Green Infrastructure Design Build Studio€¦ · Green Infrastructure Design Build Studio COMMUNITY FOCUS: GOWANUS Studio Course | Summer 2016 Studio Professors: Gita Nandan | thread

Green Infrastructure Design Build Studio

COMMUNITY FOCUS: GOWANUS Studio Course | Summer 2016

Studio Professors:Gita Nandan | thread collective, principal/architect & PSPD ProfessorElliott Maltby | thread collective, principal/landscape + urban designer & PSPD Professor

coNcEPt ProfESSor bioSSPriNG SUMMEr StUDio : Gowanus Almanac field stations will create dedicated spaces for people to observe and engage with a distinct aspect of the canal, exploring the relationship of stormwater management, human interventions, and historic ecologies. Hidden at the end of streets, the Gowanus canal is notoriously compelling, a toxic slot cutting into the border of brooklyn. Dark green waters are home to a surprising number of creatures, their survival seemingly at odds with a complex legacy of industrial pollution mixed with contemporary sewage, now a Superfund site. A constructed waterway, the Gowanus is a sliver of once extensive wetlands, a novel landscape created by years of human use.

TABle OF CONTeNTS A WOrD FrOM The prOFeSSOrS

GITA NANDAN Ms. Nandan is an architect, designer, educator, and community resiliency leader. She is a founder and principal of the award winning design firm, thread collective, chair of the red Hook NY rising community reconstruction Planning committee, and instructor at Pratt Institute and the School for Visual Arts. Working in the field for over 15 years, Ms. Nandan has overseen design and construction on a wide range of project-types from single family homes to the first farms on NYCHA. As a community leader in Red Hook, she is exploring how innovative community-wide projects such as micro-grids, integrated flood protection systems and community investment funds can transform the physical landscape of a low-income waterfront neighborhood. Gita received her Master of Architecture from Uc berkeley and is a registered architect in New York and New Jersey, an accredited LEED professional and Enterprise Green communities technical Assistant.

thread collective explores the seams between landscape, art, and architecture, stitching together these diverse

elements through innovative design and research. Our projects include ground up residential architecture and

landscape, green roof design, urban agriculture advocacy and design, and green infrastructure. The studio links

innovative and elegant design with multiple ecological and social benefits, including stormwater management,

biodiversity, quality public space, and community engagement.

ELLIOTT MALBTY Elliott is a landscape architect, urban designer, and educator, with a strong commitment to giving communities an active role in the design process. She believes that art and design can improve the sustainability and vitality of the urban environment and is particularly interested in how an ecological systems perspective can support both architectural and landscape interventions. Strongly influenced by the non-equilibrium paradigm, time and change over time are important elements in her process and final designs. In addition to working with architects and communities, she has consistently collaborated with artists and scientists, and has thus expanded her understanding and approach to the urban landscape. Actively engaged in the dialogue of theory and practice, she emphasizes the intersection of the imagination and the precise. Since 2009, she has been an active board member of iLAND [interdisciplinary Laboratory for Art Nature and Dance] a dance research organization that investigates the power of dance, in collaboration with other fields, in particular the sciences, to illuminate our kinetic understanding of the urban environment. With founder Jennifer Monson, she is developing an innovative platform for cross-disciplinary collaboration to research New York City’s urban ecology. She is a founder and principal of thread collective.

2 GIDB : GOWANUS | summer 2016 3GIDB : GOWANUS | summer 2016

table of contents professor bios

tHE coUrSE

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professor bios

course background

course details

project deliverables

studio project sites

gowanus almanac

comunity organizations

existing conditions + relevant maps

bibliography

links and resources

acronym glossary

StUDio SitES + bLoG

tHE coNtExt

the Gowanus canal has captivated people for more than 400 years, from its salt marsh era to a polluted industrial waterway that today is undergoing revitalization. the [StEM Gowanus Urban Ecology] curriculum was created by the Gowanus canal conservancy [Gcc] and the Urban Memory Project for teachers to use the Gowanus canal and its watershed as a teaching tool and learning environment….We believe taking students outdoors (or “in the field” as we say) is essential part to studying the Gowanus Canal.

Gowanus canal conservancy StEM curriculum

Introduction to the Curriculum, Gowanus Canal Conservancy Students will develop a Gowanus field Station, a platform for the StEM participants, and for community members more broadly, to engage with the urban ecology and stormwater issues of the canal. the field Station will provide a physical location on the waterfront for people to gather where currently there is a lack of public space, integrating green infrastructure and interactive educational resources to “de-code” the canal. With the Gcc, we share the conviction that decisions about the future development of the canal be informed by the public and their understanding of the urban ecology through a spatial, embodied experience.

Working from a broad range of research, the class will explore design based solutions aligned with current and proposed waterfront policies. the designs will meld site with small scale installations, urban planning, and metrics based thinking around water, health, public space, and species diversity. A series of experts will be resources for the course, along with field trips to related built examples of green infrastructure and constructed wetlands. Skills including green infrastructure design and detailing, graphic presentation, metrics analysis, and urban design will be introduced and strengthened through the course deliverables.

