15 Landscape Architect Quarterly Features Fall 2011 Issue 15 - Worst Enemies Green Infrastructure
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15
Landscape
Architect
Quarterly
Features
08/ Best Friends/
Worst Enemies
12/ Gutter to Gulf
18/ The Bottom Line
20/ Round Table
Green Infrastructure
Fall 2011
Publication # 40026106
Issue 15
Up Front .15 03
direct water, stormwater, and wastewater
in a similar manner to grey infrastructure yet
have multiple societal benefits. Living green
infrastructure includes urban forests, natural
areas, parks and landscaped areas, green
roofs, rain gardens, bioswales, engineered
wetlands, and stormwater ponds.
Internationally, green infrastructure is
gaining attention as a tool to address
01 water concerns and other environmental
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE problems such as: lack of green space,
working for change declining urban forest cover, urban “heat
island” management, air quality, climate
In December 2010, the non-profit organiza- change mitigation and adaptation, and
tion Ecojustice Canada filed an Application loss of biodiversity.
for Review under the Environmental Bill
of Rights (EBR) on behalf of two Green The application suggested that this defini-
Infrastructure Ontario (GIO) Coalition tional change was necessary to ensure
members. The application requested that infrastructure development in Ontario
that six ministries (Agriculture, Food and would happen in a manner that facilitates
Rural Affairs; Infrastructure; Environment; Ontarians’ quality of life and positions the
Municipal Affairs and Housing; Natural province as a leader in green infrastructure.
02
Resources; and Transportation) review and In particular, the current approaches to
change their definitions of infrastructure designing, planning, and building our com-
to include green infrastructure. munities has resulted in a number of envi-
01-03/ Green infrastructure, including street ronmental problems including water quality
trees, can be used as tools to address Current definitions of infrastructure refer
many environmental problems. degradation, unsustainable water use, and
to “hard” or “grey” infrastructure, such as increased flood risk. Green infrastructure
IMAGES/ Casey Morris
pipes, tunnels, bridges, and roads. The could be used to address and alleviate
application requested that the definition of these problems.
infrastructure be reviewed to consider the
following definition of green infrastructure: The application also points to the inconsis-
natural or engineered ecological processes tencies among the ministries’ approaches
or structures that process, capture, and to infrastructure, which prevent uniform
treatment and implementation of policies
and funding to promote sustainable com-
munities. The application requests that the
ministries work together to review and
incorporate sustainability principles in the
definition of infrastructure. All ministries
have denied the application. Further, the
Up Front: ministries responded individually to the
Applications for Review under the EBR, and
this piecemeal response is a barrier to the
Information integrated approach needed to realize the
benefits of living green infrastructure.
Ecojustice will continue to work with GIO to
on the advocate for an approach to infrastructure
in Ontario that integrates government
initiatives in order to realize the full
Ground benefits of embracing green infrastructure
solutions for environmental challenges.
TEXT BY ANASTASIA LINTNER, A LAWYER AT ECOJUSTICE.
03
Up Front .15 04
04
URBAN WILDLIFE
buzz on bees
When Scott MacIvor asked me if he could
place a bee nesting box in my backyard,
I jumped at the chance. MacIvor is a PhD
candidate at York University in Toronto and
he’s at the beginning of a four-year
research project to study bees in the
urban environment—specifically, the
diversity of solitary, cavity-nesting species,
such as leaf-cutter bees, found in the city,
and how we might better design urban
habitats for these crucial pollinators.
The nesting box he installed in my yard
this spring, tucked in a sunny spot behind
a paw paw tree, is just one of more than
200 Toronto sites now graced with “bee
condos.” Some are in private gardens,
some in public gardens, and others are
in semi-naturalized parks and on green
roofs. Serendipidously, many are in the
yards of architects and landscape archi-
tects—precisely those who, when MacIvor
has compiled his results, will be able to
06
use his findings in their professional work.
MacIvor paid a visit to my backyard in mid- round holes appearing on the leaf edges
summer to see if any bees were nesting of my redbud and sugar maple—the
in the boxes. “Wow!” he enthused, “you’ve damage, which is minimal and doesn’t
got 70 percent colonization. That’s a lot for affect the health of the trees, is a sign of
a backyard!” I have to admit that I was leaf-cutter bees at work.
chuffed. I don’t know whether to attribute
this backyard bee success to the tem- Along with nesting materials, such as
porarily overgrown state of my garden the bits of leaves collected by leaf-cutters
or to the many native plants found there, and the mud collected by mason bees,
or even to some fluke of geography—all all bees need nesting places and pollen
I know is that the bees seem to like my and nectar sources. Surprisingly, the plant
place, and I definitely like the bees (and so diversity found in cities can offer bees
does my vegetable patch). Their presence
has even made me feel fine about the
05
Up Front .15 05
planners and landscape architects: “I’m
very interested in how we can integrate
ecological resiliency and support for wild
species in our design of cities.”
Interestingly, while a lot of attention has
been paid in recent years to the decline
of pollinators, there is much that we don’t
know about native bee populations. (Non-
native honeybees, on the other hand,
are relatively well studied in comparison.)
MacIvor notes that his York University col-
league Jason Gibbs found a new species
07 08 of bee near College and Spadina in
Toronto last year: “Just think—a brand
new species right in the middle of North
America’s fifth largest city!” I live relatively
close to that corner, and can’t help but
dream that maybe MacIvor will find some-
thing special in my yard. But for now, I’m
more than happy to share my yard with
a nesting box full of bees.
For more information on MacIvor’s project,
visit www.TObees.ca.
TEXT BY LORRAINE JOHNSON, AUTHOR OF CITY FARMER:
ADVENTURES IN URBAN FOOD GROWING.
09
04/ Cavity-nesting bees provisioning better habitat than that found in agricultural
nestbox tubes.
areas, which are often dominated by
IMAGE/ Scott MacIvor
monocultural crops. In his research,
05/ Nestbox in backyard with gold finches.
MacIvor is looking at the landscape and
IMAGE/ Deborah Chute
urban matrix factors that influence the
06/ Bee nestbox on a green roof in Toronto.
diversity and foraging of cavity-nesting
IMAGE/ Scott MacIvor
bees and pest-controlling wasps in the
07/ Redbud tree leaves affected by
leaf-cutter bees. city of Toronto. Of particular interest to
IMAGE/ Scott MacIvor MacIvor is the question of how we can
08/ Bee nestbox in forest clearing. improve the foraging ranges of bees
IMAGE/ Scott MacIvor through connectivity in urban, fragmented
09/ Bee nestbox in a residential backyard. landscapes: “There are so many opportu-
IMAGE/ Scott MacIvor nities in the city to design for multifunction-
10/ Scott MacIvor setting up at the
ality,” he notes. And in exploring how bees
Evergreen Brick Works. navigate the urban matrix, MacIvor hopes
IMAGE/ Dave Barr that his results will be useful to urban
10
Up Front .15 06
soil erosion problems bedeviling the U.S.
in the 1930s and 1940s. In a massive cam-
paign, the Soil Conservation Service urged
farmers to plant kudzu for soil stabilization.
