GROWING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE: how to create high-performance landscapes and healthy cities Nate Cormier, ASLA, LEED AP Senior Landscape Architect SvR Design Company
May 20, 2015
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: [email protected]
join the movement: www.greeninfrastructurewiki.com