We will also be working to define for our class and site what we mean by ‘green infrastructure’, an evocative term that is used more narrowly by the DEP in relation to storm water management, but also more broadly to consider a range of ecosystem services [another sticky term]. How can a green infrastructure proposal be a part of the range of solutions the city pursues in relation to flooding, while addressing other ecological and social pressures on urban space - such as local food production or increased biodiversity? What does a performative landscape look like, are there alternatives to the best management practices, is there room for experimentation / research when the stakes are so high? These are a few of the questions we will be tackling together and teams will be answering with their designs.

the primary focus of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to understand and apply the techniques of design, construction and implementation, gaining valuable experience and knowledge of the practical aspects of green infrastructure. Green infrastructure is more than storm water management and has the potential to create innovative urban spaces that provide ecological services for the city and other species, places for human recreation, education, and public engagement. teams will research and design a site specific proposal, and while addressing larger neighborhood issues, spanning both a range of spatial and temporal scales.

COUrSe BACkGrOUND

ProJEct DEScriPtioN

[iMAGE]


course background course background

10% class attendance and punctuality

20% participation in course: preparation for class discussions, including a careful understanding of the readings, quality completion of written and oral assignments, and engagement with the material

20% midterm review

30% final review, development and completion of the design assignments, submitted on time, inventive and precise presentation of original material

5% attendance at field trips, and blog entry

15% participation in design build

credits: 5

class meetings: thursdays, 5p - 10p + Saturday(s) in July

professors: Gita Nandan + Elliott Maltby

teaching assistant: renae Widdison [email protected]

Attendance: two late attendances will be counted as an absence on your record. Extreme lateness will be considered as an absence for that day. bear in mind that this is an intensive mini-course and each class is critical to understanding the material : two absences will result in a reduction one full letter grade for the course; 3 unexcused absences will result in a failing grade for the course, unless there are extenuating circumstances. The only legitimate excuses for absence are: an extended illness requiring hospitalization or visit to a physician, with documentation; a family emergency, e.g. serious illness, with written explanation; observance of a religious holiday.

PLEASE be on time to each and every class. We have a lot to accomplish this semester.

Evaluation: We assume you are all capable of excellent work; however, you will be graded on performance rather than potential. Grades will be assigned along a standard academic scale. the relatively rare grades of A and A- will be reserved for work of extremely high caliber, depth, focus and originality. Grades in the b range signify that the student has performed very well in the course, submitting above average work and

cLASS DEtAiLScontributing to the course on a weekly basis.

A = Excellent: Student completes all the material in a timely fashion with rigor, insight, and interest, above and beyond the standard set by the student class.

b = Very Good: Student completes all the material in a timely fashion in a satisfactory manner, and clearly demonstrates capability with the material.

C = Fair: Student satisfies the general demands of the course.D = Unsatisfactory: student is unable to meet the basic requirements of the course in terms of

attendance, discussion, preparedness, or completion of work.F = Unacceptable: Student is unable to meet the minimal requirements of the course and exhibits poor

performance.

LATE WORK: Late work is penalized by the reduction of an assignment grade by one-half letter grade per day. Exceptions can only be made in dire emergencies [see above].

PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of someone else’s work as one’s own in all forms of academic endeavor [such as essays, theses, examinations, research data, creative projects, etc], intentional or unintentional. Plagiarized material may be derived from a variety of sources, such as books, journals, websites, student or faculty papers, etc. This includes the purchase or “outsourcing” of written or design assignments for a course. [A friendly reminder: all images in a presentation must be cited.] A detailed definition of plagiarism in research and writing can be found in the fourth edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, pages 26-29. Just don’t do it.

CELL PHONES AND LAPTOPS: Laptop use is allowed during class-time for class project work only during explicit work sessions. otherwise laptops are not allowed during class discussions, presentations, student presentations etc.. the exception to the laptop rule is students who can provide documentation of a learning disability that requires the use of their laptops. Cell phone use is prohibited at all times in the classroom and on field trips [unless, of course, you are lost!]

CONTACT YOUR PROFESSORS: Please note that we will respond promptly to emails, typically within 24hours – (weekends excluded). Please email or text if you are going to be late to class, but simply being on time is best. Email all professors simultaneously on all correspondence

+ gita: [email protected] & [email protected] | cell: 917.439.0728 office: 718.484.0065+ jaime: [email protected] | cell: 718.666.6236 office: 718.484.0065+ teaching assistant xxxxx | cell: xxxx

OFFICE HOURS: We will be available to meet before class or at additional hours, please schedule ahead of time. We encourage you to do so in order to make the learning experience productive, and positive.

COUrSe DeTAIlS

coUrSE rEqUirEMENtS & ASSESSMENtS

NotES oN AttENDANcE & GrADiNG


course details course details

lecture

break

desk crits OR group presentations

review of assignments AND individual question/answer

5.30p - 6.30p 6.30p - 6:45p

6.45p - 8:45p

8.45p-10p

please expect occassionals changes to the class structure depending on the needs of the day.due to the great amount to accomplish, please arrive on time.

t

1. Green Infrastructure Case Studies will be presented by guest lectures, the two professors, and you, the students, throughout the course, relevant to the topic of discussion. if there is a project you are particularly interested in, or have seen and found intriguing, please let us know. 2.An overview of the Design Project assignments is included with the syllabus – handouts detailing project description, requirements, and additional details will be provided over the course of the semester.

