Sustainable Parks for the 21st Century

Call for Case Studies and Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Nette Compton) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:58:00 +0000

If there is a project that you have worked on, or know of, that exhibits what you consider to be good design, we are looking to hear from you. The project team of Sustainable Parks for the 21st Century is currently looking for projects to document and feature as case studies within our guidelines.

If you have any ideas, or would like to submit your own project(s), please post a response or email:

selson [AT] designtrust [DOT] org
or
nette [DOT] compton [AT] parks [DOT] nyc [DOT] gov

Why Stormwater Matters--Tim White, eDesign Dynamics

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Elson) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:05:00 +0000

When vegetated landscapes are replaced by impervious (non-permeable) surfaces such as
rooftops, driveways, and parking lots, precipitation is no longer intercepted by leaves, evapotranspired by plants, and/or infiltrated into the soil. Instead, a much higher percentage of precipitation becomes stormwater runoff- a "waste product" of conventional urban development.

One inch of rainfall over one acre of impervious parking lot will generate more than 27,000 gallons of runoff. When stormwater runoff is discharged directly to local waterbodies, it negatively impacts water quality and can erode and undermine natural stream channels. When it is discharged to urban combined sewer system, it consumes conveyance capacity resulting in overflows of a mix of untreated sewage and stormwater to regional waterbodies, creating potential public health risks and water quality impairment.

However, stormwater runoff is not an inevitable by-product of development. By giving special attention to the path and fate of water as it moves through and across developed areas, the adverse impact of those areas on watersheds can be lowered. Green Infrastructure, or GI, is the term used to describe infrastructure designed specifically to minimize the generation of stormwater runoff. This is accomplished by incorporation of a wide range of site design practices, including permeable pavements, green roofs, rain gardens, bioswales, and constructed wetlands, and by directly reducing project footprints.

GI is a means of simultaneously incorporating economic and environmental considerations into the land development process. In urban watersheds, GI technologies can be used to divert and delay stormwater from combined sewers to reduce the frequency and volume of overflows. In addition, stormwater diverted from sewers in the upper portions of a sewer system
can increase the capacity of downstream sewer conduits, potentially leading to reduced combined sewer overflows (CSOs) even in portions of the sewer service area distant from the actual installations. A recent eDesign Dynamics study in Brooklyn, New York suggests that significant reductions in the frequency of CSOs could be achieved cost effectively with GI (Montalto et al., 2007).

Symposium Summary and Powerpoints

noreply@blogger.com (Nette Compton) — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:10:00 +0000

Notes and Summary from Steve Caputo, Fellow, Design Trust for Public Space

Check out the slide show from the presentation.

Powerpoints from the presenters:

Charles McKinney, Chief of Design, City of New York Department of Parks & Recreation
Opening Remarks

Alex Felson, Director of Ecological Design, EDAW
"Bridging Ecological Research and Urban Design"

Joan Krevlin, Partner, BKSK Architects
"Integrating Building and Landscape: The Queens Botanical Garden"

Tim White , Project Manager, eDesign Dynamics
"Sustainable Stormwater Management"

Susannah Drake, Principal, dLandstudio
"Sponge Parks: Neighborhood-Scale Planning"

Marcha Johnson, Landscape Architect, Department of Parks and Recreation
"Case Studies for Implementation"

Margie Ruddick, Principal, WRT Design
"Queens Plaza: Interagency Collaboration and Sustainable Design"

Additional presentations as well as guest posts from our presenters will follow.

We welcome comments or questions!

Earth Day Symposium at the Center for Architecture

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Elson) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:46:00 +0000

Over 150 designers, researchers, architects, activists, and city officials came together to envision a new era of sustainable parks and landscapes at “Park Design for the 21st Century,” an Earth Day symposium hosted by the Design Trust for Public Space and the NYC Dept. of Parks and Recreation.

The symposium took place at the Center for Architecture from 12:30 to 5:00 pm and was free and open to the public. Opening remarks were followed by two panel presentations in which panelists discussed design innovations, technical considerations, policy trends, and implementation barriers to creating sustainable parks and landscapes in urban settings. (See the day's program, below). Each presentation was followed by open discussion and a question and answer period.

We will post a slideshow of images from the event along with PDF files of the presentations shortly - please check back soon!

Here's an article about the symposium (including a brief synopsis of a selection of the panel presentations) in e-Oculus.

PROGRAM
PARK DESIGN FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
An Earth Day Symposium Sponsored by the Design Trust for Public Space
In Collaboration with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation
April 22, 2008
Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, NYC

12:30-1:15: Opening Remarks

1:15-2:15: PANEL 1 – The Big Idea: Sites in Context
PANELISTS

2:15-2:45: Panel 1 Discussion / Q&A

MODERATOR:

Rob Craudereuff, Sustainable Alternatives Coordinator, Sustainable South Bronx
2:45-3:00: BREAK

3:00-4:00: PANEL 2 -- Examples from the Field

PANELISTS

4:00-4:30: Panel 2 Discussion / Q&A

MODERATOR:

Steve Caputo, Fellow, Design Trust for Public Space
4:30-5:00: Closing Remarks

Designing Parks for the 21st Century

noreply@blogger.com (Nette Compton) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:02:00 +0000

The New York City Parks Department and the the Design Trust for Public Space are embarking on a project that will build upon the Design Trust's groundbreaking work in sustainable design and construction. Park Design for the 21st Century will provide the Parks Department with research and instruction in methodologies for the creation of high-performance park design, and will help the City bring its 29,000 acres of parkland into the new millennium.

Park Design for the 21st Century will culminate in the publication of the High Performance Landscape Guidelines - the third in our trilogy of sustainable design manuals. The Design Trust's previous publications, High Performance Building Guidelines (1999) and High Performance Infrastructure Guidelines (2005) set the stage for a paradigm shift in the way New York City is constructed. These two publications led directly to the enactment of local laws that encourage high performance construction, and also paved the way for Mayor Bloomberg's recent sustainability initiatives.

The Design Trust is just beginning the process of defining the scope of this project, and working to determine the best course of action to achieve the Parks Department's goals. As the project progresses, this page will be updated, so please check back.