green infrastructure
[GRIN] GREEN
/
I N F R A S T R U C T U R E
[GRIN] FORUM + STATS
ATTENDEES
On October 3, 2013, SmithGroupJJR hosted a thought leadership forum on the topic of green infrastructure [GRIN]. A diverse group of community leaders throughout Michigan and Ohio took part in a discussion to help frame the conversation on green infrastructure topics, issues and concerns, best practices and challenges, and ideas and solutions to influence the future of green infrastructure in communities, organizations, and design. This poster summarizes the exchange of information and what we learned. This document has been prepared in an effort to continue the discussion on green infrastructure and we hope you find it beneficial to your communities and organizations.
Connection to Local Resources
Environmental Health
Connection to Nature
SERVICES TEM SYS ECO
HEALTHY LI FEST YLE S
Clean Air + Water Climate Mitigation Waste Processing Nutrient Cycling
PROJECTS (posted to the wall)
COMMUNITY BENEFITS OF [GRIN]
Green infrastructure, from urban forests and natural areas to innovative stormwater treatment systems, contributes to the health of our communities and local environments. Clean air, clean water, and clean soils are critical for supporting ecosystem services that save money and make communities healthier.
Non-Motorized Transit
Recreation
91
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Stormwater Management
Sense of Place
ORGANIZATIONS (in attendance)
1
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
Energy-Savings
What exactly is green infrastructure? All this discussion about how important it is begs the question - how do we define green infrastructure? Green infrastructure begins with the idea that green is better than gray. As designers, administrators, and organizations, our efforts to implement green infrastructure can be difficult, yet always rewarding to the future of our communities. Regardless of the definition, it is imperative we understand that the benefits of implementing green infrastructure will be apparent not only today, but in years to come. It is important to embrace and understand that green infrastructure is as vital to our communities as it is to the environment itself. It is an integral part of creating a self-sustaining environment, a sense of place, and supporting the valuable resources that benefit people, the economy, and the resources within our communities. Individuals want to live in a place with abundant recreation opportunities, healthy living initiatives, and alternative transportation options and our environment wants to support itself. While the understanding of green infrastructure can vary the value of its actual benefits are detailed and priceless.
ECONOMIC VITALITY Green infrastructure plays a vital role in supporting vibrant communities. Green infrastructure projects are a way to enrich our sense of place while bolstering property values, commercial activity, tourism, and mobility throughout our communities.
Mobility Tourism
Quality of Life
Ecology
VIB R
Affordability Property Values
Economic Vitality A N T CO M M U N I T I E
QUALITY OF LIFE Green infrastructure systems contribute to the quality of life of our communities by providing places to recreate and connect to nature. Parks, trails, and non-motorized facilities encourage healthy lifestyles while protecting our communities and conserving resources.
S
Commercial Activity
1 GAYLORD
*Map includes communities + projects represented at the 2013 GRIN Forum.
KEY INGREDIENTS TO OVERCOME [GRIN] CHALLENGES...
MICHIGAN REGIONAL INITIATIVES 9
75
GRAND RAPIDS 4
SPRINGFIELD 1 TOWNSHIP
LANSING 6
96
2 DEXTER 94
Leadership within a community is critical for promoting the adoption of green infrastructure projects and advancing their relevancy. Green infrastructure projects have far-reaching effects and ensuring that community leaders are knowledgeable about the benefits and costs of green infrastructure is important. Communities with a long-standing record of successfully implementing green infrastructure attribute much of that success to proactive and engaged leadership.
18 34
DETROIT
ANN ARBOR
1 MONROE
80 90
1 TOLEDO
Outreach and education at all levels in a community, from elected leaders to private organizations and residents, is vital. Green infrastructure projects are always taking different forms. Educating people about what they are seeing and how it works is necessary to get buy-in and broad, public support. At a basic level, crafting a community understanding of what green infrastructure means can be a key first step. Ideally, community outreach begins well in advance of implementing green infrastructure projects in order to anticipate and effectively respond to cultural norms and expectations.