Thursday May 19th : introduction . site MEEt iN GoWANUS, carrol Street bridge + introduction to NYc Green infrastructure and issues around climate change, resiliency, and biodiversity + site visit to the Gowanus canal and project site, meet community members + introduction to design project : Gowanus Almanac field Station + readings: DEP Green infrastructure Plan, Gcc StEM curriculum

between session 1 + 2 : visit your team’s site and the Gowanus as a whole to explore on your own, assessing relevant opportunities and challenges, and finalizing the transect assignment

eXTrA SeSSION SATUrDAY MAY 21ST The GOWANUS eXpOthe ExPo Gowanus is a community event organized by the Gcc to explore environmental isssues and remedies around and in the Gowanus canal. the ExPo will highlight exciting projects underway and the creative ways that volunteers, designers, schools and organizations are working toward a healthier Gowanus canal and Watershed.

Thursday May 26th : research . design . presentation week 2 + guest lecturer : members from the cAG committee + learning module: community engagement, citizen science, public spaceDUE trANSEct [individual] ProJEct coNcEPt [team]rEADiNGS The Performative Ground: Rediscovering the Deep Section Green Infrastructure for Cities: The Spatial Dimension Gowanus BOA report [pages 1-80] resource: Vision 2020: Reach 14 + Citywide strategies Thursday June 2nd : design. frameworks . strategies week 3 + learning module : what is design and why design matters, design development strategies, + lowlands and field station precedents + desk crits with invited guestsDUE tYPoLoGY [individual] DESiGN ProPoSAL [team]rEADiNGS Vacant Land in Cities Could Provide Important Social and Ecological Benefits Our Parks Are Not For Sale High Stakes: Soft Infrastructure for Rising Seas Thursday June 9th : refining. systems thinking . large scale thinking week 4 + guest lecturer : theo barbagianis, eDesign Dynamics + learning module : green infrastructure detailing and at the planning scale + introduction to metrics + StUDio cHArrEttE : beginning to make connections across sitesDUE : SYStEM DiAGrAM DrAft [individual] + DESiGN DEVELoPMENt [team]rEADiNGS Value of Green Infrastructure [Center for Neighborhood Technology] Berlin: The Biotope Area Factor Uncertainty and Anxiety

All course materials will be stored on a shared dropbox and relevant materials will be uploaded to a Pratt commons site created for the class.

+ log-in: [email protected]+ password: pratt2016

Required readings will be available on the dropbox folder (above). Core readings are included in this syllabus, however additional readings may be added or substituted as the course progresses, with sufficient advance warning. Each week will have primary readings, which are required, in addition to recommended readings/websites for additional detail, theoretical background, and precedents.

Prior to the first class you will read the following: [these were sent via email and will be in the dropbox as well]+ NYC Green Infrastructure Plan, 2011 update+ StEM Gowanus Urban Ecology curriculum, Gowanus canal conservancy

tYPicAL cLASS StrUctUrE

MAtEriAL StorAGE

rEqUirED rEADiNGS

WEEkLY ScHEDULE



Thursday June 16th : MID reVIeW week 5

DUE : COMPREHENSIVE PRESENTATION OF PROJECT

Week of June 23rd : field trips – NO CLASS week 6 + visit a minimum of (2) green infrastructure projects in the tri-state area related to your project. [individual] Case Study locations must be submitted and approved prior to week 5. You will ctreate a blog post written as a walking tour of each case study location you visit. [team] in addition, take time to go back to the Gowanus canal site with your team to re-analyze your project proposal, exisitng conditions, and connection to the other sites. DUE : bLoG PoSt for GrEEN iNfrAStrUctUrE cASE StUDY ViSit rEADiNGS Artful Rainwater Design: Creative Ways to Manage Stormwater The Interventionist ToolkitThursday June 30th social resiliency . programming week 7 + guest lecturer : kristin reynolds author beyond the kale: Urban Agriculture and Social Justice Activism in New York city + learning module: metrics based calculation methodology, social + cultural programmingDUE : MEtricS cALcULAtioNS, SYStEMS DiAGrAM [individual + team]rEADiNGS Reading to be provided by Kristin Reynolds Justice from the Ground Up

Thursday July 7th week 8 + guest lecturer : Meta brunzema + learning module: connecting design details to larger planning concepts + StUDio cHArrEttE : strengthening connections, creating new systems along the canalDUE : SociAL ENGAGEMENt AND fiELD StAtioN ProGrAMMiNG DiAGrAMS [individual + team]

Thursday July 14th week 9 DUE : 95% FINAL DESIGN + desk crits + Gowanus master plan [studio diagram]

AT THREAD COLLECTIVE’S STUDIO, TEAMS WILL SCHEDULE INDIVIDUAL MEETING TIMESDUE : 99% FINAL DESIGN / PRESENTATION

July 21th FINAl reVIeW week 10

DUE : COMPREHENSIVE PRESENTATION OF PROJECT

BUIlD SeSSSIONS : Sign up for one of the following build days. these will be taking place in coordination with Green city force on one of the active farms on NYcHA property. While these are considered volunteer hours we strongly encourage you to participate in this critical part of the curriculum.We are considering the following dates and times; we will choose two:Saturday July 9 10am to 4pm Saturday July 16 10am to 4pm Saturday July 23 10am to 4pm

BlOG pOSTS Case Study Site VisitYou will create a blog post written as a walking tour for each case study location you visit.

