
the country's
first commuter tramway,

444
00:19:02,475 --> 00:19:04,987
taking people to
and from Roosevelt island.

445
00:19:05,011 --> 00:19:07,823
It makes 115 trips a day.

446
00:19:07,847 --> 00:19:09,024
Is this your favorite way
to commute?

447
00:19:09,048 --> 00:19:10,226
Of course.

448
00:19:10,250 --> 00:19:12,194
How long you've been
operating the tram?

449
00:19:12,218 --> 00:19:14,363
Not that long. 42 years.

450
00:19:14,387 --> 00:19:15,798
42 years? Yeah.

451
00:19:15,822 --> 00:19:16,966
How long has the tram been here?

452
00:19:16,990 --> 00:19:19,034
42 years.

453
00:19:19,058 --> 00:19:21,937
Roosevelt island is
in the middle of the east river.

454
00:19:21,961 --> 00:19:25,207
It divides Manhattan
from queens and the Bronx.

455
00:19:25,231 --> 00:19:27,609
Once used mainly
for hospitals and prisons,

456
00:19:27,633 --> 00:19:31,313
the island now has
14,000 residents.

457
00:19:31,337 --> 00:19:34,650
Originally, when this tram
was built in 1976,

458
00:19:34,674 --> 00:19:36,385
it was because
the subways were being built,

459
00:19:36,409 --> 00:19:38,587
so this was another way
to get across.

460
00:19:38,611 --> 00:19:40,256
When I got this job,
they told me

461
00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:41,657
I'll have it for two years

462
00:19:41,681 --> 00:19:43,192
because then their subway
will come

463
00:19:43,216 --> 00:19:44,960
and they were going to
demolish this.

464
00:19:44,984 --> 00:19:47,863
Took them 17 years to build
that subway after that,

465
00:19:47,887 --> 00:19:50,966
and it became an icon,
so we're still here.

466
00:19:50,990 --> 00:19:54,170
It's definitely beautiful.
Isn't it nice?

467
00:19:54,194 --> 00:19:56,505
Scenic views of
the east river give a glimpse

468
00:19:56,529 --> 00:19:59,375
into another mode
of transportation.

469
00:19:59,399 --> 00:20:02,945
As far back as 1642,
travelers used waterways

470
00:20:02,969 --> 00:20:06,382
surrounding the city
to move about by ferry.

471
00:20:06,406 --> 00:20:08,484
Over 350 years later,

472
00:20:08,508 --> 00:20:11,253
more than 23 ferries
are in operation,

473
00:20:11,277 --> 00:20:14,423
transporting 9 million people
every year.

474
00:20:14,447 --> 00:20:16,325
Look at this.
You get a great view

475
00:20:16,349 --> 00:20:18,327
when you're up on top deck, huh?
You do.

476
00:20:18,351 --> 00:20:20,996
You can still see the city,
you can see the Bridges.

477
00:20:21,020 --> 00:20:23,165
I think one of the best things
that you can see

478
00:20:23,189 --> 00:20:24,967
on the top deck
is all the Bridges.

479
00:20:24,991 --> 00:20:29,171
I love going under the Bridges.
That is the coolest part.

480
00:20:29,195 --> 00:20:32,942
And you can see so much
of the city that you can't see

481
00:20:32,966 --> 00:20:34,910
in your car or underground.

482
00:20:34,934 --> 00:20:36,478
You can see the landscapes,

483
00:20:36,502 --> 00:20:38,948
you can see the trees
changing colors.

484
00:20:38,972 --> 00:20:40,883
You see a different New York.

485
00:20:40,907 --> 00:20:42,184
Look at all those crazy people
up there

486
00:20:42,208 --> 00:20:46,088
in the cars and traffic,

487
00:20:46,112 --> 00:20:47,790
all that concentrating
on things.

488
00:20:47,814 --> 00:20:49,425
I can just, like, zone out here.

489
00:20:49,449 --> 00:20:51,660
You can. Look at the view.

490
00:20:51,684 --> 00:20:53,862
The waters haven't really
been used that much,

491
00:20:53,886 --> 00:20:58,434
and everyone sticks to being
underground or being in traffic.

492
00:20:58,458 --> 00:20:59,802
There's no traffic on the water.

493
00:20:59,826 --> 00:21:03,405
You can get from the Bronx
to wall street in under an hour.

494
00:21:03,429 --> 00:21:05,574
All right, so if I were
going to race a taxi,

495
00:21:05,598 --> 00:21:07,977
would I win if I took the boat?
Yeah.

496
00:21:08,001 --> 00:21:09,878
So this is one of the solutions

497
00:21:09,902 --> 00:21:12,414
to making the city more livable
through transportation.

498
00:21:12,438 --> 00:21:14,883
Mm-hmm.
It's a new way of exploring

499
00:21:14,907 --> 00:21:16,752
the city, getting to work,

500
00:21:16,776 --> 00:21:19,655
cruising your city,
as we like to say, so yeah.

501
00:21:19,679 --> 00:21:22,424
With plans for new ferry routes,
subway lines,

502
00:21:22,448 --> 00:21:25,394
and dedicated bus-
and bike-only lanes,

503
00:21:25,418 --> 00:21:27,429
New York City
is committed to easy

504
00:21:27,453 --> 00:21:29,265
and affordable
public transportation

505
00:21:29,289 --> 00:21:30,866
throughout the five boroughs.

506
00:21:30,890 --> 00:21:33,224
Totally outpacing the traffic.

507
00:21:35,894 --> 00:21:39,208
So what does it take to make
a mega-city more livable?

508
00:21:39,232 --> 00:21:44,346
People greening the city,
recycling,

509
00:21:44,370 --> 00:21:48,584
building places
for each other to live.

510
00:21:48,608 --> 00:21:51,353
People who are actually
taking care of their community.

511
00:21:51,377 --> 00:21:53,856
Each one doing
their own small part

512
00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:57,593
to make life better
for their fellow new yorkers.

513
00:21:57,617 --> 00:22:00,518
That's what's going to make
New York City more livable.