Building emergy analysis of Manhattan: Density parameters for high-density and high-rise developments

To better understand how cities work, this study performs emergy (spelled with an “m”) synthesis of buildings on Manhattan Island. Conventional emergy studies have focused on much larger unit of analysis; however, architects, urban designers, and policymakers are operating on a smaller scale of building, block, neighborhood, and district. This study contributes to overcoming the scale and resolution mismatch between the macro- and micro-levels. Overall emergy for entire buildings on Manhattan Island is computed by adopting square-foot-base building cost estimation technique to emergy synthesis. We found that high-density and high-rise developments can achieve their maximum empower at the range of 1-5 Floor Area Ratio (FAR; an indicator of development density computed as total building floor area divided by total parcel area) and building height under 40 stories.