Gowanus Almanacthe Gowanus Almanac is an online archive of direct observations of the canal by those who live, work, study, and wander along it. the Almanac is the place to share the fascinating and ordinary things you see, hear, smell, notice, collect and/ or research along the canal and its edge. We are looking for direct and precise observations. You will submit at least 3 Almanac postings, example below

9.1.12 It was a clear moonlit night as we walked across the Third Street Bridge on the Gowanus Canal. Looking up, we saw a large bird swoop beneath the bridge, seeming to come from a small grove of trees on an abandoned property along the canal. it proceeded to land on a berm of refuse in the Gowanus where it sat still for as long as we watched. We could then see that it was a black-crowned night heron. - bob Sullivan

visit website: www.gowanusalmanac.com




tEAM DESiGN

Students work in groups, and further develop a design direction incorporating a multi-faceted lens.Designs will integrate environmental systems, urban and landscape design, and planning. teams will be assigned the first day of class and will collectively determine their design goals and overall approach. it is important that individuals have clear responsibilities and deliverables within teams; that said we are committed to deep collaboration, and to working outside your comfort zone. We recommend that you take on tasks that will challenge you, not ones you already know how to do. You will also be always thinking of design solutions and program initiatives as having impact at multiple-scales, both over space and time. You will take into consideration these issues of connectivity from the beginning, through the exploration of solutions of a precisely defined site and set of challenges; the design process will telescope out AND zoom in - it will require an ongoing dialogue between scales.

Strategies can include but are not limited to: specific design detailing of a green infrastructure element; social equity issues such as workforce development, community impact; art integration; education and field station programming; waterfront access design; financing; waste; energy; pollution mitigation; future growth; etc.

StUDio cHArrEttES teams will present their design developments and will work together to create an overall master plan diagram of the Gowanus canal - there will be two in-class working sessions.

DESiGN APProAcH

Philosophically we are always interested in ‘multiple benefits’ or to use a Wendell Berry turn of phrase “solutions that beget solutions.” How can your green infrastructure proposal be a part of the range of solutions the city pursues in relation to stormwater management, while also addressing other ecological and social pressures on urban space - such as the need for locally produced food, or increased biodiversity? What does a performative landscape look like, are there alternatives to the best management practices, is there room for experimentation / research when the stakes are so high? These are a few of the questions we will be tackling together and you will be answering with your designs.

A few key design principles: + precision: site specificity + replicability : distilling from site specific strategies larger principles + multiple benefits / performative landscapes + prioritizing public space for humans, while thinking about other species + connectivity : flows across site boundaries, linking the sites to each other and to sites/ areas beyond + metrics: understanding data, and seeing impacts across scales

DUE DAtE DESiGN ASSiGNMENtS

May 26 trANSEct [individual] + experiential site analysis along the line of the canal with documentation coNcEPt DESiGN [team] + minimum of [2] different overarching concept directions + collages or sketch vignettes + identify appropriate green infrastructure strategies for your site + field station concept

June 2 rESEArcH tYPoLoGY [individual] + precedent project + overall principles / strategies / bMPs for assigned typology + hand drawn typical section of typology coNcEPt DESiGN DEVELoPMENt [team] + [1] plan + diagram + minimum [1] vignette collage per person + concept name, written paragraph + consider both replicability + particular-ness + identify relevant systems diagrams

June 9 DESiGN DEVELoPMENt [team] + SYStEM DiAGrAM roUGH [individual] + develop chosen concept: site, study area and larger scale connectivity + first pass at systems diagram, identify relevant metrics + team generated list of drawings for mid-review iNitiAL MEtricS [team] + identify relevant metrics in class JUNE 16 DESiGN rEfiNEMENt, DEtAiLS, SYStEMS DiAGrAM PrESENtAtioN [team]MiD rEViEW + plans, sections, collages, details, systems diagrams, metrics framework + conceptual development, and concise articulation + [1] page written per team describing concept + strategies


prOJeCT DelIVerABleS

NotES + Detailed direction on assignments will be included in weekly handouts. Should you have questions,

please do not hesitate to the professors. + this class will include individual, team, and a bit of full class work.


