Green City: Green Sites
Many U.S. cities were built prior to requirements for stormwater management and have altered significantly the natural drainage patterns, vegetation, local climate and habitats. Problems from these alterations include untreated urban land runoff that contaminates surface waters and accelerates flooding, increases stream temperatures from paved surfaces and decreases the availability of natural habitats for animals and people. In densely developed areas, public access to contaminated waterways can cause problems as these waterways may carry contaminants from street runoff, broken sewer lines, illicit discharges or other polluting land uses. The Journal of Water and Health has noted that the true incidence of waterborne diseases in the U.S. population is markedly underestimated.
This lecture/workshop course will focus on urban storm water management using Charlottesville as test case for studying principles and techniques of green infrastructure-transforming water from a waste product to an urban resource. We will take a look at urban water challenges from cities across the globe and then drill down to American cities and finally to Charlottesville. Students will be introduced to critical issues in stormwater management, from urban health and environmental issues to the relationship of water systems and urban design. In the second part of the course, students will study Charlottesville's watersheds and design a stormwater retrofit for a selected site. Students will become familiar with low impact development concepts and applications, drawing on case examples from other cities. The completed design prototypes will contribute to the City of Charlottesville's current initiative to implement low impact development stormwater management techniques on public lands.
Format: This is a lecture/studio course jointly offered in the Planning and Landscape Architecture graduate programs, co-taught by faculty members from both departments. Karen Firehock's background in environmental policy and planning, environmental regulations and community outreach will be complemented by Elissa Rosenberg's focus in landscape architectural design. This course will bridge policy planning and site-specific design implementation, combining lectures with design projects, community workshops and presentations. It is the second course in a two-part (fall-spring) sequence. It is open to students in the School of Architecture as well as to students in related fields.