So successful were their efforts that by
1945, kudzu was growing on approxi-
mately one half million acres of the south-
eastern U.S. Today, the legacy of kudzu’s
ubiquitous planting is that the “miracle
vine” has turned into a pervasive pest.
While kudzu is perhaps the poster plant
in the southeastern U.S. for the lesson of
11 unintended consequences of good inten-
tions, it may be a surprise to learn that
kudzu is also growing in Ontario. A small
population—discovered by a government-
employed botanist in 2009—has been
growing, but neither expanding nor
shrinking, for at least a decade in a
farmer’s field bordering Lake Erie near
Leamington. For University of Toronto PhD
candidate Heather Coiner, this plot has
been the focus of her research for the past
five years. As she puts it, her interest in
various plants’ range limits “blew up” into
a multi-year thesis on kudzu—a metaphor
perfect for the explosive growing abilities
of this vine.
Interestingly, though, the Ontario kudzu
population has stayed confined to its one
small location. Coiner attributes this to the
fact that the lake, with a 100-foot embank-
ment, borders one end of the plot and the
12
INVASIVE PLANTS
kudzu in ontario
It is a plant uniquely suited to B-grade
horror movies. Able to extend its tendrils
60 feet in one growing season and drape
itself over houses, whole forests—basically,
anything in its path—kudzu (Pueraria lobata)
took less than a century to exert fecund
dominance over the southeastern United
States. Native to China, the vine was intro-
duced to the U.S. in 1876, when it was
14
included in a planting at the Philadelphia
Centennial Exposition. It gained popularity
as an ornamental and was used as a
pasture crop for grazing livestock, but its
explosive spread across the southern 13
landscape was primarily facilitated by its
promotion as an effective control for the
Up Front .15 07
16
17
11/ Heather Coiner measuring
photosynthesis on kudzu leaves
in Leamington.
IMAGE/ Kate Henbest
12/ Undergraduate assistant Kate Henbest
measuring kudzu growth rates on a
slope bordering Lake Erie.
IMAGE/ Heather Coiner
13/ Kudzu flowers open from the bottom
up, and smell like grape pop.
IMAGE/ Heather Coiner
14/ Kudzu leaf lobing is highly variable,
even within one patch.
IMAGE/ Heather Coiner
15/ A field and tree taken over by kudzu
15 in eastern Arkansas.
farmer’s fields provide another controlling Nearing the end of her research project, IMAGE/ Heather Coiner
boundary—the kudzu tendrils that extend Coiner is completing her final experiment 16/ Lobed kudzu leaves.
into the fields are regularly cut back by on how low temperatures control kudzu’s IMAGE/ Heather Coiner
farm equipment. But, as Coiner notes, range limits, and she is particularly inter- 17/ It is difficult to reclaim land once kudzu
is well established.
“just because it hasn’t expanded yet ested in how kudzu will respond to a
IMAGE/ Heather Coiner
doesn’t mean it won’t.” If the farmer’s fields changing climate: “Invasive species such
weren’t being cultivated, for example, as kudzu may become more problematic
Coiner suspects that the kudzu would later if they’re able to exploit changing
spread: “Southern Ontario provides conditions such as warmer mean temper-
perfectly suitable conditions for kudzu,” atures and increased levels of C02.”
she points out.
As for the future possibilities for kudzu in
Even so, while Coiner urges caution, she Ontario, Coiner’s research is one impor-
doesn’t see a need for panic. “While kudzu tant piece of the puzzle: “Looking at
doesn’t appear to be a menace right now, species’ range limits is really complicated,
even a single incidence of the vine could but it’s the best predictive test we’ve got.”
cut into Ontario’s agricultural industry. TEXT BY LORRAINE JOHNSON, EDITOR OF GROUND.
That’s our prime agricultural land and
we can’t afford to lose any acreage.
We shouldn’t be complacent.”
Best Friends/ .15 08
Worst Enemies
01
Adam Nicklin, OALA, and Victoria Taylor, OALA,
in conversation about the similarities and
differences between landscape architecture
and engineering
01/ Model of East Bayfront district, Victoria Taylor (VT): The relationship Adam Nicklin (AN): One of the differences
in Toronto, used to piece together
massing and major landscape/ between engineers and architects is a between landscape architects and engi-
infrastructure systems.
frequent topic of conversation since we neers, in their approach, is that engineers
IMAGE/ Courtesy Waterfront Toronto/
West 8 + DTAH joint venture often work together in many capacities. It are, by necessity, very pragmatic. They
02/ The integrated stormwater is especially relevant for this issue of work through a problem from A to B and,
management system proposed
for East Bayfront, including Ground, so thank you for taking the time to frankly, maybe that’s the best way. Where
diagrams explaining the system
build approach to fabrication. chat with us. The professions of landscape we differ is that landscape architects and
IMAGE/ Courtesy Waterfront Toronto/ architecture and engineering are so simi- design professionals are adept at present-
West 8 + DTAH joint venture
lar—in terms of function, safety, making ing ideas and capturing the imagination
03/ The revitalization of Queens
Quay Boulevard, a design-led things work, even in terms of ecology—but of someone quickly.
environmental assessment.
these professions are also very different.
IMAGE/ Courtesy Waterfront Toronto/
West 8 + DTAH joint venture You have some interesting thoughts on that An engineering approach that starts at
subject to share with our readers. A and ends at Z usually results in a large
report, which you have to really sift through
Best Friends/ .15 09
Worst Enemies
02
to get to the gist of it. Whereas landscape
architects are in the fortunate position of
being able to cut to the chase.