SITE 4 : HOYT STREET

SITE 3 : SMITH+9TH ST / GBX

SITE 5 : GCC BLOCK

SITE 2 : LOWES PARKING LOT + ESPLANADE

SITE 1: COLUMBIA STREET ESPLANADE

June 23 cASE StUDY SitE ViSitS - MiNiMUM 2 [individual] + get case study site approval before June 10 MEtricS, rEWork DESiGN bASED oN MiD-rEViEW coMMENtS [team] + refinement of work as per mid-review comments + team self assessment : what are you missing, what can you do better, what other scales could you integrate, MORE multiple benefits? + team generated list of drawings for fiNAL review

June 30 DESiGN rEfiNEMENt, SYStEMS DiAGrAM, MEtricS [team] + continue design development + refine team systems diagrams, metrics

July 7 SOCIAL AND FIELD STATION PROGRAMMING DIAGRAM [team] + continue design development + fully realized programming ideas for field station + social sustainability goals / environmental justice perspective + update drawings for fiNAL review July 14 95% COMPLETE PRESENTATION – DESK CRITS + ALL NEcESSArY DrAWiNGS, DiAGrAMS, coLLAGES, MEtricS, Etc + StUDio MAStEr PLAN DiAGrAM + [1] written page per person

mid-week 99% COMPLETE PRESENTATION – TEAM MEETINGS AT THREAD COLLECTIVE’S OFFICE

JULY 21 FINAL PRESENTATION AND CELEBRATION location tbD


OVerAll lOCATION MAp

For the build component of the class, we will be working with Green City Force [GCF], a New York CIty based workforce training organization that focuses on energy efficiency and urban agriculture. They maintain and operate many urban farms across the city, with several located on NYCHA property. Elliott and Gita have been working closely with GCF to design several of these farms. Our build days will take place at the Red Hook Houses West Urban Farm and Howard Houses Urban Farm. We will be building rain water harvesting systems, a green shade trellis and deck along with native pollinator planting.

Each student is required to attend (1) of the design build sessions, please sign up with the TA prior to July 1st. [dates noted above]

The studio project will be considered in three inter-related parts 1. a focus on (5) sites along the Gowanus Canal edge 2. a larger concept for the entire length of the Gowanus Canal to connect these individual sites 3. the relationship to the sub-sewershed, and to the regional sewershed

The five sites are 1. The Columbia Street Esplanade / GBX property, located at the Gowanus Bay in Red Hook 2. The Lowes Esplanade + Parking Lot 3. The Smith Street + 9th Street + Huntington Street site (also owned by GBX) 4. The Smith Street + Hoyt Street (future home of the Public Place project) 5. The Gowanus Canal Conservancy building and associated block



bUiLD

SITe -1 COlUMBIA eSpANADe


SITe-2 SMITh + 9Th STreeT




SITe -3 lOWeS eSplANADe


SITe-4 FUTUre GOWANUS GreeN



SITe -5 GCC BlOCk

studio project sites blogging about the canal

GOWANUS AlMANAC

gowanusalmanac.com observations from the canal’s edge

Gita and Elliott started the Gowanus Almanac as a companion to their work, The Gowanus Field Stations, an NEA supported project which is an exploration of the emergent ecology of the canal, through tem-porary public “seeds” dispersed along its length. The Gowanus Almanac is an extension of the idea first initiated by the Hudson River Almanac (http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/25608.html), and is a place to record observations from the canal’s edge.

The Gowanus Almanac is an online archive of direct observations of the canal by those who live, work, study, and wander along it. Recording the everyday and the unusual over time, the almanac will reflect the social and environmental ecology of the area – and the changes it is undergoing. We are interested in collecting and understanding the condition of the canal in all of its compelling contradictions: invisible layers of black sludge and emerging urban plant communities, crabs and concrete mixers. We are looking for direct and precise observations [written, photographed, drawn] of the canal and its edge, which can include observations of natural phenomena such as plant life, aquatic life, animal life, weather events, AND human phenomena, such as water quality, industrial activity, creative events, remediation, boating, fishing….

We will be using the Gowanus Almanac as a way to to memorliaze and publicly share our thoughts and engagement. See assignments for posting to the Gowanus Almonac. In this case, more is better.

COMMUNITY pArTNer


community organizations

GoWANUS cANAL coNSErVANcY

Gowanus canal conservancy will be our local partner. the Gowanus canal conservancy is a community-based non-profit organization that serves as the environmental steward for the Gowanus Canal Watershed.

Vision: The Conservancy’s vision is an open, clean and alive Gowanus Canal Watershed.

+ Making it open: creating green space and park land along the shores.

+ Getting it clean: Ensuring the water, soil and air are healthy.

+ bringing it alive: fostering ecological, business and cultural activity in the watershed.

tHe Gcc has many on-going programs serving the community such as :

Gowanus Art Lab

Youth Education with the StEM curriculum

clean up efforts

composting and stewardship at the Salt Lot

pop up nursery

hosting the Gowanus canal Expo, annually

dispensing rain water harvesting systems

the Urban Ecology Lecture Series, http://www.gowanuscanalconservancy.org/ee/index.php/gcc_news/gcc_news?id=422

Volunteer training

walking tours

the following information is meant to be a very brief introduction to the existing conditions of the Gowanus, it is by no means the full picture. Given the vast amount of reports, studies, and proposals already written about red Hook, we will not spend time during the studio compiling an existing conditions report (unlike many Pratt studios). However, you are expected to read through existing reports during the first few weeks of class in order to understand the characteristics; it is essential that your designs and proposals are based on the existing conditions of the community.

