Urban Revitalization using Green Infrastructure and Conservation Planning
Ted Brown and Scott WhalenBiohabitats, Inc. and WK Dickson
June 17, 2015
Outline
Sustainability/Resiliency – Whole Systems, Biodiversity, Water
Emerging Issues
Regenerative Design - the Green/Living Infrastructure Approach
Case Studies – Project examples
Town Creek Culvert
Linda Lake
RiverBend Master Plan, BOA, and Shoreline Restoration – Buffalo, NY
Washington Avenue Green Park – Philadelphia, PA
Baltimore Inner Harbor Floating Wetlands and Pilot Projects – Baltimore, MD
Climate ChangeHabitat FragmentationInvasive SpeciesAir/Water PollutionBiodiversity Loss6th Great Extinction?
- E.O. Wilson
Biodiversity
…the sum of an area’s genes, species, and ecosystems
Richness = Stability = Resiliency
Sustainability – Whole systems
Triple bottom line
People – culture
Interactions
Educational
Relationships
Faith
Planet – ecology
Productive soils
Clean air
Fresh water
Biodiversity
Climate regulation
Prosperity – economy
Prosperity
Equality
Security
Landscape Ecology
Conservation Biology
Ecosystem Services
Provisioning services
Regulating services
Supporting services
Cultural services
• food (including seafood and game), crops, wild foods, and spices and medicines
• water
• energy (hydropower, biomass fuels)
• carbon sequestration and climate regulation
• waste decomposition and detoxification
• purification of water and air
• crop pollination
• pest and disease control
• nutrient dispersal and cycling
• seed dispersal
• primary production
• cultural, intellectual and spiritual inspiration
• recreational experiences (including ecotourism)
City of Philadelphia: Green City/ Clean Water Report
Benefits of implementation 50% Green Infrastructure Approach to limit CSO events, Monetized over 40 years
Recreational Use and Value $520 million
Enhanced Aesthetics $575 million (improved property values –residential only)
Water Quality and Aquatic Habitat Enhancement $330 million (total willingness to pay)
Wetland Enhancement and Creation $1.6 million
Poverty Reduction (Green Jobs) $125 million (avoided costs of social services linked to added jobs)
Energy Use and related emissions $34 million energy savings, $21 million for reduced CO2, $46 million for reduced net damages from SOx and NOx
Air Quality Pollutant removal $130 million
TOTAL BENEFITS $1.7 billion in external benefits
*Summary does not include the external costs associated with the 30’ tunnel approach.http://www.phillywatersheds.org/what_were_doing/documents_and_data/cso_long_term_control_plan
Institute for Sustainable InfrastructureEnvisionTM Rating System
•Detailed series of process and performance objectives for infrastructure
–Addresses overall contribution to sustainability –Considers how the project was conceived, designed and delivered
•Ratings based on –What was considered–What was achieved
Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure EnvisionTM Rating System
Envision™ Structure
Potential SITES credits with Environmental Site Design
Manage stormwater onsite
Protect and enhance onsite water resources
Design rainwater features to provide landscape amenity
Use native plants
Preserve/restore plant communities native to ecoregion
Use vegetation to minimize building heating/cooling requ.
Reduce heat island effects
Provide views of vegetation and quiet outdoor spaces
Reduce outdoor energy consumption for landscape and exterior operations
Innovation in site design
http://www.sustainablesites.org/report/
Water Supply
• Lack of coherent policy for collecting, conserving and using fresh water
• “Cheap and plentiful” no more?
• Ongoing water crisis in many areas
• Implications for food and disease
The Problems with Stormwater Runoff
Defining Green Infrastructure
Green infrastructure is strategically planned and managed networks of natural lands, working landscapes and other open spaces that conserve ecosystem values and functions and provide associated benefits to human populations. -Conservation Fund (broad scale, landscape planning )
Green infrastructure is an approach to wet weather management that is cost-effective, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. Green Infrastructure management approaches and technologies infiltrate, evapotranspire, capture and reuse stormwater to maintain or restore natural hydrologies. -US EPA (site scale, stormwater management )
The Regenerative Design ApproachA design paradigm where human activities are deeply integrated with living systems, continuously building biological diversity, resilience and community spirit.
Copyright Biohabitats
Landscape Amenities and Open Space
Around Buildings
Streets and Streetscapes
Parking Lots
Sidewalks and Public Plazas
Rooftops
Green Infrastructure in Neighborhood Design Low Impact Development & Urban Ecology
Photos Copyright Biohabitats
StormwaterManagement Wetland
Landscape Amenity
Native Habitat Enhancement and Buffer
Research and Learning opportunity
Stacked benefits of Green/Living Infrastructure
Photo Copyright Biohabitats
Landscape Conversion: Native Vegetation
Case Studies
Regenerative, Green and Gray Infrastructure DesignTown Creek Culvert Project Urban Gray and Green Infrastructure RetrofitGreenville, NC
Need Images or similar to pdf of ER/EID of 2.1.1.2, 2.1.1.3 and
Watershed Overview and Project Overview Town Creek Culvert Project Urban Gray and Green Infrastructure RetrofitGreenville, NC
Treats
258
acres!
Regional RSC
Source: West Virginia Stormwater Management & Design Guidance Manual
• Boulders and cobble will line the entire riffle
• Boulders will be structurally supported with rebar and concrete
• Larger cobble will be used to minimize cell erosion
Proposed Design Size:
250’ Long X 40’ Wide
Town
Creek:
258 ac
Town Creek Annual Nitrogen Loads
Existing: 14.5 lb-N/ac (3750 lb-N)
Post Retrofit: 9.1 lb-N/ac (2330 lb-N)
N Reduction: 5.4 lb-N/ac (1420 lb-N)
Converting 54% of Town Creek Watershed (140 ac = 49 city blocks)
to Coastal Plain Forest !