In some ways, I think that landscape archi-
tects tend to view engineers as both our
best friend and our worst enemy. They are
our worst enemy because we often want to
do something different, and they want to do
the same thing over and over. But there are
reasons for why they repeat things—at the 03
end of the day, most of the liability for the to change that solution is to understand VT: There are different points at which land-
work that we do actually rests with them. what set them off in that direction and for scape architects come into the process and
And we sometimes take that maybe a bit landscape architects to come up with some- where engineers come into the process.
too lightly. thing better. But that takes a lot of rigour, Take, for example, the RFP stage—Request
and it takes delving into the engineering for Proposals—a process where there is
We can fall into the trap of marginalizing the problems and solutions in a lot of depth, usually an engineer on the team. There is
work that engineers do and seeing it as an which can take a lot of time. But it’s the an opportunity there to establish the ground
obstacle. But actually it’s not so much that only way to get results. work for the future, when we are just start-
they want to do the same thing over and ing a new relationship. What happens at
over; it’s just that they’ve been through it— that point? Or, what could happen at that
many for years and years—so the only way point to achieve something different?
Best Friends/ .15 10
Worst Enemies
04
06
But urban design should be more than an important decision within the public realm of
exercise in filling in the gaps. Urban design design is already out of your hands. You can
is also about holistically changing where push back, but what’s driving it is out of your
utility corridors or transit corridors actually hands. In the typical planning approach,
go. This is a big mental shift. I think it’s everything is equal. We’ll have the sidewalk
something engineering firms are starting the same on both sides, and we’ll draw cir-
to catch on to, and they’re pushing urban cles for trees along every street because it
design in ways that they never used to, looks like it needs them. But a typical engi-
knowing that clients want it. They see the neering approach has already filled that
results that you get if you do push it. space with utilities. Fundamentally, the city
05 has always seen a street as a zoning prob-
AN: Let‘s say you are doing an environ- VT: Definitely it is more common in the lem: this is Hydro’s portion, this is Bell’s por-
mental assessment for a transit project. The practice, today, for designers to look below tion, etc. Never at any point do they think of
first thing that typically would happen is that ground, figure out what’s going under the a tree—one of the basic things landscape
an engineering-based team would look at surface as well as above ground, and how architects use for public realm design—as a
road profile, traffic capacity, alternate routes, these two conditions affect the success of utility, and as having the same importance
and would decide on a cross section for that public realm design. Take, for example, the as the utilities.
street. Let’s say the cross section of that issue of trees. You have to consider trees’
street would be for the transit to go down roots and that the success of the tree above But we could turn around and say, “Okay,
the middle. Then, working out from the ground is based on how they will grow in the same way that Hydro doesn’t want a
centre, it would be an exercise in allotting the soil: how this natural infrastructure will Bell line placed within a metre of its line,
the rest of the space to achieve the same thrive amongst the other pieces of man- well, we’re going to take the six metres for
traffic capacity that was provided by that made infrastructure. trees and we don’t want any utilities
street currently. The space in between is an infringing there.”
urban design problem—a decision about a AN: Yes, and the limiting factor is that the
median or a sidewalk, for example—and city already has an idea of what their stan- The best way to solve this is to get
that is typically seen as where we, as land- dard is for how wide a street should be, involved early in the process and start to
scape architects, would come in. based on the size and amount of utilities think about it from an engineer’s point of
they think are required. So the first, most view. Understand the decisions they will
need to make. You need to work on practi-
cal solutions with them to come up with
something that exceeds expectations.
VT: In dealing with the public realm, we’re
dealing with politics and public money, and
the imperative of being more efficient with
07Best Friends/ .15 11
Worst Enemies
public money. The better the relationship is VT: In that situation, specifically, can you service vehicle to get through here. Well,
between the two professions of landscape even divide it between “the engineers we’re in the fortunate position of being
architecture and engineering, the better it is brought this and we, as landscape archi- able to think of five different ways that that
financially and politically. I assume there is tects, brought that”? Can we understand it could happen and being able to talk about
motivation from that angle as well. that way, or does it just completely flow that from a public realm point of view, and
together? There are specific things that we why it might be okay that the fire truck
AN: Yes, there’s definitely a political climate rely on the engineers for, to achieve. What doesn’t come this way, that we could
right now of prudence and fiscal responsi- kinds of things are those? design this differently so that we can
bility. We’ve all been in meetings or in sce- accommodate it over here.
narios where landscape or good public AN: Well, for one thing, engineers are
realm design has been seen as a luxury. It’s going to be stamping the functional design VT: What about green infrastructure and the
been seen as what you do if you can afford of that facility. They are the ones verifying role of engineers and landscape architects?
it. But if you can get people on side with not that it won’t fall down and, primarily, that it
just how nice it is, but how much sense it works—that it is cleaning water to the speci- AN: Green infrastructure is a bit of a vague
makes to do it differently, then you’re on to fications laid out by the city. The only way to term, but everyone kind of knows what it
a winner. If you can pose it in a way that’s pull that together for a client to understand implies. And this is another area where a
beautiful and pragmatic and prudent, then is to diagram it out. And engineers really sense of collaboration with engineers can
it’s a win-win-win. can use our help there, quite frankly. really improve a project. Engineering doesn’t
Landscape architects are good at telling a need to be just pipes, it doesn’t need to be
One example is when we did the design simple story about how the thing works and hidden away. In some instances, you can
for the stormwater management tanks in comparing it to other options, saying: what show what is happening, and there’s a cer-
the East Bayfront, Toronto. Originally the do you get with this, what do you get with tain beauty in showing the function of storm
design was a passive stormwater system. that? When you’re comparing systems, water, for instance—how it moves through
We basically saved having to account for you’re basically saying: what is it giving us? the land—and that can become art. And
the substructure of the boardwalk we had If we go back to our example of environ- landscape architects really do engage in
planned above, by using the tanks them- mental assessments, how do you decide that. I mean everyone does that. We love
selves to support the decking. So the result what a road looks like, how do you decide it. That’s our opportunity to play with engi-
is beautiful, yet smart and prudent. Further, how you build transit in a road? Well, you neering, to see it in different manner and
our team designed it to shore up the dock- decide on what you think is important, and to create art.
wall to extend the lifespan of the wall for you look at different options, and the ones
another hundred years, and designed the that deliver more are better. Actually there is some irony to the theme
structural fill as fisheries habitat. of this conversation—how landscape archi-
VT: Engineers can pretty much build tects and engineers are different. Because
VT: So, in this example, it was not really anything, they can make something work really we are not that different. We’ve just
that landscape architects came up with and function. In your mind, what is the been on different paths, and finally the
that and told the engineers to draw it? value that landscape architects bring to paths are coming together. At the point
It was a collaboration. a design project? when we realize we’re both trying to do the
same thing, but in a different manner, a lot
AN: Yes, a complete collaboration that was AN: The value we bring is firstly a holistic of those differences dissolve away. It’s there
only made possible with the creative input and informed approach to making great where you find the spirit to collaborate. This
of civil and structural engineers. We went places. It could be a street, a park, a is what we need to look for.
