Call him a technotraditionalist. Or a futuristic preservationist. But no matter how you describe him, Michael Kwartler is revolutionizing the way the Big Apple manages its built environment.
As director of the Environmental Simulation Center at the New School for Social Research, Kwartler uses CAD programs and sophisticated databases to help community groups and businesses with their urban planning needs - before they begin demolition or construction. As Kwartler says, "The process allows you to see things before you do something foolish."
The center's crown jewel is a digital database of buildings in Manhattan, each "built" using three-dimensional imaging software. This model, which encompasses a fifth of the city's structures, allows preservationists and would-be developers to search on 50 fields of data, including vacancies, floor sizes, and zoning codes.
The best part? You can sail above the digital city, much like flying in a helicopter. "Seeing is believing," Kwartler says. "When you recognize buildings, the urban landscape becomes visceral."
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Sim New York City
