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

Google Earth Screen capture: http://www.google.com/

ESCARPMENT CORRIDOR

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