through many iterations, but all were based marine facility—anything—but we bring a BIOS/ ADAM NICKLIN, OALA, IS A PRINCIPAL AT
DU TOIT ALLSOPP HILLIER.
around these questions: what do we want fairly dynamic approach in understanding
VICTORIA TAYLOR, OALA, IS A LANDSCAPE
to deliver in terms of public realm, and what how a great place can benefit people, ARCHITECT CURRENTLY WORKING AT TORONTO-
BASED BROOK MCILROY. SHE HAS DEVELOPED
do we have to deliver in terms of infrastruc- economies, culture. AN EDIBLE GARDEN ON THE ROOF OF THE
TORONTO RESTAURANT PARTS & LABOUR.
ture? We have to do both. We also had to
spend a considerable amount of money on I think landscape architects are good
the fisheries habitat to make up for the fact arbiters. When we’re at our best, and when 04-05/ Construction of Silva Cell planting
system within the municipal right-
that we had eaten into the lake—i.e., there we understand some of the engineering of-way in the East Bayfront district.
was less lake area—so what is the smart problems, we can take it away from just IMAGES/ Courtesy Waterfront Toronto/
West 8 + DTAH joint venture
thing to do? Well, you turn the structural fill being an engineering problem and into a
06/ Local street within the East
into a fisheries habitat. So again it’s that kind broader realm of what are you getting for Bayfront district.
of prudence in your approach which people your solution. Engineering is giving you solu- IMAGE/ Courtesy Waterfront Toronto/
West 8 + DTAH joint venture
respect, so then you have their ear when tions, delivering something from here to
07/ The Toronto Central Waterfront
you tell them about what kind of improve- there. It’s servicing something; it’s allowing a Masterplan.
ments you want to make. IMAGE/ Courtesy Waterfront Toronto/
West 8 + DTAH joint ventureGutter to Gulf .15 12
01
Reimagining water and its
role in New Orleans
01/ A proposal to develop
aquaculture in a defunct
shipping canal.
IMAGE/ Fadi Masoud, University
of Toronto, 2009
02/ Historical sections of the
17th Street Canal, which
carries water to Lake
Pontchartrain.
IMAGE/ Jennifer Bucovec, Fatima
Idris, Greg Warren, and Lu
Zhang, University of
Toronto, 2010Gutter to Gulf .15 13
Historical Sections
1860
1924
1950
1991
2007
02
TEXT BY JANE WOLFF, ELISE SHELLEY, OALA, AND DEREK HOEFERLIN
Six years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans continues to act as and its curse. When New Orleans was founded in the early
a crucible for dilemmas about infrastructure, regional ecology, and 18th century, it occupied the high, dry land along the river’s
landscape and urban design. Gutter to Gulf, a unique multidiscipli- natural levees. The passage to the lake could be made by
nary research and teaching initiative by the University of Toronto and boat with a short portage; and the lake offered access to the
Washington University in St. Louis, seeks to transform the way people Gulf via Lake Borgne. The cypress swamps between the river
understand these dilemmas: the intensity of their expression at and the lake lay just above sea level, but they were too wet
the bottom of North America’s largest drainage basin makes to occupy permanently, and until the early twentieth century,
New Orleans a vivid example for cities across the continent. urban development was confined to the stable high ground
along the Mississippi.
A Brief History of Water in New Orleans
New Orleans owes its existence to its location in the Mississippi In the first half of the twentieth century, mechanical pumping
Delta: the city was built on the portage between Lake Pontchartrain, technology enabled the draining and subdivision of New
which offered access to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, Orleans’s back-of-town swamps. The reclamation of these
and the Mississippi River, which offered access to the centre of the soggy areas had an unexpected consequence: it made ground
North American continent. The city’s location has been its blessing levels fall. This process, called subsidence, occurred throughGutter to Gulf .15 14
Florida Ave Canal
max water volume is approximately
1,540,000 cubic feet
03
different mechanisms. Organic matter in the soil oxidized, so soil
volume was reduced. As pumping extracted water from the ground,
soil particles collapsed onto each other. The removal of the cypress
swamps brought an end to soil creation through organic decomposi-
tion. Finally, the levees that had been constructed along the length of
the Mississippi to stop flooding prevented the replenishment of soil
by alluvial material. As the land fell lower and lower, it became more
vulnerable to flooding, and water no longer drained naturally to
Lake Pontchartrain.
Today, the city is a giant sink. Approximately half of its surface lies
below sea level, and levees protect it from Lake Pontchartrain and
the Mississippi River. Rainwater enters the storm sewer system
through drains in the street and travels through pipes and canals to
04
pumping stations, where it is mechanically lifted and sent through
outfall canals to the lake. New Orleans does not need a hurricane to
flood: the drainage system can store just half an inch of rainfall, and
03/ An inventory of surface canals and their physical characteristics.
it can pump half an inch of rain in one hour. After that, the city begins
IMAGE/ Philip Burkhardt, Kenny Fung, Karen May, Julian Pelekanakis,
to fill with water. Denise Pinto, and Tara Razavi, University of Toronto and Washington
University, 2010
04/ An inventory of underground drainage canals and their
physical characterisics.
IMAGE/ Justin Cheung, Jonathan Dowse, Marc Hardiejowski, Juan Robles,
Scott Rosin, and Brendan Wittstruck, University of Toronto and
Washington University, 2010Gutter to Gulf .15 15
05
Now What?
New Orleans’s drainage system is essential to the city’s everyday
life, but it exists outside the consciousness of most citizens, policy
makers, and design professionals. The city is a Gordian knot of
dilemmas about water and its management. This knot emerged
over time from the development of an infrastructure system that
denies the city’s basic ecology. It creates vulnerability to disas-
ters—from hurricanes to oil spills—and makes recovery extremely
difficult. It demands new ways of thinking about the role of water
in cities today. The city needs a water plan.
Gutter to Gulf arose to advocate for synthetic water planning in
New Orleans. Its premise is that better information at both grassroots
and policy levels is the first step toward improved urban watershed 06
awareness and management. It addresses water planning in two
ways: by providing clear, comprehensive information about how
infrastructure functions right now and by proposing a new landscape
05/ This physical model shows the correspondence—and lack
vocabulary that relates infrastructure, ecology, and civic space. of correspondence—between the city’s hydrological and
hydraulic systems.
IMAGE/ Washington University Gutter to Gulf studio, 2011
06/ Historical study showing where surface canals have been buried.
IMAGE/ Greg Warren, University of Toronto, 2010Gutter to Gulf .15 16
Harvest
When it
Rains...
