Shifting Ground Overview

8/3/2019 Shifting Ground Overview

1/15

SEAPORTBARRIE

R

ANDRESILIENT

URBANDISTRICT

RE-NEW

CHARLES

RIVERDAM

RUTH

ERFORD

AVED

ETENTION

ANDTODZONE

RUMNEYMARSH

RETENTIONAND

ACCRETIONAREA

I-93DIKEAND

TODATJFK/UMASS

FRANKLIN

PARK

ARN

OLD

ARBORETUM

JAMAICA

POND

THE

FENS

BACK

BAY

LOGAN

AIRPORT

DEER

ISLAND

LONG

ISLAND

MO

ON

ISL

AND

SQUANTUM

QUINCY

NEPONSET

RIVER

CHARLES

RIVERBASIN

MYSTIC

RIVER

FRESH

POND

AMELIAEARHART

MYSTICDAM

EVERETT

CHELSEA E

AST

BOSTON

SOUTH

END

SOUTH

BOSTON

BIGDIG

FINANCIAL

D

ISTRICT

SOUTHBOSTON

WATERFRONT

WINTHROP

REVERE

PINE

RIVERS

AUGUS

RIVER

MIDDLESEX

FELLSRESERVATION

WA

TERTOWN

DA

M

EMERALDNECKLACE(CITYO

FBOSTON)

RESERVATIONS(

MASSDCR)

HARBORBATHYMETRY

LANDTO

POGRAPHY

STRATEGICFRAMEWORKIN

TERVENTIONS

AREAOFRISKAT5.5MABOVEMEANSEALEVEL

EXISTINGPROTECTIONAT3.5MABOVEMSL

PROPOSEDHYDROLO

GICDISTRICTS

10km


2/15

BOSTON, WITH UP TO 2m OF SEA LEVEL RISE DURING A 100-YEAR STORM

During the Blizzard o 1978, the not-yet-completed New Charles River Dam came within 40cm o being overtopped. This is likely to occur by the end o the century with current sea

level rise projections, and due to the topography o Boston and its built orm, extending and increasing the level o protection would require the construction o a harbor barrier.


3/15

POLITICAL JURISDICTIONS VS. HYDROLOGIC DISTRICTS

STORM SURGE CONTROLS AND LEVELS OF PROTECTION

NEW/IMPROVED SEAWALLS AND CONSTRUCTED BARR IERS

RESILIENT ECOLOGICAL RETENTION/DETENTION

AUGMENTED PARK NETWORK

IMPROVED PHYSICAL CONNECTIONS

PROPOSED NEW WALLS

SHIFTING GROUND A REGIONAL STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

While many o metro Bostons town boundaries ollow topographic and hydrologic eatures, the storm surge threat rom climate change induced sea level rise requires the

establishment o 10 ood control districts. Strategies developed in Shiting Ground (dark orange) can deployed to other, uture sites (light orange).

EAST

BOSTON WINTHROP

REVERE

RUMNEY

HARBOR

BARRIER

SOUTH

END

SOUTH

BOSTON

PARKWAYS

PROPOSED PARKWAYS

PROPOSED BIKEWAYS

BIKE CONNECTIONS

POTENTIAL PARKWAYS

HIGHWAYS

PROPOSED RETENTION AREAS

POTENTIAL RETENTION AREAS

POTENTIAL URBAN DETENTION

PROPOSED CLIMATE PARKS

EMERALD NECKLACE (CITY)

RESERVATIONS (STATE)

RECOMMENDEDIMPROVEMENTS

QUINCY

WATERTOWN

DAM (1900)

CHARLES RIVER

DAM (1910)

NEW CHARLES

RIVER DAM (1978)

AMELIA EARHART

DAM (1965)

INNER

HARBOR

OUTER HARBOR

(PROPOSED 1988)

CHARLES

MYSTIC


4/15

10km

THE CHARLES RIVER AND ITS BASIN AN ENGINEERED HYDROLOGY

Bostons historic marshes and mudats have largely been lled with impervious suraces and all o this land will be vulnerable to storm surge ooding in the next century. Inspired by

the US Army Corps innovative 1970s Natural Valley Storage Areas along the upland Charles, Shiting Ground envision strategies that similarly attenuate the eects o sea level rise.

