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Sustainable Stormwater Management

We Will Now Begin the Second Presentation

Please Welcome:

Clark Wilson

USEPA--Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation Smart Growth Program

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Clark Wilson, US EPA Smart Growth Division

Green Streets – From Grey Funnels to Green Sponges

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Green Infrastructure

•Involves an array of products, technologies, and practices that use natural systems – or engineered systems that mimic natural processes – to enhance overall environmental quality and provide utility services.

•Uses soils and vegetation to infiltrate, evapotranspirate, and/or reuse stormwater runoff.

•Can simultaneously help filter air pollutants, reduce energy demands, mitigate urban heat islands, and sequester carbon while also providing communities with aesthetic and natural resource benefits.

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(No comment)

Flagstaff, AZSource: Community Design + Architecture

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SW 12th St, Portland, OR

Designer: Kevin Perry, City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services

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SW 12th St, Portland, OR

Designer: Kevin Perry, City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services

From this…

To this…

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Solutions.org Designer: Nevue Ngan & Associates with URS Engineers

Sandy Boulevard, Portland, OR

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Solutions.org Designer: Nevue Ngan & Associates with URS Engineers

Sandy Boulevard, Portland, OR

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What is EPA’s Smart Growth role?

EPA Smart Growth Activities:

•Provide information on model programs, policies & resources

•Develop analytical tools and provide technical assistance

•Research and policy analysis

•Regulatory support

•Provide multiple benefits

•Develop partnerships

EPA helps the development industry, states, cities and towns create prosperous, healthy, sustainable

communities

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ITE “Context Sensitive Streets” Guidebook

Detailed design guidelines that….

• are tailored to the urban context of a street

• ensure design alternatives conform to AASHTO standards

• provide detailed case study examples with street cross sections

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•Creates safer conditions for walking and bicycling

•Where it’s safe, get children walking and biking

•Where it’s not safe, make changes

West Valley City, UT

School Siting and Safe Routes to School

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Model Smart Growth Codes

Model Smart Growth Codes and Regulations Work to Create Complete Neighborhoods and Corridors Incorporating:

• Green Infrastructure• Stormwater Boulevards• 2-Lane Street Crossing over Habitat Corridors• Short Blocks• Proximity to Transit Corridors• Walkability

Image: Farr Associates

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Smart Growth and Emergency Response

Opportunities for collaboration exist:

•Performance measures –define the metrics of safety that includes the pedestrian•Connectivity – provides multiple routes to an emergency site •Setback requirements – buildings closer to street improves access for fire vehicles •Construction techniques –greater attention to design and detail in constructing multi-story and compact buildings

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Small MS4 Permit Framework

•Working directly in three states

•The approach of incorporating green infrastructure into state stormwater permits was just released nationally

•We’ve received numerous calls from other states who are interested and need additional information

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EPA Technical Assistance Program

•City of Denver – Living Streets Initiative

•Sussex County, Delaware – Stormwater Design Guidebook

•Northern Kentucky Sanitation District #1 –Green Infrastructure Tool Box

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Northern Kentucky Sanitation District No.1

Covington, KN - Northern KN SD1 Technical AssistanceSource: Kevin Perry, Nevue Ngan and Associates

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Polling Question #5

Who has used any of the resources produced by the EPA Smart Growth Division?

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•Incorporate ecological, community and mobility functions

•Support compact communities

• Promote least-polluting transportation performance

• Preserve environmental resources within and beyond the right of way

Implementing Smart Growth Streets

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•Casting a wide net

•Creating a project pool of case studies

•Documenting successes

•Synthesizing findings

Implementing Smart Growth Streets

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Tier 1 Projects

Project Location Category

Octavia Boulevard San Francisco, CA Multiway Boulevard

High Point Seattle, WA Neighborhood

Headwaters at Tryon Creek Portland, OR Neighborhood

Michigan Avenue Raingardens

Lansing, MI Completely Green

Leland Avenue Streetscape San Francisco, CA Completely Green

Luma Condominiums Los Angeles, CA Completely Green

Bird Rock / La Jolla Boulevard

San Diego, CA Livable Streets

Cermak / Blue Island Streetscape

Chicago, IL Standout Streets

West Main Street Louisville, KY Standout Streets

Riverfront Parkway Chattanooga, TN Standout Streets

Implementing Smart Growth Streets

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Verano Blvd

Flatbush Ave.Iowa Green Streets

12th St. West Main St.

