No description available.

When urbanization occurs, the removal of vegetation, compaction of soil and construction of impervious surfaces—roofs, asphalt, and concrete—and drainage infrastructure result in drastic changes to the natural hydrological cycle. Stormwater runoff occurs when rain does not infiltrate into soil. Instead it ponds at the surface and forms shallow channels of overland flow. The result is increased peak flows and pollutant loads, eroded streambanks, and decreased biodiversity in aquatic habitat. In urban areas, runoff is typically directed into catch basins and underground pipe systems to prevent flooding, however such systems are also failing to meet modern environmental goals. Green infrastructure is the widely evocative idea that development practices and stormwater management infrastructure can do better to mimic the natural hydrological conditions through distributed vegetation and source control measures that prevent runoff from being produced in the first place. This dissertation uses statistics and high-resolution, coupled surfacesubsurface hydrologic simulation (ParFlow.CLM) to examine three understudied aspects of green infrastructure planning. First, I examine how development characteristics affect the runoff response in urban catchments. I find that instead of focusing on site imperviousness, planners should aim to preserve the ecosystem functions of infiltration and evapotranspiration that are lost even with low density development. Second, I look at how the spatial configuration of green infrastructure at the neighborhood scale affects runoff generation. While spatial configuration of green infrastructure does result in statistically significant differences in performance, such differences are not likely to be detectable above noise levels present in empirical monitoring data. In this study, there was no evidence of reduced hydrological effectiveness for green infrastructure located at sag points in the topography. Lastly, using six years of empirical data from a voluntary residential green infrastructure program, I show how the spread of green infrastructure depends on the demographic and physical characteristics of neighborhoods as well as spatially-dependent social processes (such as the spread of information). This dissertation advances the science of green infrastructure planning at multiple scales and in multiple sectors to improve the practice of urban water resource management and sustainable development. / Doctor of Philosophy in City and Regional Planning

No description available.

Although urban green infrastructure [UGI] is increasingly characterized as an asset because it simultaneously serves critical social and environmental functions, few planning tools or research approaches exist where multiple functions are integrated into a systemic spatial analysis. Accordingly, this report examines the utility of ergonomics as a methodological approach to integrate the natural and social sciences and forge a deeper understanding of UGI multifunctionality. Five administrative districts in Dresden [Germany] were selected as a study area to carry out this analysis. Mixed methods were used to categorize and measure various social and environmental functions of UGI cases, and outcomes analyzed for spatial clustering in GIS. Results from this study provide strong evidence that combining social and environmental variables can significantly inform the way UGI networks are perceived and valued. / text

The State of Illinois and Federal government have designated one of three major rail corridors bisecting Springfield, Illinois, to be retrofitted to accommodate future high-speed rail traffic. The three corridors that bisect the city are known as the 3rd Street, 10th Street, and 19th Street corridors, each running north to south through the central city area. The approved plan completely decommissions the 3rd Street Corridor while expanding the 10th Street corridor to serve rail traffic currently using both of these corridors. Traffic to run along the expanded 10th Street corridor will include Amtrak's high-speed rail passenger service between St. Louis, Missouri, and Chicago, Illinois. The decommissioning of the 3rd Street Corridor in Springfield presents an opportunity for green infrastructure development in the form of a linear park. More broadly, this report argues that increasing quality of life amenities via the redevelopment of rail infrastructure provides a viable alternative economic development strategy for cities facing stagnant growth. / text

A critical dimension of the search for sustainable urban form is the need to accommodate urban population growth whilst at the same time ensuring the integrity of natural systems. Incorporating Green Infrastructure (GI) planning into the process of Urban Regeneration (UR) potentially offers a new way of addressing the challenges of sustainable urban development. However, despite the potential benefits of improved forms of integration, an effective understanding of the role of GI within UR is lacking. It is arguable that this awareness is particularly limited within the context of East Asian cities. This research explores the extent to which GI and UR are inter-related and are capable of offering joint sustainable development solutions. Through an evaluation of Taipei’s old urban core, this thesis assesses the potential for integration within the context of a rapidly evolving and highly dense urban setting. From a review of best practice examples, the thesis considers the manner in which GI and UR integration can be conceptualised. A model is proposed which is centred around process-product cycles and the presence of linked components. These linkages are then investigated through the review of existing planning policy, the level of current spatial integration and finally, the attitudinal perspectives of primary stakeholders. Three main challenges to integration are identified by the research. These are: the contextual difficulty of achieving sustainable urban form within a highly populated and socio-economically disadvantaged area; the institutional weighting awarded UR over GI within key organisations; and finally, the belief that GI provision cannot be reconciled with the need to pursue profit. In response, recommendations are proposed which include an improved strategic role for GI in UR; the development of tailored urban design regulations; a commitment to the development of a GI plan and the development of a better understanding of potential benefits.