Time
07
Planning for water involves both technical and political questions,
and Gutter to Gulf aims to speak to engineers, designers, policy
makers, and citizens. The initiative raises design issues that are
rhetorical—what, for instance, should the image of water be in a
soggy place, and how can that image help citizens to come to terms
with where they live?—and practical—how does rainwater hit the
ground, travel through the city, and make its way to the Gulf of
Mexico? Questions of expression and pragmatism come together
around public safety: limiting risk will depend not only on adequate
water storage but also on the development of a flood culture that
recognizes the landscape’s basic tendencies. These issues cross
07/ A proposal for cooperative rice farming in a low-lying, disciplines and arenas: they engage planning, urban and landscape
economically disadvantaged neighbourhood.
design, architecture, engineering, economics, and politics. They
IMAGE/ Adam Bobbette and Karen May, University of Toronto, 2010
involve landscape types from infrastructure to public space to private
08/ A proposal to design street tree planting in relation to soil types.
gardens. They demand reckoning with ecological systems from
IMAGE/ Julian Pelekanakis, Washington University in St. Louis, 2010
regional to residential scales.Gutter to Gulf .15 17
08
Existing Condition
Gutter to Gulf has developed a range of documents to elucidate
current circumstances and offer alternatives. To understand the his-
torical evolution of water systems in New Orleans, the initiative has
examined three emblematic water bodies: a historic stream—Bayou
Saint John—an outfall canal—the 17th Street Canal—and a naviga-
tion channel—the Industrial Canal (see image 02). To describe and
explain the drainage system’s components, mechanisms, and sur-
face manifestations, Gutter to Gulf has developed a taxonomy (see
images 03, 04, and 06). To investigate the relationships—or lack of
relation—between the city’s water management system, other kinds
of infrastructure, and subdivision related to governance, the initiative
has created a series of physical and digital models that overlay
boundary conditions (see image 05). Finally, Gutter to Gulf proposes
new urban landscapes that bring together ecology, infrastructure,
and civic purpose (see images 01, 07 and 08).
For more information on Gutter to Gulf, please visit
www.guttertogulf.com.
BIOS/ JANE WOLFF IS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT THE DANIELS FACULTY OF
ARCHITECTURE, LANDSCAPE, AND DESIGN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO,
AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE FACULTY’S MLA PROGRAM. ELISE SHELLEY, OALA,
IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE DANIELS FACULTY. DEREK HOEFERLIN IS
AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
AND URBAN DESIGN AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS.The Bottom .15 18
Line
TEXT BY RON PALMER, BES, MCIP, RPP
Investment in the public realm (parks, Promote increased property values and
streetscapes, public buildings) is good for tax assessment: A healthy retail sector
a city’s image, health, beauty, and quality dramatically enhances the economic
01 of life. It is also good for the bottom line. benefits through the collection of HST.
Public sector investment in the public realm Enhanced property values enrich property
helps to ensure that new jobs are created, tax assessments. An improved overall envi-
commercial and business centres are ronment attracts more residential develop-
enhanced, property values are increased, ment. Increased residential density increas-
and income is generated for investors for es the residential property tax base.
many years to come.
Promote reinvestment by the private
Interestingly, in the late 1800s the concept sector in old and new building stock:
of economic benefits through public realm Experience across North America indicates
investment was better understood than it is that public sector investment stimulates
today. One striking example is that, in 1873, private sector investment in new buildings.
property values in the wards surrounding Creating a beautiful public realm is an
the recently established Central Park had investment in the future. Public dollars
increased in value so much that the City of spent secure existing tax revenues and
02
New York was receiving $4.4 million U.S. in have the potential to generate tremendous
excess property taxes alone (in 1873 dol- additional financial returns to all levels
lars!). Although this message was lost for of government.
01-03/ Improvements to Michigan Avenue in
Chicago benefit the public realm and decades, it is again being heard in progres-
also improve the business landscape.
sive cities across North America. Numerous Maintain existing retailers and attract
IMAGES/ Courtesy Ron Palmer
studies have shown that significant public new businesses: Success breeds success,
investment in the public realm can: and an enhanced public realm ensures the
retention of current tenants and attracts new
retailers. Public investment sends a strong
message to the private sector.
Enhance a city’s reputation: Tourism
increases with an array of facilities, activi-
ties, and events that are supported by the
public sector. By identifying an area as hav-
ing the potential to become a key tourist
destination, its transformation enhances the
city’s ability to attract tourists from around
the world.
Case studies confirm the importance of
Public investment in public sector investment in the public realm.
the public realmThe Bottom .15 19
Line
In 1992, the 42nd Street Redevelopment
Plan, worth more than $2.6 billion U.S.,
dramatically changed the face of Times
Square. Financed with more than $300
million U.S. in public money, the redevel-
opment—such as a reconfigured traf-
fic/pedestrian network, enhanced side-
walks, including planters/plantings and
new street furniture—has been enor-
03
mously successful, with more than $2.5
State Street/Michigan Avenue, Chicago billion U.S. in private sector development
In 1996, approximately $36 million U.S. was Lessons Learned
built since 1995.
spent improving State Street in downtown The principle inherent to these case studies,
Chicago. Those funds were split roughly and others, is that public sector investment
Further, in 1992, when the Times Square
50/50 between the federal and municipal can be leveraged into private sector invest-
Business Improvement District started, lease
governments. As a direct result of this ment response and long-term economic
rates averaged $38.00 U.S./ft2, and vacancy
investment in public infrastructure, retail prosperity. Public sector investment is
rates were 20 percent. In 2001, lease rates
lease rates in 1997 immediately rose more required as a key stimulus to enhance the
had increased to $58.00 U.S./ft2 and vacan-
than 18 percent to $32.00 U.S./ft2, and have demand for development (influencing the
cy rates had dropped to just under 5 per-
continued to rise ever since. Retail vacancy market) by investing in the city, which, in
cent. Today, the area is home to 280 restau-
rates have declined from more than 10 per- turn, will establish the appropriate environ-
rants and 670 retail stores. Tourism has
cent to less than 2 percent. ment for revitalization and investment.
increased dramatically, with more than 12
million theatre patrons spending $590 mil-
On North Michigan Avenue, intersecting Landscape architects need to recognize
lion U.S. annually on tickets alone.
State Street, lease rates in the early 1990s and promote their important contribution to
were averaging between $60.00 and city-building as an economic imperative.
