Nsc Gi Talk Nov 2007

GROWING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE:how to create high-performance

landscapes and healthy cities

Nate Cormier, ASLA, LEED APSenior Landscape ArchitectSvR Design Company

GI layers and elements

1. WHAT IS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE?

what is green infrastructure?

Introduction

Introduction

nature provides valuable ecological services for urban environments

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Introduction

green infrastructure is a tapestry of open space in and around a city

IntroductionKing County Greenprint

Open Space Seattle 2100

Introduction

green infrastructure is not a new ideaBoston’s Emerald Necklace

Minneapolis’s Grand Rounds

Introduction

protected and connected natural habitats are its foundation

Mercer Slough Wetlands, Bellevue, Washington

Mt. Si, North Bend, Washington

Introduction

traditional parks, gardens, and trails link communities to this nature matrix

Jamison Square, Portland, Oregon

Beaver Lake Park, Sammamish, Washington

Introduction

green infrastructure can also address urban challenges

Forms are patterns

“the forms we conceive are really patterns, and patterns are theconfiguration of relationships between natural systems…” –David Miller

GI layers and elements

2. ELEMENTS OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

layers

High Point housingredevelopment, Seattle

Looking at any community…

layers

we can map its green infrastructure.

layersmobility

water

community

habitat

Peeling apart a series of green infrastructure systems like layersand looking at their constituent parts...

Table of Elements

reveals a table of green infrastructure elements.

Table of Elements

green infrastructure elements: habitat

Element: urban wildMercer Slough Wetland,

Bellevue, Washington

Element: shorelineOlympic Sculpture ParkShoreline Restoration,Seattle, Washington

Table of Elements

green infrastructure elements: community

Element: community garden

Oxbow Park, Seattle, Washington

Element: streetside garden

2716 39th Ave. SW, Seattle, Washington

Table of Elements

green infrastructure elements: water

Rain garden

Glencoe Elementary School, Portland, Oregon

Glencoe Elementary School, Portland, Oregon

Oxbow Park, Seattle, Washington

Maple Valley Library, Maple Valley, Washington

Denny Park Apartments, Seattle, Washington

Denny Park Apartments, Seattle, Washington

Liberty Center Parking Garage, Portland, Oregon

New Seasons Market, Portland, Oregon

SW 12th Avenue, Portland, Oregon

SW 12th Avenue, Portland, Oregon

Element: Bioswale

New Seasons Market, Portland, Oregon

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), Portland, Oregon

East Esplanade Park, Portland, Oregon

High Point, Seattle, Washington

High Point, Seattle, Washington

High Point, Seattle, Washington

High Point, Seattle, Washington

Kitsap Administration Building, Bremerton, Washington

Rain Garden

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Rain Garden

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Rain Garden

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Kitsap Administration Building, Bremerton, Washington

Thornton Creek Water Quality Channel, Seattle, Washington

“Swale on Yale,” Seattle, Washington

Meadowbrook Pond, Seattle, Washington

Meadowbrook Pond, Seattle, Washington

Meadowbrook Pond, Seattle, Washington

Waterworks Gardens, Renton, Washington

Waterworks Gardens, Renton, Washington

Waterworks Gardens, Renton, Washington

High Point, Seattle, Washington

Multnomah County Building, Portland. Oregon

Multnomah County Building, Portland. Oregon

Seattle Municipal Courthouse and City Hall, Seattle, Washington

Colman Center, Seattle, Washington

Colman Center, Seattle, Washington

Oxbow Park, Seattle, Washington

Element: cistern

Growing Vine Street, Seattle, Washington

Growing Vine Street, Seattle, Washington

Cascade Community Center, Seattle, Washington

Table of Elements

green infrastructure elements: mobility

Chief Sealth Trail, Seattle, Washington

Element: complete street

assorted complete streets

Yale Avenue Campus, Seattle, Washington

layers

integrated systems form of a green infrastructure network

GI APPS

3. CREATING A GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN

1) educate the public

OSS2100 included many public lectures, articles, and eventsLFP Legacy had a Green Infrastructure Festival

Robert Garcia, The City Project: New Open Spaces for Social Justice in Los Angeles

Patrick Condon, Green Urban Infrastructure for the 21st Century

Mark Childs, Designing Compelling Public Places

Mike Houck, Creating Livable Cities with Urban Green Space

1) educate the public

OSS2100 linked the effort to Seattle’s history and current imperatives around growth, public health, and global warming

from the Cascade Agenda by the Cascade Land Conservancy

Olmsted Brothers plan

2) choose your units

what will be your planning unit?

what is the scale?

2) choose your units

corridors can have units too

2) choose your units

3) discover the anatomy of the landscape

what are your existing green infrastructure elements?what is missing? what would make the system whole?

