Charles River Watershed Association

Strategies for Urban Development: The Blue Cities Approach and Case Studies

• Who we are and what we do

• The Blue Cities approach

• Implementing the approach

• Project case studies

• Successes and Challenges

Strategies for Urban Development: The Blue Cities Approach and Case Studies

• Environmental Science and Advocacy Organization founded in 1965

• Mission: To use science, advocacy and the law to protect, preserve and enhance the Charles River and its watershed

Charles River Watershed Association

• Water quality • Sediments • Floods and low flows • Groundwater • Ecosystem and habitat • Algal blooms

Impacts of Urbanization on Rivers

Standard Urban Development

• Pave • Pipe • Pump

Standard Urban Problems

• Floods

• Water table changes

• Degraded rivers and streams

• Hot, noisy urban canyons

In Massachusetts, average annual runoff increases from 4.2” to 23” and groundwater recharge decreases from 21” to 6.3”.

Impacts of Urbanization on Natural Water Cycle

Blue Cities is a water-oriented approach to urban development and redevelopment that promote designs for the built environment that engages with every stage of the water cycle. Going beyond “green” building, “blue cities” embraces green infrastructure design with the aim of restoring the natural water cycle in the built environment

CRWA’s Blue Cities Initiative

• Water centric planning and urban design

• Mimic natural water cycle and restore hydrologic integrity

• Retrofit sites to incorporate “green infrastructure”

• Build on links to open space, public health and public realm needs

Pre-development

Post-development

CRWA’s Blue Cities Initiative

CRWA’s Blue Cities Initiative

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Try to make this…

Blue Cities Guide

Public realm/neighborhood scale approaches

• Green streets and Greenways • Integrate stormwater management

with existing open space • Stream daylighting • Regional retention and detention

systems

Large site scale approaches

• Parking lot retrofits • Courtyard retrofits • Permeable

pavement • Constructed

wetlands and other retention and detention systems

• Cisterns/ rainbarrels • Rain gardens • Stormwater planters

Residential/ small site scale approaches

Blue Cities Analysis and Design Process

Existing Conditions Analysis and Data Compilation

Neighborhood Assessment and Surveys

Issues and Opportunities Analysis

Concept Design and Visualization

Recommendations for Green Infrastructure Retrofits

Implementing Blue Cities • Creating Partnerships

– Engaging cities, towns, state, universities / institutions

– Grassroots advocacy and work with community groups

• Public Education, Site Visits, Workshops

– Public charettes and forums – Target audience workshops – Site visit to University of New Hampshire

Stormwater Center

• Developing Sub-watershed Restoration Plans – Green infrastructure assessment and

design in urban and sub-urban contexts

• Building Demonstration Projects – Green Street retrofits – Site scale retrofits

Blue Cities Projects • Environmentally Sensitive Urban Development

– Blue Cities Guide- North Allston, Zakim North and LMA

– Mystic River Collaborative Project – Blue Cities National

• Sub-watershed / Neighborhood Scale – Franklin and Bellingham Subwatershed

Restoration Plans – Subwatershed Plan for Broadway, Chelsea – Green Streets Guide for Allston Brighton,

Boston • Site Scale Demonstration Projects

– Peabody Square Greening, Dorchester – Everett Street Pilot Project, Allston – Waltham Watch Factory, Waltham – Parmenter School and Fletcher Field, Franklin – Chester Avenue and Crescent Ave, Chelsea – Porous Alley Retrofit, Boston

Blue Cities Projects Environmentally Sensitive Urban Development • Blue Cities Guide -North Allston, Zakim North

and LMA • Mystic River Collaborative • Blue Cities National- Louisville, KY & Michigan

Blue Cities Projects Sub-watershed Scale

• Franklin and Bellingham Sub-watershed Restoration Plans • Sub-watershed Plan for Broadway, Chelsea

Neighborhood / Street Scale • Green Streets Guide for Allston Brighton, Boston MA

Blue Cities Projects

Blue Cities Projects • Site Scale Demonstration Projects

– Everett Street Pilot, Allston – Peabody Square, Dorchester – Waltham Watch Factory, Waltham – Parmenter School and Fletcher Field, Franklin – Crescent Ave / Mace Apartments, Chelsea – Porous Alley Retrofit , Boston

Everett Street Pilot

Everett Street Pilot

Everett Street Pilot

Peabody Square

Waltham Watch Factory

Parmenter School and Fletcher Field

Crescent Ave / Mace Apartment Retrofit

Crescent Ave / Mace Apartment Retrofit

Porous Alley Retrofit

Successes and Challenges

Challenges • Coordination between traditionally silo’ d agencies • Construction supervision and oversight • Post construction monitoring and maintenance • Scaling up beyond demonstration projects • Funding for planning, design, implementation, monitoring,

public outreach and education

• Reduced flooding and increased recharge • Reduced ‘heat island’ effect in urban areas with increased

vegetation • Aesthetic, pedestrian and public realm improvements • Improved water quality in receiving waters • Public support for neighborhood greening

Successes

Charles River Watershed Association

Thank You!

For more information Visit us at www.crwa.org