10 CLEVELAND 80
75
OHIO REGIONAL 4 INITIATIVES
WHERE IS [GRIN] HAPPENING?
[GRIN] Forum attendees were asked to identify green infrastructure projects in their communities. The response included numerous projects and shows that green infrastructure is prevalent in a variety of communities. The map above shows the number of projects identified and where they are taking place. The graphs below show the prevalence of projects from a stormwater, recreation, habitat creation, and transportation standpoint.
80%
32%
STORMWATER
RECREATION
10 POUNDS OF PURE LIVE NATIVE SEED COLLECTED AND CLEANED
DO
YLE
Restoration of a 20+ year-old stormwater management pond at Mary Beth Doyle Park and Wetland Preserve in Ann Arbor helped revitalize the Malletts Creek watershed, meet federal water quality requirements, and enhance the park as a community and recreational asset. The preserve reduced the flow of sediment and frequency of flow changes in Malletts Creek, reduced flooding in nearby neighborhoods, and increased habitat diversity.
TEE
LUN
WATERSHED VO
Cleveland Metroparks is using a new, volunteer-based program to improve watershed conditions in Northeastern Ohio.
Over 430 volunteers have participated in the program and 35 have become Watershed Stewards. Taking their new-found knowledge and skills back to their communities, the stewards have helped implement monitoring projects and raise awareness of the benefits of protecting Ohio’s watersheds.
15 MILLION
GALLONS OF WATER = THE CAPACITY OF THE NEW WETLAND
The 80-acre park and preserve has expanded pedestrian access around the pond providing unobstructed views of the water and wetland. In addition, new educational signage has been installed to describe the stormwater management and water quality functions of the site.
HABITAT DIVERSITY
L
T
Detroit, Michigan | Neighborhood Scale
IN K D
OHIO CITIZENS PARTICIPATED
E T R
This multifaceted project includes phases of the Dequindre Cut and Midtown Loop greenways, streetscape and pedestrian enhancements in the Eastern Market District, Hamtramck Connector Greenway, and the reconstruction of three critical bridges in the vicinity of Eastern Market.
>430
INCREASED
Ann Arbor, Michigan | Site Scale
OI
OF STREAM BANKS ASSESSED
WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON FOR [GRIN]?
PA
Link Detroit is a series of multi-modal infrastructure Cleveland, Ohio | Community Scale improvements to create a fully functional and non-motorized transportation system connecting multiple destinations in the city. The concept was to connect substantial investments in greenways, streetscapes, and bicycle paths already underway.
2,436 METERS
OF SEDIMENT WAS REMOVED
PRESERVE
NATIVE PLANTS INSTALLED
ETH
31,000 CY
AN D
1,700
TRANSPORTATION
MA R Y B
M A R
Communities face ever increasing budget pressures and competition for resources. Demonstrating how green infrastructure projects can serve multiple purposes and functions while, at the same time, being cost-effective for municipalities and other organizations is vital if funding is to be allocated to such projects. Tapping into local, state, and federal grant programs is necessary for many communities and dovetails with partnership efforts.
ETL
35
ACHIEVED WATERSHED STEWARD CERTIFICATION
HABITAT CREATION
projects
+W
!
ons
lati
ratu
g con
G O R
24%
RK
OF INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVED
RP
20+ ACRES
28%
Green infrastructure projects have the capacity to generate a broad range of benefits; in turn, this opens up avenues to form partnerships across different organizations to support green infrastructure initiatives. In particular, partnerships within a community have proven critical to the funding and outreach support needed to make projects a reality.
