The big data partnership between NYU's Center for Urban Science and Progress and Hudson Yards, the largest private development in US history, will change the way builders think about sustainability. Continual tracking of green features will provide a road map for every building that comes after. (The Guardian won a Pulitzer for its article on surveillance, so... where's ours?)

Charlotte Matthews is sustainability chief for Related, which is building Hudson Yards with Oxford Properties. She tells us it'll be the world's first Quantified Community. That means CUSP will track energy, water, waste, and air quality for the two office towers, 500 residences, 100 stores, 20 restaurants, observation deck, and six acres of public space that'll host 24 million people a year. The game changer, though, Charlotte says, is that Related will put that data to action. Her goal is to make Hudson Yards the most efficient living environment in the world, but Related can't achieve that on Day 1.

Imagine, for instance, how much water will flow through the 17M SF rendered above. Related's tracking of its existing buildings has already revealed that the rule of thumb for what size hot water systems to use is too high. Without risking a cold shower, Related can install smaller equipment and pump less water, Charlotte says. The CUSP inititative at Hudson Yards will be larger and provide a constant feedback loop on resources, design, and operations and come with CUSP's expert advice on adjustments.