CHARLES RIVER

CONTROL STRUCTURES

OPEN WATER

WETLANDS


5/15

EXISTING HEIGHT, OWNERSHIP, AND CONDITIONS OF COASTAL PROTECTION

Although much o Bostons coastline has been hardened against storm action, there are vastly diferent levels o protection even in short stretches o urbanized coastline. Within Boston alone,

rom the Inner Harbor mouth back to the river dams, there are over 400 diferent land owners, with only 53% o the total rontage owned by public agencies.

3.5M / LEVEL OFEXISTING PROTECTION

PUBLICLY OWNED PARCELS (From top) New Charles River Dam, Pleasure Bay Seawall, and Deer Island


6/15

POTENTIAL INUNDATION AREAS AND IMPACTS TO LAND USE IN 0.5m INCREMENTS

Shiting Ground evaluates the pressure on the system and the work perormed by existing control structures. It is important to note that in using a 5m horizontal resolution

Digital Elevation Model, the simulation somewhat overrepresents ooded area and thereore serves as a planning tool.

1.5m

3.0m

4.5m

2.0m

3.5m

5.0m

2.5m

4.0m

5.5m

100,000 sqt Residential

100,000 sqt Commercial

100,000 sqt Industrial

Source: FEMA HAZUS and 2000 US Census


7/15


8/15

SEA LEVEL RISE RISK AND STRATEGY IMPACT ANALYSIS

These hydrologic areas have multiple municipalities and dierent levels o impact. The radar charts indicate risks at 3.5m in light grey and 5.5m in dark grey, but absolute numbers

should be qualied by the vulnerability o population, criticality o inrastructure, and regional economic impact.

CHARLESBoston, Cambridge, and Somerville

EAST BOSTONBoston and (Massport)

WINTHROPWinthrop, Boston, and (MWRA)

P opu lat io n ( in t ho us and s) R es ide nt ia l Area ( in mil lio n s qua re ee t) Comme rc ia l Area ( in mi ll io n squ are eet ) To tal Lan d Area ( in te ns o hec tares )LEGEND Each radar chart band represents 40 units, with the outmost band being 200 units.

MYSTICSomerville, Everett, Medord, Malden,

Cambridge, Arlington, and Winchester

SOUTH BOSTONBoston and Brookline

QUINCY

INNER HARBOR (ALONE)Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Somerville,

and (Massport)

REVERE

RUMNEY MARSH/PINE RIVERRevere, Malden, Everett, and Saugus


9/15

SEAPORT BARRIER DURING NOREASTER, 2050-2100

A storm surge barrier, similar to the one that protects Europoort in Rotterdam, is proposed between South and East Boston, extending and increasing the current area and level o

protection. On its southern end, storm surge resilient urbanism creates a new district o Boston and connects the megastructure back to Fort Independence and the Emerald Necklace.


10/15

LAND/WATER INTERFACE

CIVIC HARDSCAPE SURFACES

STREET GRID AND BLOCK PATTERN

TREE AND VEGETATION STRUCTURE

BUILDING FIGURE GROUND

PUBLIC/PRIVATE SOFTSCAPE SURFACES

RESILIENT URBANISMS COASTAL EDGE, URBAN FABRIC, AND RESILIENCY

The urban abric and massing invite exploration rom the sea and draw urban activity to the waters edge. To maximize resiliency o this primarily residential area and minimize cut

and ll, the urban area gradually slopes up to the north, with Back Bay s depressed alley morphology adapted to 21st Century storm water mitigation and surge attenuation.

