An average of 110,000 cars travel through the Southside via the BQE daily, emitting approximately 20,000 pounds of pollutants every day. It’s not surprising the Southside has among the highest asthma rates in the city. BQGreen will reduce air and water pollution, and reduce the instances of asthma and other health-related issues caused by air pollution.
The Urban Lab for Open Spaces on the Southside
The Urban Lab for Open Spaces on the Southside is an initiative of El Puente’s Green Light District (GLD) to study the state of the parks and playgrounds in Williamsburg, as well as park users and the quality of air these users breathe. In collaboration with The New School’s Tischman Environment and Design Center, GLD’s Environmental Justice and Open Space team, youth, and mothers serving as volunteers will interview park users, conduct air monitoring, and count truck traffic. The project will target four open spaces along the BQE for six weeks. The information collected will help GLD’s Environmental Justice team and Mothers Out Front create a campaign to advocate for BQGreen.