Degree Level: Abstract ID
East Boston Urban Forest Initiative
Undergraduate/Graduate Category: Interdisciplinary Topics, Centers and Institutes Degree Level: Graduate Abstract ID# 847 Through ecological research and investigative mapping of the East Boston area, I wanted to establish a connection between the urban forest and public space networks. The East Boston Urban Forest Initiative aims to increase canopy cover in East Boston as a pilot region in part of an overall goal to increase Boston's tree canopy cover to 35% by 2030 and reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions. Some of the issues and challenges of this pilot area are water pollution, air pollution, climate change, energy conservation and stewardship. The initiative will incorporate dynamic and innovative green infrastructure design as part of an implementation strategy to increase canopy cover. This implementation strategy will emphasize a public space network that will improve the connections between infrastructure, ecology and East Boston's inhabitants. This design will provide various ecosystem services that will mitigate storm water runoff, improve water and air quality, decrease urban heat island, decrease energy consumption and create an more livable urban environment. The proposal is for 5,000 trees to be planted in ten years. The main principle is to not only increase East Boston's canopy cover but also to promote stewardship through community advocacy and create public space networks. The initiative strategies and best management practices used in this pilot region can help inform ways to better increase and mange Boston's overall urban forest.
Urban Forest (Boston Area) Outside of Boston (Suburban Area) Highest Tree Canopy Density (Forested Areas)
Tree Canopy Gradient Macro
BACKGROUND / GOAL:
TREE BENEFITS CONCEPT MAP
As part of the Master Design Studio for the MDes Program, East Boston was the area choosen to evaluate and create an ecological baseline for the area based on student interest. The original site is 146 Condor Street which is adjacent from the Condor Urban Wild. The 146 Condor Street is a brownfield that has been proposed to be a Green Tech Center. The objectives of the studio project were to investiage the area, create an ecological baseline, create informative mappings of research and ultimately create a prototype or program that can be implemented in the area. The project was not only limited to the choosen site.
METHODOLOGY:
For my project, I incorporated the whole East Boston area as a prototype region for an urban forest initiative that looks at the urban forsest as an ecosystem service for this community. Through research of varous exisitng green infrastructures, methodologies and precedent studies, I created a prototype that can be implemented throughout East Boston, ultimately connecting the fragrmented exisiting ecosystem services, creating public space areas and mitigating environmental impacts.
1. Site Visits and Investigative Mappings 2. Create an Ecological Baseline and Informative Mappings 3. Analyze Urban Forest Research and Methodolgies of Areas (Including Bostong) 4. Gather Research and Precedent Studies of Sustainable Systems, Mitigation Strategies, Best Managment Practices, Ecosystem Service Types, Tree Information, Green Infrastructure, etc. 5. Calculate Impacts and Mitigation of Existing and Proposed Trees 6. Mapping of Existing Trees and Mapping of Proposed Trees Based on Research 7. Incorporate Prototype Design into Existing areas 8. Create Program for implementation and initiative guidelines Boston Tree Canopy Coverage
Green Infrastructure Prototype Implementation
Green Infrastructure incorporating Tree Canopy can help connect the ecosystem services such as parks in surrounding areas. It also creates corridors that have their own character and criteria. The areas range from residental to commercial to industrial. Each area has a different modulation of the prototype and then start to create its own ecosystem service.
Industrial Zone Trees Residential Zone Trees
Prototype Proposal: Street Tree Phasing ECOSYSTEM SERVICES VALUATION Trees/Vegitation
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Fragmented and Disconnected
Commercial Zone Trees
CONCLUSION:
PERCIPITATION
PROTOTYPE 25” AMUR MAPLE
Agriculture/Cultivated Land
CO2: 48 LB / YR
Wetlands/Urban Wilds
PM10: 10 LB / YR
Greenways/Parks
O4: 140 KILOWATTS / HR H2O: 2,847 GAL / YR
6” STONE BUFFER
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION
GUTTER STORMRUNOFF Household/ Residence
Streetscape/ Neighborhood/ County District Trans
State
TREE GUARD
OVERFLOW
CATCH BASIN Spatial Scale
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Provisioning Services: Cultivated Land, Gardens Regulating Services: Wetlands, Urban Trees Habitat Supporting Services Cultural Services: Recreational Areas
2” WELL DRAINING SOIL 2” STONE BED ROOT BARRIER EXISTING SUBSURFACE
PROTOTYPE MODULATION INFILTRATION
TREE CRITERIA Street Trees
Residential Trees
Park Trees
Species: Hedge Maple Honeylocust
Species: Oak - Pin or Red Elm
Species: Linden Crimean or Littleleaf Baldcypress Dawn Redwood
Criteria: Salt tolerant/resistant Underwire Storm Water Uptake Carbon Sequestration
Criteria: Energy and Financial Saving Carbon Sequestration Storm Water Property Value Increase
Criteria: Carbon Sequestration Pollutant Reduction High Levels of Storm Water Uptake Resistant
Through the implementation of the varied performances of the varied ecosystem services of the East Boston urban forest, the goal to increase canopy cover and decrease envrionmental impacts can be achieved over time. With the various design innovations, a new strategy can emerge for integrating significant tree planting within a dense urban environment. This strategy can be used in other areas based on various elements. The suggested prototype can help be a precedent for how to connect fragmented spaces and create opportunities in an urban envrionment in need of increased canopy cover.