This existing conditions research was either quoted directly or paraphrased from the reports listed below. these reports can all be found in the class dropbox and should be referenced for more detail and information.

eXISTING CONDITIONS: GeOGrAphY


existing conditions existing conditions

original coastline of South Brooklyn.

A 1782 map of the area, with the waterways’ course drawn in (Image: Courtesy of Eymund Diegel)



2008 Brooklyn Gowanus Local History Map for Schools Science Programs by Eymund Diegel

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source: RH_NYRCRP

SoUrcES:Industrial Pollution from Factories that lined the canal in the late 1800s to mid-1900s dumped their waste in its waters and on nearby land. the industrial waste dumped onto the land not only contaminates the land but is also continually leeching into the canal waters. Pollutants that settled out of canal waters poisoned the sedi-ments throughout the length of the canal.

Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs): The Gowanus Watershed is the area of land surrounding the Gowanus canal and which drains into the canal. the watershed extends well uphill from the canal into Park Slope, carroll Gardens, boerum Hill, and cobble Hill. the sewer system throughout New York city is a combined system: the sewer pipes leading from our toilets, bathtubs, sinks, etc. are connected to the pipes that drain rainwater from the street. When weather conditions are dry, the raw sewage is allowed to travel to the sew-age treatment plant. but during a typical rainstorm, the rainwater in this combined system which falls within the Gowanus Watershed (i.e., the areas in the surrounding neighborhoods that drain into the canal) throws off the proper functioning of the sewer system: the excess rainwater is mixed with raw sewage and released into the Gowanus canal.Surface runoff: there are contaminants on the streets that are also carried into the canal when it rains.

video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzWOOqPAEgs


pOllUTION AND CONTAMINATION GOWANUS BOA STUDY AreA


Gowanus has many historic buildings. of the buildings in the neighborhood, 77% were built before 1940.

June 2015 Combined Sewer Overflow Long Term Control Plan for Gowanus Canal


epA SUper FUND lANDUSe


Static Maps, Created With The ESRI ArcGIS Software, Allan Sepctor

FEMA Advisory Base Flood Elevations for Gowanus And Red Hook


FeMA FlOOD MApS


this NYc LiDAr imagery from 2010 classifies types of landcover. the study area, highlighted in white, has very little vegetation.Source NYC OPen Data, file; landcover 2010 nyc 3ft.shp

A tree survey conducted by GCC in 2012 found that 34% of inventoried block segments had no trees. Most of the barren blocks are part of the boA study area.



GreeN INFrASTrUCTUre


Most of the peninsula is served by a combined sewer system in which rainwater and sewage are collected in the same pipes and conveyed to the red Hook Wastewater treatment Plant (WWTP), which is located north of Gowanus, adjacent to the brooklyn Navy Yards. there are several Combined Sewer Outfalls (CSOs) that empty into the Gowanus canal. Historically there have been many concerns among community members about the sewer system in Gowanus due to the persistent problems with backups, cSos, flooding and drainage issues.

NYC Long Term Control Plan

source: open sewer atlas

STOrM WATer INFrASTrUCTUre GOWANUS SUB-SeWerSheD



NYC Long Term Control Plan

GOWANUS CSO lOCATIONS TrANSpOrTATION


eDUCATION TOUrISM MAp



GoWANUS broWNfiELDS oPPortUNitY ArEA StEP ii NoMiNAtioN StUDY + APPENDixAPRIL 2014 - COMMUNITY BOARD 6 + DCP +

briDGiNG GoWANUSbridginggowanus.com

StEM GoWANUS UrbAN EcoLoGY cUrricULUM2016 - GoWANUS cANAL coNSErVANcY

tHE rEViSED NEW York citY WAtErfroNt rEVitALizAtioN PLANRevised 2013, Department of City Planning

NYC DEP GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN UPDATE 2011 First released in 2010, Department of Environmental Protection

NYC DEP GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT 2015Revised 2015, Department of Environmental Protection

tHE VALUE of GrEEN iNfrAStrUctUrE[cENtEr for NEiGHborHooD tEcHNoLoGY]

bErLiN: tHE biotoPE ArEA fActor” A. Kazmierczak and J. Carter, “Uncertainty and Anxiety” by Renee Kaufman [scenariojournal.com], systems diagram precedents

A briEf GUiDE to tHE WiLDfLoWErS of tHE GoWANUShttps://issuu.com/proteusgowanus/docs/2011_guide_to_wildflowers_of_the_gowanus_by_walsh

NYc DcP ViSioN 2020Department of city PlanningVision 2020 is the culmination of a year-long, participatory planning process involving multiple agencies and organizations and public input.

coAStAL coMMErciAL rESiLiENcY2013, Rebuild by DesignAddresses strategies for resiliency of commercial areas on barrier islands, mainland coastal areas, and dense urban edges (such as Red Hook).

