A recent article by Urban Gardens features New York City designer Marco Antonio Castro Cosio. As part of his graduate thesis at New York University the designer presented a project that “aims to reclaim the forgotten space on the tops of city buses, while enhancing the quality of urban life by proliferating green spaces on these unused bus roofs.” Urban Gardens Article

[This post was mentioned on Twitter by Urban Gardens, Urban Gardens and Lilian Voshaar, Ellen Sousa.]

When we heard about this project we were thrilled. It turns out that great minds think alike! Youth participants from the Museum’s A City of Neighborhoods workshop identified similar challenges to the NYC bus transportation system and responded with their own prototype, the GreenWay.

[Greenway Sketch]

In the spring of 2010 students from DreamYard Prep School in the Morrisania section of the South Bronx decided to use the skills they acquired during the workshop to design an eco-friendly transportation system. The GreenWay is a proposed bus system which addresses transportation, sanitation, safety, and recreation challenges identified in the community. The GreenWay includes a green roof equipped with plant life to capture and store rain water for re-use in cleaning the bus. The roof also includes solar panels which capture energy to power the bus. There are street sweepers below the belly of the bus to help maintain keep streets clean. The front portion of the GreenWay includes a large portal designed to enable the driver a broader peripheral view of pedestrians and traffic to enhance safety. The interior of the bus includes interactive screens, Wi-Fi, and comfortable seating for a more pleasant ride. A convenient trash receptacle is located under each seat to store and hide the trash. The trash is later sorted and recycled. The remaining compost is sold to local farms. A City of Neighborhoods is one of many FREE programs offered to New York City high school students through the Museum’s education department. This 11-session workshop offers youth participants the opportunity to learn about the design process and how design can affect and improve a community. To learn more about the education programs offered through the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum click here

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