PROPOSED FILL

TO EXISTING

HISTORIC FILL FOR

CONTAINER PORT

FLOODS AT

5.5M ABOVE MSL

ACCESS TO EXISTING

2.5M ABOVE MSL

SEA WALL

STORM SURGE DIKE

PARK AND MARKET

FLOODS AT

4.5M ABOVE MSL

FLOODS AT

3.5M ABOVE MSL

IMPROVED 4.5M

ABOVE MSL WALL

RETAINED CRANES

LIGHT UP CIVIC

SPACE IN EVENING

RESERVE CHANNEL

OPENED TO RECREATION

WHEN CRUISEPORT NOT USEDCRUISEPORT RETAINED

AND EXPANDED


11/15

NEW CHARLES RIVER DAM STORM FUNCTION

Hurricane Diane (1955) raised the basins elevation 1.2m above normal and caused extensive damage to Back Bay, necessitating the 1978 dams construction. The present dam serves

our important unctions - basin elevation control through pumps and sluices (at top), storm surge protection (above), lock navigation, and anadromous sh passage (at right).


12/15

RE-NEW CHARLES RIVER DAM GROUND

A reconceived Paul Revere Park adds ecological perormance by introducing a tidal mudat and marsh that extends the resh/salt water interace, acting as an improved sh ladder.

By visualizing the inundation sequence, new opportunities or circulation and program are interspersed, with a waterront terraced berm oers views o Boston and dam operations.

MUDFLAT

PEDESTRIAN

BRIDGES

FLOOD

WALL

RETAINED

EXISTING

PLAYGROUND

MARSH

BOSTON VIEWS

UNDERGROUND

CONNECTION

FISH

PASSAGE

BASIN (CONTROLLED)

LOCK (VARIABLE)

PUMP STATION

LOW/HIGH TIDE

HISTORIC STORM

LAWN

RINK

CAFE

CHARLESTOWN

BRIDGE

-1.5M | MLLW OM | MSL

1.5M | MHHW

>2.5M | STORM

0.5M | BASIN

ZAKIM BRIDGE

I-93 TO BIG DIG


13/15

SULLIVAN SQUARE AND RUTHERFORD AVENUE DETENTION ZONE AND TOD IMPROVEMENTS

This ailed 1970s highway project oers the opportunity not only to block runaround storm surge to the Charles Basin, but also to repurpose the trench as a 3.8 acre detention basin.

Compatible with preliminary surace trafc plans by Boston and the Cecil Group, this would restore open space and pioneer strategies that could be replicated in the South End.

EXISTING PLAN EXISTING SECTIONSPLAN OF SULLIVAN SQUARE

IMPROVEMENTS

SECTIONS OF RUTHERFORD AVENUE

IMPROVEMENTS

SULLIVAN

SQUARE

T STATION

TO EVERETT

TO BOSTON

HISTORIC

CHARLESTOWN

BREEDS

HILL

INDUSTRIAL

PARK

BUNKER HILL

COMMUNITY

COLLEGE


14/15

RUMNEY MARSH WETLAND ACCRETION AREA

Attached to another 1970s highway project, the Rumney Marsh visitors center leverages the constructed berm o Route 1 and its ailed bypass to raise ecologically the present storm

surge barrier. Nestled into a hillside along a berm-top nature trail, regional bicycle/pedestrian access could be provided by a disused rail line between Malden and Lynn.

WETLAND ACCRETION

RESEARCH AREA

MHHW

3.5m

5.5m

MSL

MLLW

VISITORS

CENTER

SUCCESSIONAL

NATURE AREA

SEAWALL/

BIKE PATH

MALDEN TO LYNN

RAIL-TO-TRAIL PATH

EXISTING

TIDE GATE

MUDFLATS

3.5M CONTOUR

5.5M CONTOUR

US ROUTE 1


15/15

SHIFTING GROUND AT MULTIPLE SCALES

Large-scale landscape inrastructure has a storied history in Boston, as does regional governance. The cleanup o Boston Harbor required the cooperation o ederal, state, city, and

non-prot agencies, and could serve as a precedent or how larger networks and systems might inorm Shiting Grounds eventual implementation.

METROPOLITAN REGION

RESERVATION PARK NETWORK

CITY OF BOSTON

CHARLES RIVER WATERSHED

THE HUB

EMERALD NECKLACE

ESPLANADE AND COMMON

BACK BAY

PLEASURE BAY

RESILIENT DISTRICT

Documents

Shifting Ground Overview