Past and Present

An estimated 27 men died during the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge; even more suffered health issues. Workers called "sandhogs," excavated the river beds to make room for caissons. They worked in extreme heat and pressure, often subject to the "bends," caused by resurfacing to normal atmospheric pressure too quickly—symptoms included extreme muscle pain, cramping, vomiting, and slurred speech, among others. Digging was suspended after three men died.

Engineers tried to minimize the human cost, but it was already present. Other laborers fell to their deaths or had pieces of the bridge fall on them. It is still not known the exact number of deaths resulting from the bridge's construction, as laborers who died as a result of their injuries later would not be counted. Even after its completion, on the day of the opening, a woman was killed when there was a sudden stampede.

To this day, crowding is a major concern of the bridge. Though tourism—and therefore, pedestrian use—have increased, most of the width of the bridge is devoted to private transportation for cars. At its opening, the IRT (the precursor to the subway) occupied part of the bridge, but its function as part of public transit has nearly disappeared. Today, bike lanes have been completely eliminated, and the promenade is as narrow as ten feet in places. On busy days, as many as 25,000 pedestrians cross the bridge.

Though the construction of the bridge was costly, today it is still an engineering marvel. At the time it was built, it was the longest bridge in the world and the first to use many of its design features. Its longevity demonstrates its strength, and it will continue to attract tourists for this reason.

Site Visit

We visited the Brooklyn Bridge as pedestrians, entering through a small staircase on the walkway between the lanes of cars. The bike lane used to be on this promenade, and was one of the first bike lanes in New York City, but now cyclists are prohibited. From the walkway, we had a view of other famous landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, possibly contributing to the bridge's status as a tourist destination.

Much of the bridge is, in fact, dedicated to tourists; most of the people we encountered seemed to be tourists, taking pictures of, with, or even climbing on the bridge. We passed vendors selling food and souvenirs (New York tote bags, New York hats). The lines on the walkway were faded from heavy foot traffic. On busy days, the bridge can attract as many as 25,000 visitors, and yet the bridge is as narrow as 10 feet at points. Part of the bridge's attractiveness to people around the world is its longevity. Build in the late 19th century, it was the first bridge to use steel for cable wires and was the longest in the world at the time of its opening.

We also observed a lot of litter. Besides the obvious trash, there were also "love locks" attached many places on the bridge. Their weight is dangerous to the bridge's stability and it costs over $100,000 for the Department of Transportation to remove them each year.

Future Site

In order to think about positive change for the bridge, it is important to consider current design flaws. First, the bridge is currently unsafe, especially for pedestrians. The promenade is narrow, and as a tourist destination, the bridge can become extremely crowded. This creates the possibility for a situation similar to the stampede at the bridge’s opening. There is a dissonance between who is primarily using the space and who—or rather, what—is being prioritized. Further, climate change makes the future of the bridge uncertain. Though the bridge's construction was harmful, its historical value as a feat of engineering should not be underestimated. In order to preserve the bridge, future designs should attempt to protect it from environmental changes to come such as flooding.

First, cars should be removed to the Brooklyn Bridge. Not only would this create more room for pedestrians, it would allow bike paths to be reopened and alleviate a great amount of weight from the bridge. Removing cars, therefore, would make the bridge more public both by reducing crowding and by making the bridge accessible to cyclists.

Water levels are rising, and as that happens floods will increasingly overcome the bridge. Future designers will need to take this into account to properly accomodate for pedestrian safety and accessibility. We should also take advantage of native wildlife to maintain the health of a flooded bridge, to not only return the bridge to the public but to nature.

Future Object

The future object we imagine for the Brooklyn Bridge is a combination of a light fixture and planter. The top of the object will be used to plant the species of aquatic plant called elodea, also known as waterweed. The plant is native to New York and can survive both submerged and above water. The bottom of the object will be used to hold a dock light, a type of LED light meant to attract fish. Our material is absorbent and could be used for a third purpose: to keep as much water off of the bridge's surface as possible, maximizing pedestrian safety.

When the bridge floods, the dock light will attract fish to clean the bridge and the waterweed will provide cover for the fish. This will reduce the maintenance that will need to be done on the walkways after a flood. When the bridge is dry, the planters can still be enjoyed by the public and lights will maximize safety by illuminating the walkway. (After removing cars from the bridge, additional lighting will be needed on the two side promenades.)

Material

Our material is made of oak sawdust, used coffee grounds, and rooibos tea. These three are binded together by a water-cornstarch paste. Once fully dry, a process that takes at least a week (but can be sped up using a dehydrator) the planters are sturdy and difficult to break. Additionally, the oak has been shown to act as a fertilizer which will help to maintain the health of the waterweed.