Undergraduate/Graduate Category: Interdisciplinary Topics, Centers and Institutes Degree Level: Graduate Abstract ID# 847 Through ecological research and investigative mapping of the East Boston area, I wanted to establish a connection between the urban forest and public space networks. The East Boston Urban Forest Initiative aims to increase canopy cover in East Boston as a pilot region in part of an overall goal to increase Boston's tree canopy cover to 35% by 2030 and reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions. Some of the issues and challenges of this pilot area are water pollution, air pollution, climate change, energy conservation and stewardship. The initiative will incorporate dynamic and innovative green infrastructure design as part of an implementation strategy to increase canopy cover. This implementation strategy will emphasize a public space network that will improve the connections between infrastructure, ecology and East Boston's inhabitants. This design will provide various ecosystem services that will mitigate storm water runoff, improve water and air quality, decrease urban heat island, decrease energy consumption and create an more livable urban environment. The proposal is for 5,000 trees to be planted in ten years. The main principle is to not only increase East Boston's canopy cover but also to promote stewardship through community advocacy and create public space networks. The initiative strategies and best management practices used in this pilot region can help inform ways to better increase and mange Boston's overall urban forest.
Urban Forest (Boston Area) Outside of Boston (Suburban Area) Highest Tree Canopy Density (Forested Areas)
Tree Canopy Gradient Macro
BACKGROUND / GOAL:
TREE BENEFITS CONCEPT MAP
As part of the Master Design Studio for the MDes Program, East Boston was the area choosen to evaluate and create an ecological baseline for the area based on student interest. The original site is 146 Condor Street which is adjacent from the Condor Urban Wild. The 146 Condor Street is a brownfield that has been proposed to be a Green Tech Center. The objectives of the studio project were to investiage the area, create an ecological baseline, create informative mappings of research and ultimately create a prototype or program that can be implemented in the area. The project was not only limited to the choosen site.
METHODOLOGY:
For my project, I incorporated the whole East Boston area as a prototype region for an urban forest initiative that looks at the urban forsest as an ecosystem service for this community. Through research of varous exisitng green infrastructures, methodologies and precedent studies, I created a prototype that can be implemented throughout East Boston, ultimately connecting the fragrmented exisiting ecosystem services, creating public space areas and mitigating environmental impacts.
1. Site Visits and Investigative Mappings 2. Create an Ecological Baseline and Informative Mappings 3. Analyze Urban Forest Research and Methodolgies of Areas (Including Bostong) 4. Gather Research and Precedent Studies of Sustainable Systems, Mitigation Strategies, Best Managment Practices, Ecosystem Service Types, Tree Information, Green Infrastructure, etc. 5. Calculate Impacts and Mitigation of Existing and Proposed Trees 6. Mapping of Existing Trees and Mapping of Proposed Trees Based on Research 7. Incorporate Prototype Design into Existing areas 8. Create Program for implementation and initiative guidelines Boston Tree Canopy Coverage
Green Infrastructure Prototype Implementation
Green Infrastructure incorporating Tree Canopy can help connect the ecosystem services such as parks in surrounding areas. It also creates corridors that have their own character and criteria. The areas range from residental to commercial to industrial. Each area has a different modulation of the prototype and then start to create its own ecosystem service.
Industrial Zone Trees Residential Zone Trees
Prototype Proposal: Street Tree Phasing ECOSYSTEM SERVICES VALUATION Trees/Vegitation
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Fragmented and Disconnected
Commercial Zone Trees
CONCLUSION:
PERCIPITATION
PROTOTYPE 25” AMUR MAPLE
Agriculture/Cultivated Land
CO2: 48 LB / YR
Wetlands/Urban Wilds
PM10: 10 LB / YR
Greenways/Parks
O4: 140 KILOWATTS / HR H2O: 2,847 GAL / YR
6” STONE BUFFER
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION
GUTTER STORMRUNOFF Household/ Residence
Streetscape/ Neighborhood/ County District Trans
State
TREE GUARD
OVERFLOW
CATCH BASIN Spatial Scale
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Provisioning Services: Cultivated Land, Gardens Regulating Services: Wetlands, Urban Trees Habitat Supporting Services Cultural Services: Recreational Areas
2” WELL DRAINING SOIL 2” STONE BED ROOT BARRIER EXISTING SUBSURFACE
PROTOTYPE MODULATION INFILTRATION
TREE CRITERIA Street Trees
Residential Trees
Park Trees
Species: Hedge Maple Honeylocust
Species: Oak - Pin or Red Elm
Species: Linden Crimean or Littleleaf Baldcypress Dawn Redwood
Criteria: Salt tolerant/resistant Underwire Storm Water Uptake Carbon Sequestration
Criteria: Energy and Financial Saving Carbon Sequestration Storm Water Property Value Increase
Criteria: Carbon Sequestration Pollutant Reduction High Levels of Storm Water Uptake Resistant
Through the implementation of the varied performances of the varied ecosystem services of the East Boston urban forest, the goal to increase canopy cover and decrease envrionmental impacts can be achieved over time. With the various design innovations, a new strategy can emerge for integrating significant tree planting within a dense urban environment. This strategy can be used in other areas based on various elements. The suggested prototype can help be a precedent for how to connect fragmented spaces and create opportunities in an urban envrionment in need of increased canopy cover.
