Chicago Knee Deep
Making Room for Water Resiliency in Chicago
What is cloudburst flooding?
The coming climate crisis and its impact on water
Pluvial Flooding
Fluvial Flooding
Coastal Flooding
Increased Precipitation
-10% -5%
0
+5% +10%
Atmospheric Rivers
Atmospheric Rivers are relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere – like rivers in the sky – that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics. When the atmospheric rivers make landfall, they often release this water vapor in the form of rain or snow.
2020-2039
Climate Threats 0.5- 1MILE
LARGE RUNOFF WATER VAPOR TRANSPORT
FLOOD RISK EVAPORATION
Bio
Wind
Rising Sea Levels and Blackouts
Waste
3
0 -15
+3C Solar
2
+2C
Nuclear
1
+1C
Hydro
Hot air rises
95 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 45 30 15
Gas
Hot & cold air meet and condensate
Increase in Temperature
Oil
Clouds increase in size
Cloudburst flooding is caused by sudden, substantial rainfall events that can overwhelm stormwater systems and lead to excess water pooling even in areas that are not adjacent to any bodies of water.
Coal
Cold air at high altitude
2040-2059
2080-2099
Extreme weather events that can bring about increased flood risk have been occurring with increased frequency and ferocity in recent years. This is largely due to the impacts of manmade climate change. Rising temperatures fuel the severity of storms by causing increased evaporation that sends more moisture into the air, while a warmer atmosphere provides increased energy levels that power intense storms. These storms raise the likelihood of coastal, fluvial, and pluvial flooding that can have dramatic effects on infrastructure and quality of life.
Global Deluge
Precipitation precipitating problems around the world Where is Cloudburst Flooding Happening?
The rise of tempestuous storms sweeping through cities is not localized to one area or another - it is happening around the globe. This has led to increased flooding everywhere from France and Germany in Europe to China and India in Asia to every country in-between.
55 in. | 1 hr. Paris, France
10.8 in. | 48 hr. SPA, Belgium
5.9 in. | 24 hr.
Rhineland Palatinate, Germany
The Great Lakes Basin
7.5 in. | 1 hr.
3.9 in. | 24 hr.
Henan, China
Vancouver, Canada
7.5 in. | 24 hr. Hyderabad, India
Mississippi River Watershed
The City of Chicago Coastal Flooding at the Lake
Nature-based Solutions High Water Levels
Record high water levels were set on the Great Lakes in 2019 and 2020 resulting in increased flooding risks and erosion. The water levels rise as a result of warming water temperatures and increased precipitation.
Low-lying Tide Floods
Low-lying floodplains adjacent to the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River risk overflow of water that can damage property and creating dangerous conditions for residents.
Erosion
Wave Runup Flooding
Erosion occurs when waves move shore material out to deep water. Water levels, rain, groundwater and people all affect erosion. Erosion leads to increased pollution harming local ecosystems.
Levee
This includes the restoration of wetlands, the removal of impervious surfaces along rivers, the implementation of green infrastructure, and combinations of other ecologicallysensitive solutions that mitigate flood severity, improve water quality, and the overall health of ecosystems.
The 4,000+ mile century-old system of levees along river banks is intended to hold back flood waters, however, it has largely had the opposite effect by increasing water levels and flow speeds. The loss of just 1% of wetland cover caused by levee construction can increase total flood volume by as much as 7%.
High water and strong winds can drive waves onshore, breaking over cliffs and bluffs. This can cause significant beach erosion and structural damage.
warming powerful vulnerable
Urban Flooding
The Great Lakes Region suffers from the accumualtion of floodwaters when the inflow of stormwater exceeds the drainage system.
vast vital engineered
Drainage Issues
Much of the land adjacent to river basin waterways is used for agricultural purposes accounting for more than 40% of national production. This has led to increased contamination of waters as flooding both takes chemicals and fertilizers from the soil and is also fueled in volume by toxic waters received from agricultural tiling, damaging ecosystems and worsening flood fallout
Fluvial Flooding at the River
Pluvial Flooding in the City
Weather Whiplash
Volatility in climate patterns leads to the phenomenon of ‘weather whiplash’ wherein extreme weather events shift between two opposing weather conditions and back again, much like a pendulum
Cities that Soak
Preparing to absorb the next generation of floods Copenhagen Cloduburst Streets
Copenhagen’s cloudburst plan intends to create a holistic solution for the city. The strategies used include water sensitive design and blue-green solutions to increase the overall livability of the city. Ramboll has carried out an extensive hydrological assesment of the whole city to identify the effects of infiltration on the groundwater table. Cloudburst street planning creates robust solutions that drain the low-lying areas.