Coastal Plain
Forested
Watersheds
Forest: 4.5 lb-N/ac
Urban, 118 ac: 1710 lb-N
Forest, 140 ac: 620 lb-N
Total, 258 ac: 2340 lb-N
ER/EID Costs
Proposed Solution Costs
3rd/4th St RSC RSC 190.88 197,800.00$ 1,036.25$
3rd St RSC RSC 10.76 33,600.00$ 3,122.39$
4th/5th St
Bioretention Bioretention w/ IWS 39.73 178,800.00$ 4,500.38$
Inlet Capture Device Filtera/Silva Cell 3.60 20,500.00$ 5,694.44$
City Park Wetland Wetland 5.45 49,020.00$ 8,989.55$
Reade St. PP Permeable Pavement 1.23 108,900.00$ 88,536.59$
Totals* 251.65 588,620.00$
2,339.01$
SRF Recommended BMPs
Basin(s) Stormwater Control Measure Nitrogen Removal (lb/yr) Installation Cost ($)$ per lb N Removed
per yr
Cost per Pollutant Removed ($/lb N Removed/yr)
Regenerative DesignLinda Lake Regenerative Stormwater ConveyanceGreen Infrastructure Pilot Project Charlotte, NC
Discharge
Unintended Consequences
Unintended Consequences
Unintended Consequences
Sequencing
Cascade w/ Pools
Alternating Riffles and Pools
From West VA Stormwater Management & Design Guidance Manual
Retrofit: RSC
Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance
Substrate
Conservation Planning and Ecological Restoration RiverBend Redevelopment Master PlanBrownfield Redevelopment Planning Buffalo, NY
http://www.thelandbank.org/Landuseconf/Reimagining_Chevy_in_the_Hole.pdf , http://epa.gov/brownfields/tools/swdp0408.pdf, http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/50481,
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~nassauer/UrbanDesign/Links/LID_Presentation.pdf
Rebekah VanWieren, Dave LaClergue, Emily Marshall Duchon, and Jennifer Dowdell
RiverBend Site, 2010
NEIGHBORHOOD LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
• Ecological Stepping Stones
• Water ways
• Open Space
TIFFT NATURE PRESERVE
SOUTHPARK
CAZENOVIA PARK
BUFFALO RIVER GREENWAY PARKS AND PRESERVES
TIMES BEACH
PRESERVE
RIVERBEND
HOPKINS NEIGHBORHOOD
Desktop Analysis and Site Field Reconnaissance
Soils Morphology Containment & Berms Vegetation
RiverBend Site, 2010
Full Restoration
Responding to:• Historic and existing landform
• Hydrologic and habitat patterns
• Connection potential along Buffalo River and to Tifft Nature Preserve
RIPARIAN FOREST
MESIC FOREST
GRASSLAND
MARSH
MARSH
SHORELINE RESTORATION
With Development
Responding to:• Historic and existing landforms
• Hydrologic and habitat patterns
• Habitat size requirements
• Connection potential along Buffalo River and to Tifft Nature Preserve
• Development needs onsite, connections to river and rails
RIPARIAN FOREST
MESIC FOREST
GRASSLAND
MARSH/WETLAND
MARSH/ WETLAND
RIVER RESTORATION
FORESTED CANOPYINTEGRATED WITH
DEVELOPMENT
Green Infrastructure Plan
Treats all stormwater runoff
Meets stormwater regulations
Enhances river and riparian habitat
Provides bird habitat
Establishes pollinator habitat
Strengthens wildlife corridors
Reduces heat island affect
Generates healthy soils
Public access to the Buffalo River
Creates a healthy, vibrant, resilient place
Greenway Plan
Urban Ecology
Stormwater Management
Trails and Access
Biofilter Planters
SASAKI ASSOC.
TIFFT NATURE PRESERVE
TIMES BEACH
PRESERVE
Shoreline Restoration and Enhanced Access to the Buffalo River
Washington Avenue Green at Pier 53
Philadelphia, PA
Regenerative Design – Urban Ecology
Copyright Biohabitats
Project features
• Native vegetation plantings
• Framed views out to the river
• Demonstration floating wetlands
• Stormwater management rain garden
• Public-environmental art interpretation
• Interpretive signage
• Sustainable reuse of on-site materials
• Enhanced trail-porous asphalt
Biohabitats
Dendritic Decay Gardens Copyright Biohabitats
Photos Copyright Bioabitats
Rubble MeadowCopyright Biohabitats
Copyright Biohabitats
Copyright Biohabitats
Rain GardenCopyright Biohabitats
Rain GardenRain Garden
Copyright Biohabitats
Photo Credit: Biohabitats
Inner Harbor Floating WetlandsBaltimore, MD
Ecological Restoration – Aquatic Ecology Innovations
Photo Simulation: Biohabitats
Credit: Biohabitats
Floating wetlands provide biofiltrationand habitat enhancement
Credit: Biohabitats
Credit: Biohabitats
Urban Waterfront Floating Wetlands
Credit: Biohabitats
Healthy Harbor Pilot Projects
“Fishable Swimmable Inner Harbor”http://www.biohabitats.com/projects/baltimore-healthy-harbor/
Questions