SUPPORTS
LOCAL + REGIONAL COMMUNITIES
CONVENIENT + COST EFFECTIVE
TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS FOR RESIDENTS LIVING + WORKING IN DETROIT
OPPORTUNITIES
FOR ECONOMIC REINVESTMENT
Green infrastructure has been defined by some as a natural approach to stormwater management. Increasingly, landscape architects, engineers, planners, and city officials are realizing wide-spread applications for natural systems to create resiliency in their communities. The potential for green infrastructure to affect much more than stormwater is a future we can all embrace. Green infrastructure has the capacity to be a part of our collective climate adaptation plans due, in part, to its ability to sequester carbon, reduce the effects of heat island warming, and increase biodiversity. At the same time, it can provide recreational opportunities and be the foundation for a biophillia-based approach to improving our urban environments. Green infrastructure can serve to enhance our communities through improved connectivity, focus on place-based enhancements, and create vital and active environments. Overall, connected green infrastructure in our urban environments nurtures the premise that humans are hard-wired to connect with nature and enjoy the benefits it provides.
COMPONENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL [GRIN] PROJECT START EARLY
Start to think about your plans and how they might evolve throughout the process.
PROACTIVE LEADERSHIP
ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY
As the project continues, keep the community and key team members informed.
(www.americanforests.org/discover-forests/tree-facts/)
S M T W T F S
Encourage your community to get involved and make sure they understand the project.
ESTABLISH FINANCING
KEEP EVERYONE INFORMED
Gain the support of local leadership and make sure they understand the benefits green infrastructure can bring to the community.
1 TREE absorbs almost 48 lbs of CO2 per year and can sequester one ton of CO2 by the time it becomes 40 years old.
SCHEDULE MEETINGS
S
How is your project being funded? Have you researched potential funding sources? Look for grant opportunities, programs, or other avenues that could offer assistance.
Schedule meetings involving key stakeholders, community members, and design professionals to ensure they are included and their opinions are being heard.
METRICS + PERFORMANCE
Make sure your project has a plan for measuring performance; it will help to implement future green infrastructure projects.
Trees and vegetation LOWER surface and air temperatures by providing shade as well as through evapotranspiration. Shaded surfaces may be 20–45°F COOLER than unshaded materials. (www.epa.gov/hiri/mitigation/trees.htm)
An increase in BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY fosters resiliency and can lead to a “riot of reciprocity.” (www.regenesisgroup.com)
2013 GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FORUM | ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN | OCTOBER 3, 2013
/
I N F R A S T R U C T U R E
[GRIN] FORUM + STATS
ATTENDEES
On October 3, 2013, SmithGroupJJR hosted a thought leadership forum on the topic of green infrastructure [GRIN]. A diverse group of community leaders throughout Michigan and Ohio took part in a discussion to help frame the conversation on green infrastructure topics, issues and concerns, best practices and challenges, and ideas and solutions to influence the future of green infrastructure in communities, organizations, and design. This poster summarizes the exchange of information and what we learned. This document has been prepared in an effort to continue the discussion on green infrastructure and we hope you find it beneficial to your communities and organizations.
Connection to Local Resources
Environmental Health
Connection to Nature
SERVICES TEM SYS ECO
HEALTHY LI FEST YLE S
Clean Air + Water Climate Mitigation Waste Processing Nutrient Cycling
PROJECTS (posted to the wall)
COMMUNITY BENEFITS OF [GRIN]
Green infrastructure, from urban forests and natural areas to innovative stormwater treatment systems, contributes to the health of our communities and local environments. Clean air, clean water, and clean soils are critical for supporting ecosystem services that save money and make communities healthier.
Non-Motorized Transit
Recreation
91
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Stormwater Management
Sense of Place
ORGANIZATIONS (in attendance)
1
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
Energy-Savings
What exactly is green infrastructure? All this discussion about how important it is begs the question - how do we define green infrastructure? Green infrastructure begins with the idea that green is better than gray. As designers, administrators, and organizations, our efforts to implement green infrastructure can be difficult, yet always rewarding to the future of our communities. Regardless of the definition, it is imperative we understand that the benefits of implementing green infrastructure will be apparent not only today, but in years to come. It is important to embrace and understand that green infrastructure is as vital to our communities as it is to the environment itself. It is an integral part of creating a self-sustaining environment, a sense of place, and supporting the valuable resources that benefit people, the economy, and the resources within our communities. Individuals want to live in a place with abundant recreation opportunities, healthy living initiatives, and alternative transportation options and our environment wants to support itself. While the understanding of green infrastructure can vary the value of its actual benefits are detailed and priceless.