$150.00 U.S./ft2. Key improvements—such A high-quality public realm has tremen-
as enhanced sidewalks, including planters/ dous value—hard economic value in
plantings and new street furniture—to terms of real estate value, tourism value,
Michigan Avenue, primarily privately funded, and assessment value—that needs to be
started in 1995. Post-improvement lease continuously enhanced through public sec-
rates are up to $300.00 U.S./ft2. In addition, tor investment. Experience has shown that
the total amount of retail floor space has the economic benefits of public sector
increased from 2.2 million square feet in investment in the public realm are not
1988 to more than 3.3 million square feet. only desirable but are achievable.
BIO/ RON PALMER, BES, MCIP, RPP, IS A PARTNER
IN THE TORONTO-BASED FIRM THE PLANNING
PARTNERSHIP. ALONG WITH HIS FIVE PARTNERS,
RON’S FIRM IS INVOLVED IN A FULL RANGE OF
05 PLANNING AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL
PROJECTS, WITH A FOCUS ON CITY-BUILDING
Post Office Square Park, Boston AND PUBLIC CONSULTATION/FACILITATION.
For years, a two-acre parcel of land in the
midst of Boston’s Financial District was occu-
pied by an unsightly, 500,000-square-foot
concrete parking garage. But in the early
1980s, at the urging of surrounding busi-
nesses, the city joined a unique public-pri-
vate partnership to demolish the structure
and create an underground garage cov-
ered by a graceful park. Most observers
04 agree that Post Office Square Park has
Times Square, New York City changed Boston forever. The park has 04/ The image of Times Square in New York
City has been transformed through
In the early 1980s, Times Square was filled boosted the value of surrounding proper- public investment.
with illegal or illicit businesses and was ties, while providing an elegant green focus IMAGE/ Courtesy Ron Palmer
shunned by residents and tourists alike. to a crowded commercial area. It is an 05/ An unsightly parking garage in Boston
is now a popular park, as a resut of a
In 1984, there were only 3,000 people in extremely well used and popular part of unique public-private partnership.
the 13-acre Times Square area involved in the downtown Boston experience. IMAGE/ Courtesy Ron Palmer
legitimate businesses, generating a total of
$6 million U.S. in property taxes.Round Table .15 20
Our Round Table participants discuss
the challenges of rethinking the definition of
green infrastructure and incorporating sustain-
able systems into built projects
BIOS/ NANCY CHATER, OALA, IS CO-CHAIR OF THE GROUND JONATHAN JOYCE, OALA, IS AN ASSOCIATE WITH THE
EDITORIAL BOARD. SHE RECENTLY JOINED THE PLANNING MBTW GROUP. A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT WITH MORE
PARTNERSHIP IN TORONTO. THAN SIXTEEN YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, JON HAS BEEN
INVOLVED IN AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF COMMUNITY,
DORIS CHEE, OALA, HAS BEEN A PRACTISING LANDSCAPE INSTITUTIONAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND RECREATIONAL
ARCHITECT FOR MORE THAN TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AND AN PROJECTS WITH SPECIALIZATIONS IN GOLF COURSE
OALA MEMBER SINCE 1989. SHE HAS WORKED IN THE ARCHITECTURE AND SPORTS FIELD DESIGN.
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS ON A VARIETY OF PROJ-
ECTS, AND IS CURRENTLY WITH HYDRO ONE NETWORKS HAROLD SICH HAS BEEN PROVIDING CONSULTING SERVIC-
INC., DEALING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES OF BOTH ES FOR ALMOST THIRTY YEARS ON THE PLANNING AND
NATURAL AND URBAN SETTINGS REGARDING HYDRO STA- DESIGN OF TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND
TIONS AND LINE CORRIDORS IN ONTARIO. SHE IS ACTIVE THE WORLD. HIS FOCUS IN RECENT YEARS HAS BEEN ON
IN MENTORING YOUNG ASSOCIATES WHO ARE WORKING INTEGRATED URBAN SOLUTIONS, WORKING ON OR LEAD-
TO BECOME LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS. ING MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS, INCLUDING LANDSCAPE
ARCHITECTS AND URBAN DESIGNERS. HE IS AN ASSOCIATE
COLLEEN CIRILLO HAS A MASTER'S DEGREE IN PRINCIPAL AT ARUP CANADA WORKING ON PROJECTS
ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE STUDIES FROM THE FOR WATERFRONT TORONTO, INCLUDING QUEENS QUAY
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO AND HAS WORKED FOR REVITALIZATION, A NUMBER OF TTC STATIONS, AND SUP-
TORONTO AND REGION CONSERVATION SINCE 2000. IN PORTS NUMEROUS OTHER PROJECTS THAT WILL IMPROVE
2003, COLLEEN INITIATED THE HEALTHY YARDS PROGRAM, THE PUBLIC REALM WITH A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH.
AND IN 2009 SHE CO-FOUNDED THE HORTICULTURE
OUTREACH COLLABORATIVE, WHICH SHE CURRENTLY NANCY SMITH LEA IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE TORONTO
CHAIRS. AT PRESENT, SHE IS ON SECONDMENT FROM COALITION FOR ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION (TCAT) AT THE
HEALTHY YARDS AND IS COORDINATING THE GREEN CLEAN AIR PARTNERSHIP. NANCY HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN
INFRASTRUCTURE ONTARIO COALITION. ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH AND PROMOTION
SINCE 1993. SHE HAS PUBLISHED SEVERAL ARTICLES ON
TODD FELL, OALA, IS A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AND SEN- BARRIERS AND INCENTIVES TO CYCLING AND HAS BEEN
IOR MANAGER AT DOUGAN & ASSOCIATES ECOLOGICAL INVITED TO SPEAK ON A REGULAR BASIS AT CONFERENCES
CONSULTING AND DESIGN. TODD HAS A UNIQUE BACK- AND OTHER PUBLIC FORUMS ABOUT HER ACTIVE TRANS-
GROUND IN BOTH LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AND ECO- PORTATION WORK. IN 2010, NANCY WAS AWARDED A
LOGICAL RESTORATION, AND SINCE JOINING D&A IN 1998 TORONTO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION’S VITAL PEOPLE
HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN NUMEROUS PROJECTS REQUIRING GRANT FOR “PUTTING ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ON
EXPERTISE FROM BOTH DISCIPLINES. HIS PROFICIENCIES IN THE MAP.”
