Though this is a column written for the Seattle Times, it's writer speaks about any city and the things we need to consider if the cities we call home are to thrive and continue to be places we want to live and where we want our children (and their children) to live.

 

Guest columnists

 

A 100-year plan for open spaces in the Emerald City

 

By Brice Maryman and Nancy Rottle

 

By the year 2100, Seattle is poised to double its current population. Along with this influx, our city will confront increased density, more compact urban centers and less reliance on automotive transport — all sound strategies to minimize our impact on climate change and reduce the pressure of suburban sprawl on our outlying farms and forests...

 

Brice Maryman is a landscape and urban designer with Charles Anderson Landscape Architecture. Nancy Rottle is an assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of Washington. Together, they directed Open Space Seattle 2100, a community-UW collaboration to create a 100-year plan for Seattle's open spaces.

 

Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=sundaybrice13&date=20060813&query=Brice+Maryman

Excellent.  I'm glad Seattle is thinking in these terms.  That's the one problem with most urban areas-- not enough greenspace, the din of traffic noise in the background too pervasive, etc. 

 

The comments about using greenspace for flood control, storm water, etc are really cutting edge thinking-- a whole-systems thinking that we need in urban planning.  Using greenspace to control stormwater would be a lot cheaper than building and maintaining storm sewers.  The Village Homes subdivision in Davis California has proven this, and the city of Napa, CA is proving this with the restoration of floodplains in the Napa River in the city rather than the building and maintenance of levies, New York City's investments in watershed restoration in the Catskills saved a billion dollars over what it would have cost for to construct a gargantuan new drinking water plant in the city.  (I read a neat book on this kind of stuff called The New Economy of Nature)

 

I seem to recall that this kind of thinking is beginning to crop up in the Columbus area.  I know for sure it's cropping up in Cleveland with the City's Director of Sustainability Programs and at the county level in the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission.  One unfortunate thing though, the Regional Sewer District is in the middle of spending hundreds of millions of dollars on deep underground storm water retention tunnels.  Greenspace, wetland restoration, and other things could have handled a lot of Cleveland's storm water issues for less money. 

 

 

 

Seems like now would be a good time to begin talking about the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District's exploration of how it would create a regional stormwater management program that would directly tie sewer rates to the impact of the property on the stormwater system, especially considering this statement from KJP regarding the possible move of Eaton Corporation from Downtown Cleveland to suburban Beachwood:

I have a better idea regarding downtown parking costs: why don't we make suburban property owners pay the full cost of having huge parking lots and large roofs (id: at superstores and office campuses) that dump tremendous volumes of stormwater into suburban sewer systems. All property owners must pay the price for that. But if suburbs had impact fees on property owners based on water runoff volume and didn't have zoning that forces retailers and office campuses to provide more parking than they actually need, then things might be more equitable between downtown vs. suburbs. Suburban property owners would have an incentive to limit the parking supply and even price it by making users actually pay for their parking.

 

http://neorsd.org/enviro.php

http://neorsd.org/stormwater.php

 

SEPTEMBER 2008—For an organization that cleans dirty water and protects public health, being green would seem to come with the territory. But as more communities and organizations across the country—including Cleveland— are learning, being greener is even better.

 

In an effort to increase its environmental-awareness and sustainability efforts, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is reviewing and making changes to its business practices to increase its commitment to environmental responsibility.

 

Why now? New work and new responsibility

The Sewer District is in the process of defining and recommending a regional stormwater management program which would address stormwater issues— such as flooding and erosion—between communities. And a sustainability mind set is critical when establishing such a program and determining its services, said Environmental Program Manager Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells.

 

“Stormwater [management] has an inherent sustainability component as we look at the impacts and benefits of such a program,” which would be implemented in 2010, she said.

 

Team tasked to review projects’ environmental impacts, benefits

As chairperson of the District’s Green Team formed last month, Dreyfuss-Wells will be working with other departments to evaluate Sewer District activities and their environmental impacts. The group will then recommend changes where sustainability improvements can be made.

 

All Sewer District work will be on the table when it comes to review, from multi-million-dollar construction projects, to reducing paper waste in employees’ cubicles.

 

“The District has taken a progressive stance on this issue,” added Engineering & Construction Director Kellie Rotunno.

 

Time is right to take a new approach

Locally, the City of Cleveland’s Office of Sustainability, Cleveland Clinic’s Office for a Healthy Environment, and local businesses like The Great Lakes Brewing Company are making similar efforts. And organizations across the country and all over the world are making moves on the environmental sustainability front.

 

Dreyfuss-Wells went on to say it’s early. “It hasn’t all been figured out yet. Our team is truly in the information gathering stage, seeing good idea after good idea, and we’re going to ask, ‘What works for us?’”

 

“What works” differs for every city, business, or agency. Many pick the low-hanging fruit such as creating recycling programs or using environmentally friendly cleaning products, both of which the Sewer District has already begun.

 

“For us, those types of changes were really cost-neutral. As we move ahead, our goal will be to look closely at how we work and show the long-term benefits of possible change.”