ECONOMIC VITALITY Green infrastructure plays a vital role in supporting vibrant communities. Green infrastructure projects are a way to enrich our sense of place while bolstering property values, commercial activity, tourism, and mobility throughout our communities.
Mobility Tourism
Quality of Life
Ecology
VIB R
Affordability Property Values
Economic Vitality A N T CO M M U N I T I E
QUALITY OF LIFE Green infrastructure systems contribute to the quality of life of our communities by providing places to recreate and connect to nature. Parks, trails, and non-motorized facilities encourage healthy lifestyles while protecting our communities and conserving resources.
S
Commercial Activity
1 GAYLORD
*Map includes communities + projects represented at the 2013 GRIN Forum.
KEY INGREDIENTS TO OVERCOME [GRIN] CHALLENGES...
MICHIGAN REGIONAL INITIATIVES 9
75
GRAND RAPIDS 4
SPRINGFIELD 1 TOWNSHIP
LANSING 6
96
2 DEXTER 94
Leadership within a community is critical for promoting the adoption of green infrastructure projects and advancing their relevancy. Green infrastructure projects have far-reaching effects and ensuring that community leaders are knowledgeable about the benefits and costs of green infrastructure is important. Communities with a long-standing record of successfully implementing green infrastructure attribute much of that success to proactive and engaged leadership.
18 34
DETROIT
ANN ARBOR
1 MONROE
80 90
1 TOLEDO
Outreach and education at all levels in a community, from elected leaders to private organizations and residents, is vital. Green infrastructure projects are always taking different forms. Educating people about what they are seeing and how it works is necessary to get buy-in and broad, public support. At a basic level, crafting a community understanding of what green infrastructure means can be a key first step. Ideally, community outreach begins well in advance of implementing green infrastructure projects in order to anticipate and effectively respond to cultural norms and expectations.
10 CLEVELAND 80
75
OHIO REGIONAL 4 INITIATIVES
WHERE IS [GRIN] HAPPENING?
[GRIN] Forum attendees were asked to identify green infrastructure projects in their communities. The response included numerous projects and shows that green infrastructure is prevalent in a variety of communities. The map above shows the number of projects identified and where they are taking place. The graphs below show the prevalence of projects from a stormwater, recreation, habitat creation, and transportation standpoint.
80%
32%
STORMWATER
RECREATION
10 POUNDS OF PURE LIVE NATIVE SEED COLLECTED AND CLEANED
DO
YLE
Restoration of a 20+ year-old stormwater management pond at Mary Beth Doyle Park and Wetland Preserve in Ann Arbor helped revitalize the Malletts Creek watershed, meet federal water quality requirements, and enhance the park as a community and recreational asset. The preserve reduced the flow of sediment and frequency of flow changes in Malletts Creek, reduced flooding in nearby neighborhoods, and increased habitat diversity.
TEE
LUN
WATERSHED VO
Cleveland Metroparks is using a new, volunteer-based program to improve watershed conditions in Northeastern Ohio.
Over 430 volunteers have participated in the program and 35 have become Watershed Stewards. Taking their new-found knowledge and skills back to their communities, the stewards have helped implement monitoring projects and raise awareness of the benefits of protecting Ohio’s watersheds.
15 MILLION
GALLONS OF WATER = THE CAPACITY OF THE NEW WETLAND
The 80-acre park and preserve has expanded pedestrian access around the pond providing unobstructed views of the water and wetland. In addition, new educational signage has been installed to describe the stormwater management and water quality functions of the site.
HABITAT DIVERSITY
L
T
Detroit, Michigan | Neighborhood Scale
IN K D
OHIO CITIZENS PARTICIPATED
E T R
This multifaceted project includes phases of the Dequindre Cut and Midtown Loop greenways, streetscape and pedestrian enhancements in the Eastern Market District, Hamtramck Connector Greenway, and the reconstruction of three critical bridges in the vicinity of Eastern Market.