BOTH DESIGN AND ECOLOGY FACILITATE HIS UNDER-
STANDING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ECOLOGICAL LAND-
SCAPE DESIGN AND NATURAL HERITAGE PLANNING. HIS
WORK INVOLVES PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR PROJECTS
IN LAND DEVELOPMENT, MUNICIPAL PLANNING, POLICY
DEVELOPMENT, MASTER PLANNING, TRANSPORTATION,
VEGETATIVE SLOPE STABILITY AND NATURAL CHANNEL
PLANTINGS, WILDLIFE CROSSINGS, GREEN INFRASTRUC-
TURE DEVELOPMENT, PARKS, RECREATION, AS WELL AS
CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION INITIATIVES.Round Table .15 21
Nancy Chater (NC): Let’s start by looking at example, green roofs and urban forests— systems. I think it’s interesting that there’s
the term green infrastructure and talk about but they don’t want to limit it just to that. this push to give an economic value to
the context it’s come out of and the different things that we depend on that have been
definitions that are being used. The Green HS: There are challenges at the higher invisible or taken for granted—everything
Infrastructure Ontario Coalition and others level, such as master planning. It’s difficult from stormwater systems to reducing the
use the term to mean both the protection because of the cyclical nature of politics and urban heat island effect. How do economic
of natural systems and advocating for economics. However, strategies should discourses come into what you’re doing?
sustainable engineered systems such as include quick wins at the lower site-specific Do you think it’s important?
stormwater retention. It seems to include scale to engage the public, to get every-
forests, fresh water, soil—everything from body enthusiastic and excited, but you also JJ: The biggest problem I see in green
that scale of natural system—down to per- need the big, long-range plan and vision. infrastructure is the actual delivery. One of
meable paving, rain barrels, fairly low-tech the things we frequently run into is that juris-
human interventions. So it’s a very broad NC: I think the “green” in green infrastruc- dictional authorities have sustainable poli-
definition, including designed and not ture is a short-form for sustainable. That’s cies that outline the policy benefits, but fall
designed, engineered and not engineered one way we could look at it—the intent is to short in identifying the actual or perceived
systems. Do you think that broad term is a incorporate sustainability principles into the economic value of those benefits. In a
strength or does it become confusing? definition of infrastructure. Nancy [Smith standard real-estate model of developer/
Lea], do you see your organization, the builder/homebuyer, infrastructure costs are
Colleen Cirillo (CC): The coalition intentionally Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation, passed down the line. If the developer can’t
went broad with the definition in order to as part of the green infrastructure dialogue, define the economic value of green infra-
incorporate many of the different profes- as part of that discourse? structure elements, costs can’t be passed to
sions that are involved in either installing or the builder. Likewise, the builder cannot
maintaining green infrastructure. Previously, Nancy Smith Lea (NSL): Well, I do, pass costs to the homebuyer. While today’s
when people in Ontario were talking about although it’s not a term that we typically use. consumer is much more knowledgeable
green infrastructure they were often talking But any definition of green infrastructure about the environment, sustainability, and
about energy-related technologies. But we should include pedestrians and cyclists or green initiatives, if the economic value of
are talking about living infrastructure. active transportation. these initiatives can’t be demonstrated
Sometimes it is a bit overwhelming to articu- to them, they won’t pay any associated
late what we’re after because it is so broad. DC: Green infrastructure includes practically premiums. End result, these initiatives
everything that we’re working on, or that are not implemented.
Harold Sich (HS): The term can mean we see as an issue at this point in time.
something different in Ontario, in North Green means alternatives to energy, alter- NC: So it is important to be able to talk
America, and in Europe. In Europe, it can natives to transportation, it means greening about the monetary gains, or bottom-line
be much broader, actually, and normally up a city literally, with roof gardens and tree arguments, to persuade them?
includes the master-planning level that planting. It means alternatives to structures
takes into account full sustainability and life- and systems. JJ: Recently, there have been evaluation
cycle considerations. I would say that green tool kits developed and distributed. It’s hard
infrastructure is a holistic, integrated NC: To make them more sustainable. to put a value on bigger picture items and
approach that can range from the master- systems, but if you can, that value can then
planning level down to the site-specific DC: That’s right. be translated into something everybody can
design level. understand on an economic level.
Jonathan Joyce (JJ): I don’t think there’s
Doris Chee (DC): The positive side of the any harm in having a broad definition. If DC: I wonder if part of the problem is that
broad definition is that it brings attention to you work anywhere in the design industry, we all know that green infrastructure is
all the issues that are related to the whole whether you’re talking about sustainability ultimately good for our health and our
green movement. However, it could be or low-impact development, you’re talking future; however, we work in a world where
confusing to people as to what it is exactly. about green infrastructure. money is the bottom line and we talk eco-
I’m not sure what the solution is, whether nomics all the time with anything that we
we should pare it down or keep it broad. NC: There seems to be a movement in do. If we were to marry the two, that might
green infrastructure discussions to monetize get the message through.
CC: Coalition members are very keen to the value of existing natural systems and to
have more developers and engineers present an economic argument, which is a HS: Maybe the bar is too low, which gets
involved. Coalition members see it as being strategy to persuade policy makers, govern- us back to policy. If we have proper policy
at that higher scale, too, although a lot of ment, developers, and so on to invest in or incentives, then we could raise the bar
them are working on a lower scale—for green infrastructure and to protect existing in certain areas. I do believe that we canRound Table .15 22
influence delivery; it’s just that we need to driving. Local businesses are relying on
continually educate and motivate people to people who are coming by walking, cycling,
ask for that. and public transit. So, economically, it’s a
good idea to really try to encourage and
NC: Colleen, in terms of the idea of making support the infrastructure for alternative
the economic arguments for green infra- transportation. If you build a walking/
structure, is that something that’s top of cycling trail, that’s going to increase
mind for you at the coalition? your real-estate value.
CC: It’s valuable to think about the amount NC: There’s the economic side and there’s
of investment that goes into grey infrastruc- the science side. Of course, they’re related
ture. That investment is completely neces- because once you have the scientific data,
sary because we all need grey infrastruc- it can back up your economic argument.
ture, but the coalition’s focus is about build-
ing the case that green infrastructure is just JJ: One problem is that many of the green
as essential and it complements and infrastructure technologies are advancing
extends the life of grey infrastructure. So, it so quickly that the study of the benefits can’t
is all about putting a monetary value on the keep up. It’s not bad that technology is
multiple benefits provided by natural vege- advancing so dramatically, but there ends
tation and the vegetative technologies, and up being this gap between the scientific
adequately supporting these systems. assessment of benefits and the economic
arguments they potentially support.