 

“All of us [in the wastewater treatment industry] are struggling with a lot of the same issues,” she continued, like where does innovation meet practicality. “It’s exciting. We’re recognizing an opportunity in our region and we’re seeing a series of ‘a-ha’ moments.”

Figured this would be the best place to put my announcement.  I have once again begun updating a blog that covers urban sustainability issues in Cincinnati, best practices from other cities, as well as my own projects of working on community green projects.  I have already been manning a twitter feed for news and rumblings on sustainable practices that are pertinent to a healthy, urban lifestyle.  The blog will soon be re-routed to greeneyedcity.com

 

Website:  http://curbyourgreenthusiasm.blogspot.com

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/greeneyedcity

 

Cleveland is doing it right with regards to its stormwater and wastewater infrastructure, so says this article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.....

 

Cleveland and Pittsburgh: A tale of two sewer districts

While solution eludes Allegheny County, Cleveland area forges ahead

April 5, 2015 12:00 AM

By Daniel Moore / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

CLEVELAND — On the chilly, tranquil shores of Lake Erie last week, the sprawling Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant was a hive of activity.

 

Muddy construction workers operated cranes, mixed concrete and assessed their progress at Easterly, one of three plants that clean waste piped in from about 1 million people across Cleveland and 61 other communities in Northeast Ohio and discharge it back into the water supply.

 

The expansion projects, aimed for completion in 2019, will double Easterly’s full treatment capacity from about 200 million to 400 million gallons a day — which will be necessary when two new sewage tunnels are finished and connected to the facility.

 

MORE:

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2015/04/05/Tale-of-two-sewer-districts/stories/201504050005

When I visited Portland last fall, I was blown away by how much they have gone all-in on bioswales. I would love to see Ohio cities embracing rain barrels, permeable pavement, bioswales, and other similar techniques. It seems like it would be a much better solution than simply expanding our sewer capacity to deal with CSOs.

^ I'm sure the solution is somewhere in the middle.  Swales, retention basins, and stream dylighting just drives development further apart and makes achieving walkability more difficult.  Rain barrels and permeable paving are good moves but limited in capacity and longevity.  Multi-story dense urban development with narrow streets seem to be the best option overall because a it reduces the need for wide streets for driving and parking, and also reduces the per-capita roof area (a 100 story building has no more roof space than a 1 story building with the same footprint).  Since we've already paved over paradise, so to speak, I think we'll need to use all the green AND gray strategies availble to keep any one from becoming too onerous. 

I would love to see Ohio cities embracing rain barrels, permeable pavement, bioswales, and other similar techniques. It seems like it would be a much better solution than simply expanding our sewer capacity to deal with CSOs.

 

Columbus is trying to do this with a new program the city is calling "Blueprint,"

 

http://www.columbus.gov/blueprint/

http://www.columbusunderground.com/green-infrastructure-and-neighborhood-pocket-parks-part-of-blueprint-columbus-plan-bw1

Of course the Pacific Northwest continues to march ahead with this type of green infrastructure:

 

 

What's weird is that I have noticed some of these types of bioswales in Covington, but I'm not aware of any in Cincinnati. Obviously Cincinnati is doing the big, expensive Lick Run stream daylighting project, but otherwise the city seems resistant to these types of smaller projects that would play a part in reducing CSO events.

per state law, i see nyc has been gearing up for the wind turbine business:

 

 

 

Giant wind turbine ports prepare to transform NYC's coastal woodlands

 

more:

https://gothamist.com/news/giant-wind-turbine-ports-prepare-to-transform-nycs-coastal-woodlands

check out copenhill — 👍

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxdEL-1C2zg/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Wind and solar prove to be resilient energy sources.

 

https://www.juancole.com/2023/10/devastating-earthquake-commitments.html

 

700 yr old ac in iran —

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzbL3w4PAyD/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

via the csm --

 

 

 

9,182 views Sep 21, 2023

 

A Japanese method of planting fast-growing native forests is spreading worldwide. First introduced in the 1970s, Miyawaki forests are dense, multi-layered plantations that aim to rapidly re-create the old growth forest of a given area. These forests not only serve as an engine for carbon sequestration and cooling, but also promote biodiversity by supporting local insects, which are crucial to the ecosystem. What is more, Miyawaki forests are designed to become self-sufficient two to three years after planting.

 

Hundreds of Miyawaki forests have been created around the world in recent years, and Massachusetts saw its first two Miyawaki forests take root in 2021 and 2022. The forests, planted by more than 100 local residents, are a way to educate and engage the community on ecological restoration, says Maya Dutta, the project manager for the creation of the two forests. A software developer-turned-environmental activist, Maya used to live in fear and avoidance of environmental issues. But working on projects like the Miyawaki forests, she says, offers her a sense of "grounded hope."

 

 

urban vegetal canopies in spain —

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DF6IpL7Ow79/?igsh=MXRlZ3Rod2c0d2puMg==

from polluted shanties to a highway sewer to … 🙀🎉

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGgqh8RTMFp/?igsh=bzhrazBnNmI3eWdj