>430
INCREASED
Ann Arbor, Michigan | Site Scale
OI
OF STREAM BANKS ASSESSED
WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON FOR [GRIN]?
PA
Link Detroit is a series of multi-modal infrastructure Cleveland, Ohio | Community Scale improvements to create a fully functional and non-motorized transportation system connecting multiple destinations in the city. The concept was to connect substantial investments in greenways, streetscapes, and bicycle paths already underway.
2,436 METERS
OF SEDIMENT WAS REMOVED
PRESERVE
NATIVE PLANTS INSTALLED
ETH
31,000 CY
AN D
1,700
TRANSPORTATION
MA R Y B
M A R
Communities face ever increasing budget pressures and competition for resources. Demonstrating how green infrastructure projects can serve multiple purposes and functions while, at the same time, being cost-effective for municipalities and other organizations is vital if funding is to be allocated to such projects. Tapping into local, state, and federal grant programs is necessary for many communities and dovetails with partnership efforts.
ETL
35
ACHIEVED WATERSHED STEWARD CERTIFICATION
HABITAT CREATION
projects
+W
!
ons
lati
ratu
g con
G O R
24%
RK
OF INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVED
RP
20+ ACRES
28%
Green infrastructure projects have the capacity to generate a broad range of benefits; in turn, this opens up avenues to form partnerships across different organizations to support green infrastructure initiatives. In particular, partnerships within a community have proven critical to the funding and outreach support needed to make projects a reality.
SUPPORTS
LOCAL + REGIONAL COMMUNITIES
CONVENIENT + COST EFFECTIVE
TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS FOR RESIDENTS LIVING + WORKING IN DETROIT
OPPORTUNITIES
FOR ECONOMIC REINVESTMENT
Green infrastructure has been defined by some as a natural approach to stormwater management. Increasingly, landscape architects, engineers, planners, and city officials are realizing wide-spread applications for natural systems to create resiliency in their communities. The potential for green infrastructure to affect much more than stormwater is a future we can all embrace. Green infrastructure has the capacity to be a part of our collective climate adaptation plans due, in part, to its ability to sequester carbon, reduce the effects of heat island warming, and increase biodiversity. At the same time, it can provide recreational opportunities and be the foundation for a biophillia-based approach to improving our urban environments. Green infrastructure can serve to enhance our communities through improved connectivity, focus on place-based enhancements, and create vital and active environments. Overall, connected green infrastructure in our urban environments nurtures the premise that humans are hard-wired to connect with nature and enjoy the benefits it provides.
COMPONENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL [GRIN] PROJECT START EARLY
Start to think about your plans and how they might evolve throughout the process.
PROACTIVE LEADERSHIP
ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY
As the project continues, keep the community and key team members informed.
(www.americanforests.org/discover-forests/tree-facts/)
S M T W T F S
Encourage your community to get involved and make sure they understand the project.
ESTABLISH FINANCING
KEEP EVERYONE INFORMED
Gain the support of local leadership and make sure they understand the benefits green infrastructure can bring to the community.
1 TREE absorbs almost 48 lbs of CO2 per year and can sequester one ton of CO2 by the time it becomes 40 years old.
SCHEDULE MEETINGS
S
How is your project being funded? Have you researched potential funding sources? Look for grant opportunities, programs, or other avenues that could offer assistance.
Schedule meetings involving key stakeholders, community members, and design professionals to ensure they are included and their opinions are being heard.
METRICS + PERFORMANCE
Make sure your project has a plan for measuring performance; it will help to implement future green infrastructure projects.
Trees and vegetation LOWER surface and air temperatures by providing shade as well as through evapotranspiration. Shaded surfaces may be 20–45°F COOLER than unshaded materials. (www.epa.gov/hiri/mitigation/trees.htm)
An increase in BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY fosters resiliency and can lead to a “riot of reciprocity.” (www.regenesisgroup.com)
2013 GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FORUM | ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN | OCTOBER 3, 2013