OSS2100 Technical Panels: Development, Biodiversity, Waters of Puget Sound, Future Scenarios, Seattle Parks, Climate Change, Transportation Futures

4) develop a long-term vision

OSS2100 Green Futures Charrette: 350 people x 3 days

4) develop a long-term vision

watershed by watershed, system by system

4) develop a long-term vision

Seattle’s Green Infrastructure Plan

4) develop a long-term vision

Lake Forest Park’s Green Infrastructure Plan

4) develop a long-term vision

Lake Forest Park’s Green Infrastructure Plan

LFP Legacy projects to be integrated into comp plan and CIP

5) identify catalytic projects

online voting for priority projects

5) identify catalytic projects

online voting for priority projects

5) identify catalytic projects

A2. Town Center PROJECT LOCATION: main hub @ intersection of main Creekways and Arterial Green

Streets

POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:Habitat• create a wider riparian buffer and remove

fish blockages at 522 and under Town Center

• daylight Lyon Creek through the parking lot Community• create high-density, mixed-use, transit-

oriented development• create a central civic space for community

Water• use bioswales, green roofs, and other LID

features to manage parking lot run-offMobility• improve sidewalks and crosswalks to connect

neighbors to Town Center• create trail along Lyon Creekway (start of

connection between BG and Interurban)• park & ride facility

VISIBILITY: highCHALLENGE: high

A4. Tolt Pipeline Trail PROJECT LOCATION: gateway on the northeast end of Bothell Way Arterial Green

Street and the Lakeway

POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:Habitat• restore maintenance-appropriate native

habitat in pipeline right-of-way Community

Water• use bioswales, rain gardens, and other LID

features to manage trail run-offMobility• build multi-use trail for bikes and pedestrians

VISIBILITY: lowCHALLENGE: low

B2. West Fork Confluence PROJECT LOCATION: hublet at intersection of Lyon Creekway and Ballinger

Way Arterial Green Street

POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:Habitat• improve riparian and wetland habitat

around creek confluenceCommunity• incentive a market or coffee shop

destination along Ballinger Way

Water• use bioswales, rain gardens, and other LID

features to manage run-off from Ballinger WayMobility• build part of the trail on the mainstem Lyon

Creekway• redevelop a segment of Ballinger Way as a

complete street for bicycles, transit, and pedestrians

VISIBILITY: highCHALLENGE: medium

C1. Orchard Park

POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:Habitat• improve Lyon Creek riparian habitatCommunity• acquire land for park• create orchard-themed passive open space

amenities

Water• use rain gardens, bioswales, and other LID

features to manage run-off from park and street

Mobility• build portion of Lyon Creekway trail• improve sidewalks and crosswalks near park

PROJECT LOCATION: new park on 35th Ave. NE in the Lyon Creekway

VISIBILITY: lowCHALLENGE: low

D1. Greening Perkins Way

POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:Habitat• improve riparian and instream habitat along

McAleer CreekwayCommunity• build benches and overlooks for watching

and learning the creek• build trailhead onto Creekway trail

Water• use rain gardens, bioswales, and other LID

features to manage run-off from trail and street

Mobility• redevelop Perkins as one way with a separate

trail (on creek side) for bikes and peds;

PROJECT LOCATION: McAleer Creekway trail on Perkins from Whisper

Confluence to 178th intersection VISIBILITY: highCHALLENGE: medium

D2. 178th Street Gateway

POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:Habitat• improve wetland habitat in the Hillside Creek

headwatersCommunity• build creative gateway elements on 178th

Street Arterial Green Street

Water• use rain gardens, bioswales, and other LID

features to manage run-off from streetMobility• redevelop a segment of the 178th Street

Arterial Green Street as a complete street for bicycles, transit, and pedestrians

PROJECT LOCATION: gateway on 178th Street Arterial Green Street

VISIBILITY: highCHALLENGE: low

E1. Greening 158th Street

POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:Habitat• plant native plants for wildlife habitat in LID

featuresCommunity• use grouped mailboxes to create mini-

gathering places

Water• use rain gardens, bioswales, and other LID

features to manage run-off from streetMobility• meander street to slow traffic• create trail-like sidewalk

PROJECT LOCATION: pilot Residential Green Street between 33rd and 35th in the

Sheridan Heights neighborhoodVISIBILITY: mediumCHALLENGE: medium

E3. Greening Brookside School

POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:Habitat• improve riparian and wetland habitat at

confluenceCommunity• increase environmental and green building

education• build environmental art with kids to inspire

stewardship

Water• use green roofs, rain gardens, and other LID

features to manage run-off from schoolMobility• improve safe school walking routes from

neighborhood and from 178th Street Arterial Green Street

• increase public health and physical activity education

PROJECT LOCATION: schoolyard hublet at the confluence of the

Brookside and Hillside CreekwaysVISIBILITY: highCHALLENGE: low

F4. McAleer Creek Delta PROJECT LOCATION: @ intersection of the McAleer Creekway and the Lakeway

POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:Habitat• restore and enhance Lake Washington

shoreline• create more distributary channels in McAleer

Creek Community• acquire lakeside parcels to increase public

access to the shoreline• build park amenities such as picnic shelters

and restrooms for shoreline visitors

Water• use bioswales, rain gardens, and other LID

features to manage run-off from adjacent roads and residences

Mobility• build trail spur between Bothell Way, Burke

Gilman trail, and the shoreline

VISIBILITY: mediumCHALLENGE: high

5) identify catalytic projects

OSS2100 projects...provocative and inspirational

GI OPPS

4. TOWARDS AN AESTHETIC OF PERFORMANCE

“form follows function.” –Louis Sullivan

towards an aesthetic of performance

Stephen Epler Dormitory, Portland, Oregon

towards an aesthetic of performance

towards an aesthetic of performance

towards an aesthetic of performance

New Seasons MarketPortland, OR

Portland Convention Center, Portland, OR

GI OPPS

5. ESTABLISHING THE NEW NORMAL

establishing the new normal

Seattle’s Green Factor

establishing the new normal

Portland’s Green Streets Program

contact: natec@SvRdesign.com

join the movement: www.greeninfrastructurewiki.com