A StroNGEr MorE rESiLiENt NEW York2013, Special Initiative for REbuilding and Resiliency (SIRR)chapter 3: comprehensive coastal Protection Plan contains initiatives that are designed to increase coastal edge elevations, minimize upland wave zones, protect against storm surge, and improve coastal design and governance.

rELEVANt rEPortS AND ProPoSALS rEcoMMENDED rEADiNGS

GrEEN iNfrAStrUctUrE+ Novotny, Vladimir. Water Centric Sustainable Communities: Planning, Retrofitting and Building the NextUrban Environment. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2010.+ Rouse, David. Green Infrastructure: A Landscape Approach. Chicago: American Planning Assoc., 2013.+ Sarté, S. bry. Sustainable infrastructure : the Guide to Green Engineering and Design. New Jersey: JohnWiley & Sons Inc, 2010.fLooDiNG+ Bergdoll, Barry ed. Rising Currents: Projects for New York’s Waterfront. New York: MoMA, 2011.+ Botkin, Daniel B. Discordant Harmonies: A New Ecology for the Twenty-first Century. New Jersey: ReplicaBooks, 2001.+ Metz, Tracy and Maartje van den Hewel. Sweet and Salt, Water and the Dutch. Rotterdam: nai010publishers 2012+ Watson, Donald and Michelle Adams. Design for Flooding. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2011.UrbAN EcoLoGiES+ Cronon, William, ed. Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature. New York: Norton, 1995.Hough, Michael. Cities and Natural Process. New York: Routledge, 1995.+ czerniak, Julia, George Hargreaves, and James corner, eds. Large Parks. New Jersey: PrincetonArchitectural Press, 2006.+ McGrath, Brian ed. Urban Design Ecologies. UK: John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2013.+ Mostafavi, Mohsten, ed. Ecological Urbanism. Mass.: Lars Muller Publishers, 2010.+ Pickett, S.T.A. and M.L. Cadenasso. “Resilient cities: meaning, models, and metaphor.” Landscape andUrban Planning vol. 69, 2004.+ Waldheim, charles, ed. Landscape Urbanism reader. New Jersey: Princeton Architectural Press, 2006.tHiNkiNG / DrAWiNG+ Burns, Carol and Andrea Kahn. Site Matters. New York: Routledge, 2005.+ Corner, James. Taking Measures Across the American Landscape. New Haven: Yale Univ., 1996.+ Meadows, Donella. Thinking in Systems A Primer. White River Junction: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2008.+ Seonwook, kim. Architectural and Program Diagrams + Architectural and Program Diagrams 2.+ Walker, brian and David Salt. resilience thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a changing World.Washington, D.c.: island Press. 2006.PLANtS+ Odoulf, Piet and Noel Kingsbury. Planting: A New Perspective. Portland: Timber Press 2013.+ del Tredici, Peter. Wild Urban Plants a Northeast Field Guide. Ithaca: Comstock Publishing, 2010.+ tallamy, Douglas. bringing Nature Home. Portland: timber Press, 2009.

BIBlIOGrAphY

bibliography bibliography


GENErAL rESiLiENcE rESEArcH AND iNforMAtioN

Gowanus canal conservancywww.gowanuscanalconservancy.org

Gowanus Dredgerswww.gowanuscanal.org

bridging Gowanusbridginggowanus.com

EPA Superfund: gowanussuperfund.com/ https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/case-summary-epa-issues-two-orders remedial-design-work-gowanus-canal-site-new-york https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0206222

Gowanus boA / cb6www.fbcb6.org/gowanus-boa/

the Gowanus Low Altitude Mapping project [GLAM] publiclab.org/wiki/glam

Gowanus canal community Advisory Grouphttp://gowanuscag.org

Eymund Diegel “ghost streams” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3XIN6u7nYY

open Sewer Atlashttp://openseweratlas.tumblr.com/post/93108148854/work-cut-out-for-the-red-hook-sewershed-thanks-to

Proteus Gowanushttp://proteusgowanus.org/proteus-gowanus-archive/hall-of-the-gowanus/archive/index.html

Allen Spector http://allenspector.com/mappinggowanus/index.php

As climate change impacts become an urgent reality for places around the world, green infrastructure is emerging as a known methodology to address storm water management. there are numerous resources and innovative examples that we can look to for best practices and ideas about how to create a more resiliency Gowanus canal.

DEP Green Infrastructure Plan and Annual Report 2015http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/stormwater/nyc_green_infrastructure_plan.shtml

rebuild by design: http://www.rebuildbydesign.org/research/

NoAA: https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/inundation/understand?utm_source=SocialScience&utm_medium=SocialScience&utm_campaign=Surge16

Storm surge protection: https://geozoneblog.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/storm-surge-in-the-winter/?utm_source=SocialScience&utm_medium=SocialScience&utm_campaign=Surge16

SCR flood protection: http://structuresofcoastalresilience.org/

fEMA: https://www.fema.gov/coastal-flood-risk-resourcesand https://data.femadata.com/NationalDisasters/Hurricane%20Sandy/RiskMAP/Public/Public_Documents/Storm_Surge_reports/r2_Surge_Summaryreport.pdf

resilient Design institute: http://www.resilientdesign.org/

flood-resilient Waterfront Development in New York city: http://www.nyas.org/Publications/Annals/Detail.aspx?cid=e32c3732-147e-4365-b48e-3d7f6f17865b