No description available.

A typology of urban vacant land was developed using Roanoke, Virginia, as the study area. Because of its industrial past, topography and climate, Roanoke provides a range of vacant land types typical of those in many areas of the Mid-Atlantic, Eastern and Midwestern United States. A comprehensive literature review, field measurements and observations analysis and aerial photo interpretation and ground-truthing methods were utilized to identify and catalog vacant parcels of land and the results were mapped using i-Tree Canopy to identify the following types of urban vacant land: post-industrial (3.34 km2), derelict (4.01 km2), unattended with vegetation (17.3 km2), natural (2.78 km2), and transportation-related (5.01 km2). Unattended with vegetation sites are important resources as the health biodiversity found in natural sites benefits urban populations and they represent the highest plantable space. The redesign of post-industrial sites builds a city's image and transportation-related sites can contribute a green infrastructure network of open spaces. This typological study has significant implications for policy development, and for planners and designers seeking the best use for vacant urban land. The analysis of Roanoke's urban forest revealed around 210,000 trees on vacant land, a tree cover of 30.6%. These trees store about 107,000 tons of carbon (worth $7.65 million) and remove about 2,300 tons of carbon ($164,000), and about 91 tons of air pollution ($916,000) every year, which is high relative to other land uses. Trees on vacant land are estimated to reduce annual residential energy costs by $211,000 for the city's 97,000 residents and their structural value is estimated at $169 million. The methodology applied to assess ecosystem services in this study can also be used to assess ecosystem services of vacant land in other urban contexts and improve urban forest policies, planning, and the management of vacant land. The study findings support the inclusion of trees on vacant land providing a new vision of vacant urban land as a valuable ecological resource by demonstrating how green infrastructure can be used to enhance ecosystem health and promote a better quality of life for city residents. / Ph. D.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Jessica Canfield / Colorado Springs' downtown streets are primarily automobile-oriented, which has lead to a deficiency of multi-modal transportation networks and user-oriented environments. The streets lack engaging public space, pedestrian and bicyclist amenities, native landscaping, and stormwater management systems. The auto-centric design presents significant physical and perceived safety issues concerning pedestrians and bicyclists in the right-of-way. The aim of this study is to redesign the downtown core of Colorado Springs to foster multifunctional user-oriented spaces which enhance overall environmental, social, and economic benefits. In order to complete this study, background literature research and a series of case studies were conducted. The ultimate goal of this masters project is to create a retrofit streetscape design for Colorado Springs that can be used as a model for other planners and designers. The results of this project will be significant to designers because it will provide them with information regarding the best practices for designing urban streetscapes that activate the public realm and promotes safety.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Jason Brody / The way America thinks about and develops with water is not sustainable (Mouritz et. al. 2003). These thoughts and actions embody a paradigm that does not value ecological functions necessary to maintain water quality and quantity for future generations (Ahern et. al. 2010). Linear water infrastructure systems of collect, treat and convey lead to issues of flooding and contamination. These systems are reaching the end of their life span in American cities. Instead of replacing them using the current development approach, which treats water as a nuisance, this study argues for a new approach, developing with water as a resource; water-centric development. People have different perceptions regarding water resources and sustainability (Pahl-Wostl et. al. 2007). These perceptions affect the acceptance and support of public projects. Commonly, these perceptions are based upon people’s personal values and the immediate benefits they reap from the project. In order for communities to shift towards a water-centric development approach, demonstration projects must work to communicate the social value in the development’s hydrological functions (EPRI 2009). This project investigates emerging urban water management paradigms and synthesizes relevant knowledge to create a comprehensive new paradigm—New Urban Water Management (NUWM). This project focuses specifically on landscape architecture’s role in catalyzing the adoption of NUWM in Kansas City by applying the paradigm as a design approach to water-centric urban development. This approach employs environmental psychology strategies to append “Motivational Aspects” to the traditional social, ecological and economical aspects of sustainable development. The methodology provides the steps and tools for designers to apply the design approach. A three part design model of 1. Hydrologic Function 2. Social Amenity, and 3. Personal Relevance guide designers in developing water infrastructure systems as social amenities that objectively connect ecological functions with personal relevance. Washington Square Park in Kansas City, Missouri functions as a case study in the application of the design approach.