Ecosystem valuation is a relatively new sci-
ence and it’s really exciting what’s happen- NC: And it’s hard for people on the design
ing. In the U.K., there’s a group of about 40 side, and engineering side, and implemen-
organizations, and they spent three years tation side to be doing research. This is
and multiple millions creating a tool to help where research and design and policy all
them understand the monetary value of all come together and need to work together,
these natural systems and associated ben- so I think the coalition is very exciting.
efits. The University of Illinois has an associ-
ation of professors and students working on HS: When I first started out, the ministry of
health-related benefits of green infrastruc- environment, for example, used to do lots of
ture and understanding those and putting a research on everything, but now they don’t.
monetary value on them. More locally, the When stormwater management systems
Credit Valley Conservation Authority (CVC) were first being introduced in the 1960s and
has done a lot of natural capital valuation 70s, there were numerous reports that the
studies. CVC and Toronto and Region ministry undertook themselves and they
Conservation are part of a group called were readily available, but they’re not in
“ONES,“ which stands for Ontario Network that business any more.
of Evaluation Science. It’s a group of people
who are taking the science and applying it NC: A challenge of dealing with living sys-
locally. This new science is helping our tems is that they have a long lifespan, so
coalition build a strong business case for there’s the maintenance question and what
green infrastructure. happens to them over time. The resources it
takes to study, to document, the whole lifes-
NSL: At the Toronto Coalition for Active pan of these systems is a major challenge.
Transportation, we have been looking at the
economic benefits of investing in cycling and CC: At Toronto and Region Conservation,
walking. We did a two-year study, which there’s a group of people who work
came out last year, that looked at Bloor on STEP, which stands for Sustainable
Street in Toronto, and who the customers Technologies Evaluation Program. They
were who were coming to those stores and take all these ideas that sound good and
how they felt about the road as it currently try them out in our environment. Most of the
is. We found that only about 10 percent of research is done in the GTA. They look at,
the customers coming to those stores were say, green roofs, or permeable pavements,Round Table .15 23
different elements of low-impact-develop- and area expansion can be achieved DC: First off, Hydro One doesn’t own the
ment, and because our climate is different, through incorporating infrastructure design corridor property itself. We have rights over
what might work in California doesn’t neces- into the natural system with items such as the property; the majority of our corridors
sarily work in Toronto, or doesn’t perform in pedestrian trails, stormwater management are owned by Ontario Realty Corporation
the same way. I like their evaluation pro- facilities, parks and recreation facilities, and (ORC). So we don’t have a real say as to
gram because it is long-term and local. even streetscapes. what happens on the ground level, to an
Results are available on the STEP website extent. In terms of what you can do or
(www.sustainabletechnologies.ca). In a current project we’re working on, there develop underneath our lines, there is a
are a number of small, fragmented wetland restriction because of the power lines
[Todd Fell joins the Round Table.] communities. The site is adjacent to a above; there is a clearance that needs to
school and surrounded by residential devel- be observed if anything is built underneath
NC: There was an American design compe- opment, and the municipality has designat- it. From Hydro One’s perspective, it would
tition a while ago; it was an infrastructure ed the land for a community park complete be great if the land could be used for some-
ideas competition and it had some interest- with sports fields, children’s play area, park- thing else, if it could have a secondary use
ing approaches to infrastructure. They ing, and passive recreation opportunities. of some sort. ORC is looking into that. There
argued that infrastructure is the heart of the Our approach was to consolidate the wet- are tracts of land that are being used for
next generation’s public’s sphere, since land into a large feature that received all the parking lots, for playgrounds, for community
public spending on dedicated public spaces runoff in the park’s drainage basin, provid- gardens, that kind of thing. Hydro One sta-
has evaporated. It is things like stormwater ing both detention and water quality func- tions are owned by Hydro One, and if we
systems, rail easements and stations and tion thereby clearing space for the park’s have left-over lands outside of the actual
roadways that will be obliged to give back recreational programming. With such a station itself, it is either given back to
to their neighbourhoods in the form of large wetland restoration feature the park the farmer or it’s left as it was when we
parks, community services, and affordable became thematically and spatially linked bought the land. Within urban centres, we
housing. What’s interesting is that it high- with the new wetland and now provides a tend to buy only enough land to build the
lights a current design approach in which stewardship and interpretation focus for the station. So we don’t have secondary uses
infrastructure is no longer limited to being school and surrounding community. It’s a for station sites.
a single-use model. There’s a push to make win-win scenario for the municipality and
things have multiple programs or multiple residents. In other examples the issue often TF: I’d love to get Hydro One and the
uses. This will push infrastructure’s public becomes how you plan your urban design Ministry of Natural Resources together
compatibility and innovative design con- guidelines to start including green elements because there are some interesting conser-
cepts and finance strategies. So working with infrastructure. It’s a big shift in thinking, vation opportunities that could result from a
infrastructure becomes parkland and and the biggest challenges we’ve had are partnership between the two agencies. For
becomes transportation networks and often with existing policy and standards that example, let’s say the Ministry of Natural
becomes habitat; that kind of overlay of are followed to the letter rather than for the Resources comes out with a new policy on
multiple uses and multiple programs spirit of intent. This often has the result of species at risk such as bobolink. Bobolink
opens up the field. limiting creativity and innovation. creates a particular problem because it’s
an open field species and there’s not a lot
Todd Fell (TF): That certainly describes my HS: We have to educate. Some people of legislation that protects this kind of habitat
experience at Dougan & Associates with are hard to convert, but the recent gener- due to potential conflict with agricultural
regards to green infrastructure, largely due ations are easier to convert a little. You’re uses. The Provincial Policy Statement (under
to the fact that the firm crosses disciplinary not going to please everybody. It is a bal- the Planning Act) provides strong guidance
boundaries between terrestrial ecology, ance; it is a trade-off. We need to take to municipalities on conservation planning
landscape architecture, and natural her- incremental steps. for wetland, valley, and significant woodland
itage planning. Our firm regularly works at habitats but not for conflicts between
a multidisciplinary level with planners, engi- NC: People need to be persuaded that species at risk and agriculture. However,
neers, other landscape architects, and other things will actually be better with these hydro right-of-ways stipulate vegetative
technical disciplines. When the work of the changes, that the changes will bring about height restrictions and usage limitations
team is applied—take subdivision planning, benefits rather than making something that present perfect habitat opportunities
for instance—there’s an opportunity to eval- worse. Doris, I’d like to go back to this for species like the bobolink. The ancillary
uate the synergies between conservation idea of infrastructural systems being benefit of targeted meadow habitat under
objectives and the infrastructure require- opportunities for public space and multiple a linear feature like a hydro right-of-way is
ments of the development. Functional programming. Can you speak to your the potential to serve a linkage function
enhancements to existing natural heritage Hydro One experience? I mean, Hydro between otherwise fragmented habitat
features such as linkages, species and corridors are vast tracks of land. What’s
habitat diversification, edge management, the current thinking with Hydro One about
other uses for that land?You can also read