ArticLEShttp://urbanomnibus.net/2016/04/mapping-gowanus-today-imagining-gowanus-tomorrow/

http://proteusgowanus.org/proteus-gowanus-archive/hall-of-the-gowanus/archive/index.html.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/27/nyregion/as-cleanup-plan-is-set-for-gowanus-canal-violations-continue.html

bibliography links and resources

lINkS & reSOUrCeS


cASE StUDiES, PrEcEDENtS AND ProPoSALS

links and resources acronym glossary

AbfE - ADViSorY bASE fLooD ELEVAtioN: the preliminary published computed elevation resulting from floodwater that has a 1% chance of equaling or exceeding that level in a given year

bfE - bASE fLooD ELEVAtioN: The computed elevation resulting from floodwater that has a 1% chance of equaling or exceeding that level in a given year.

bGi - brookLYN GrEENWAY iNitiAtiVE: A nonprofit organization that organizes planning for the 14-mile brooklyn Waterfront Greenway and its long-term stewardship.

briP - NYc bUSiNESS rESiLiENcY iNVEStMENt ProGrAM: A $110 million CDBG-DR-funded program that will be implemented by the EDc and will provide funds to both business tenants and building owners to make improvements that enhance resilience to severe weather-related events.

cDbG-Dr - coMMUNitY DEVELoPMENt bLock GrANt-DiSAStEr rEcoVErY: federal grants administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and allocated to cities, counties and States to facilitate rebuilding and recovery of disaster areas as designated by the President of the United States.

cDfi - coMMUNitY DEVELoPMENt fiNANciAL iNStitUtioN: A financial institution that provides credit and financial services within underserved markets and communities.

cSo - coMbiNED SEWEr oVErfLoW: Water pollution caused by large variations of flow in a sewer system that collects both sanitary sewage and stormwater runoff in a single pipe system.

firMS - fLooD iNSUrANcE rAtE MAPS: The official map of a community used by FEMA to delineate a community’s base flood elevations, flood zones, and floodplain boundaries.

GOSR - GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF STORM RECOVERY

HUD - U.S. DEPArtMENt of HoUSiNG AND UrbAN DEVELoPMENt: the U.S. federal government executive department responsible for executing federal policies on housing and metropolises

ifPS - iNtEGrAtED fLooD ProtEctioN SYStEM

NfiP - NAtioNAL fLooD iNSUrANcE ProGrAM - A fEMA-run program that provides government- sponsored flood insurance to homeowners, renters and business owners.

NYc DcP - DEPArtMENt of citY PLANNiNG: NYc governmental agency responsible for the strategic development of the City’s physical and socioeconomic planning.

NYc DDc - DEPArtMENt of DESiGN AND coNStrUctioN: NYc governmental agency responsible for the construction of civic facilities.

NYc DEP - DEPArtMENt of ENViroNMENtAL ProtEctioN: NYc governmental agency responsible for providing the City’s water supply, managing the City’s wastewater system, and regulating the City’s environment, including air quality, hazardous waste, and quality of life issues.

NYc Dob - DEPArtMENt of bUiLDiNGS: NYc governmental agency responsible for the enforcement of building codes and zoning regulations, the issuance of building permits, and the inspection of new and existing building.

ASLA https://www.asla.org/stormwatercasestudies.aspx

DEchttp://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_pdf/giwebvail2.pdf

EPAhttp://www.sustainablecitiesinstitute.org/Documents/Sci/report_Guide/Guide_EPA_GicaseStudiesreduced4.pdf

ACrONYM GlOSSArY


NYc Dot - NEW York citY DEPArtMENt of trANSPortAtioN: NYc governmental agency responsible for the management of the City’s transportation infrastructure.

NYc oEM - NEW York citY officE of EMErGENcY PrEPArEDNESS - NYc governmental agency responsible for preparation, coordination, and education of emergency response and recovery

NYc WrP - WAtErfroNt rEVitALizAtioN ProGrAM: NYC’s established protocol for waterfront management and development and uses.

NYS DEc - NEW York StAtE DEPArtMENt of ENViroNMENtAL coNSErVAtioN - the State governmental agency responsible for the conservation, improvement, and protection of natural resources; the management of State-owned lands; and the regulation of environmental laws and regulations.

NYS DoS - New York State Department of State: the New York State governmental agency responsible for strategic investment in the revitalization and economic growth of regions.

NYSErDA - NEW York StAtE ENErGY rESEArcH AND DEVELoPMENt AUtHoritY: A public benefit corporation tasked with helping New Yorkers increase energy efficiency via the implementation of reduced consumption and the use of renewable energy sources.

PANYNJ - Port AUtHoritY of NEW York AND NEW JErSEY: A joint agency between the States of New York and New Jersey responsible for the development and maintenance of regional transportation and the World trade center site.

rbD - rEbUiLD bY DESiGN: A competition overseen by HUD that tasks a team of design professionals with analyzing potential organizational structures and incentive tools to implement resiliency upgrades in Superstorm Sandy-affected regions.

USAcE - UNitED StAtES ArMY corPS of ENGiNEErS: the federal agency under the Department of Defense composed of civilian and military personnel and responsible for providing public and military engineering services.

acronym glossary

48 GIDB : GOWANUS | summer 2016