Riverfront Parkway

Mobile Manor

Cermak Blue Island

Michigan Avenue

High Point Taylor 28Route 527

HeadwatersNew Columbia

Octavia BlvdLeland Ave

Bird Rock / La Jolla

Luma

Project Locations

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High Point, Seattle New Columbia, Portland

•Reconstructed public housing: Federal HOPE VI program

•Circulation system planned as part of total neighborhood

•BMPs for natural storm water drainage integrated into the public way

Top: High Point photo: Harrison RueBottom: New Columbia photo: Ellen Greenberg

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•Highly connected street grid (shown in dark brown) replaced street pattern connecting to larger community in four locations

Image: Marcy McInelly, SERA-Urbsworks

New Columbia, Portland, OR

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•101 pocket swales, 30 flow-through planter boxes and 41 public infiltration dry wells

•98% of stormwater retained on-site

Image: Marcy McInelly, SERA-Urbsworks

New Columbia, Portland, OR

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High Point, Seattle

•Roads sized like surrounding older network

•Connectivity increased

•Bike network

Image: Seattle Public Utilities

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High Point, Seattle

•Newly redeveloped, showcasing smart growth approaches

•Network and facility design planned as part of total neighborhood

•BMPs for natural storm water drainage integrated into the public way

Image: Harrison Rue

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Luma and Downtown StreetsLos Angeles

A fresh approach to downtown L.A.’s streets as part of a new condominium project

Image: Luma

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Luma and Downtown Streets

•Streets transformed to provide an appealing setting for downtown redevelopment

•Buildings are LEED-Gold certified

•Dedicated ROW width devoted to public realm instead of travel lanes

Image: Luma

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Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI

•Creation of attractive, walkable streetscapes as part of the City’s combined sewer overflow (CSO) project

•Six downtown blocks included in initial project

Image: Tetratech

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Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI

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Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI

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12th Street, Kansas City MO

•Rain gardens and bulbouts installed in downtown’s government district, calming traffic while greening the street

Image: Assassi | BNIM Architects

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Solutions.org Image: Jim Schuessler, BNIM Architects

12th Street, Kansas City MO

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Taylor 28, Seattle

•In a downtown area planned for redevelopment

•Re-allocating ROW from travelway to public realm

•Under construction in 2009

Image: Mithun

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Cermak / Blue Island StreetscapeChicago

•Improving an older industrial street sand railroad corridor –

•Both streets: designated arterials and designated truck routes

•Introducing new sustainable techniques and streetscape elements

•FHWA’s only “Eco-logical” grantee in urban area

•$14.5 million project

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Cermak / Blue Island Streetscape

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Re-Tooling Efforts

Seattle, WASan Francisco, CA

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Image: Steve Price

San Francisco, CA

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Image: Steve Price

San Francisco, CA

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Seattle, WA

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Seattle, WA

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Energize: Create an environment for investment that supports local economic development and retail success;Move: Provide sustainable mobility through efficient movement of multiple modes including walking, biking, transit and vehicles.Distinguish: Create a unique place and destination that tells the story of its local areaRefresh: Ensure infrastructure works with local systems to enhance the natural and human environmentsCare: Promote community stewardship, ownership and public space programming

Washington, DC

Great Streets Principles:

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16th Street NE to Oklahoma Avenue NE

Washington, DC

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16th Street NE to Oklahoma Avenue NE

Washington, DC

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•Initiated by the PWD – Philadelphia Water Department

•“Greening Our Streets” conference held October 2008

Philadelphia, PA

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Photo by Paul Rider

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Photo by Paul Rider

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Photo by Paul Rider

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Challenges?

There are a few…

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•Standards: irrelevant or worse

•Institutional cooperation and coordination

•Patchwork of funding sources

•Suitability of right of way

•Resistance to change

Challenges

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•Cross departmental effort

•Work “outside” of regulations and standards

•Examples to emulate

•The right Participants

High Point, SeattleSource: Harrison Rue, ICF International

Keys to Successful Implementation

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•Executive Leadership

•City Leadership

•Civic Organizations

•Consultants

•Local Stakeholders

•State Government

Michigan Avenue, LansingSource: Tetratech

The Right Participants

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“Stormwater is not a mechanical system. It is an

environmental process, joining the atmosphere, the soil,

vegetation, land use, and streams, and sustaining

landscapes.”

Bruce K. Ferguson