Wuhan Sponge City
Wuhan’s sponge city model is a new urban construction model for flood management, strengthening ecological infrastructure and drainage systems, proposed by Chinese researchers in early 2000.It can alleviate urban flooding, water resources shortage, and the urban heat island effect and improve the ecological environment and biodiversity by absorbing and capturing rain water and utilizing it to reduce floods. Rain water harvested can be repurposed for irrigation and for home use.
Rainwater Garden Forest Wetland
Green Roof Bioretention Facility Transparent Ground Surface
Netherlands Flood Management
Flood Defense: Flood protection structures were constructed after the North sea flood in 1953.The infracture was built within and around the Rhine, Meuse, and Scheldt. Technology focus: In the traditional dutch water management, threats of flooding were combated by building dike reinforcements and polders. Room for water: Netherlands moved to incorporate safety into everyday land use by giving water room, making space available in flood plains and towns so that water can be stored.
Dikes
Polder & Reclaimed Land Rainwater Recycling
Mild rain
Green buildings
Micro System(Building System)
Cloudburst Road
Holistic Design
Medium System(Community System)
Detention street Wetland park
Cloudburst pipe Central retention area Macro System(Urban System)
Chicago Stormwater System?
When it comes to stormwater management and cloudburst flooding, Chicago is not adequately prepared for the coming crisis. The Tunnel and Resevior Plan (TARP) was commissioned in the 1970’s at a time when climate change’s impact on weather was not understood - when it is completed in 2029, the additional stormwater capacity it provides is not likely to be enough to handle the storms it will contend with in the coming years. Applying lessons learned from international precedents is crucial for a successful future in Chicago.
Impervious Chicago
Products of the past creating trouble for the future The Study Area: Near Southside Chicago
Landcover
Soil
Drainage
3 Grant Park 1 Urban Grid
4
62% of land is impervious 0% wetlands
Northerly Island & Museum Campus
2 Rail Yards & 78
Soil Composition
3
4b 4a
2b
1
60% of soil does not drain properly
Dominance of blue clay soil type
Freight Tunnels
Surface Parking
Green Roofs
60 miles of subterranean freight tunnels
59 acres of land is used for parking
Only 3% of roof area is vegetated
2a
1 The Urban Grid
2a
14.5%
8.7%
53.8% 10.7%
Stiff Blue Clay
16.2%
11.5%
Rail Yards 1.9%
63.1% Plastic Blue Clay
10.0%
3 Grant Park
The 78 22.5% Soft Blue Clay
27.5%
Blue Clay & Black Sand Hard Blue Clay & Sand Fill
Yellow Clay & Sand Fill
31.5% 14.1% 18.5%
40.0%
The 78
Stiff Blue Clay
Plastic Blue Clay Fill
Northerly Island 0.86%
Hard Loam Sand Soft Blue Clay Hard Clay Gravel Mix Fill
4b
9.7%
42.9%
27.1%
Museum Campus
Silty Clay
6.5%
8.2%
Blue Clay
Silty Clay & Gravel Mix Sand Fill
Sand Concrete & Brick
14.6%
Hard Clay, Sandy Silt & Broken Limestone 28.6%
Dirty Fill & Cinders Compact Silt 58.3%
Grant Park
Black Dirt Yellow Clay & Sand
22.5%
17.7%
Black Dirt
Rail Yards
4a
5.6%
10.5%
Stiff Blue Clay
Medium Stiff Blue Clay Sand Open Area (Catch Basin)
2b
Soft Blue Clay Hard Blue Clay & Sand Blue Clay & Black Sand Fill
Fill Gravel Mix Sand Soft Blue Clay Hard Clay Hard Loam
Lake Michigan
Chicago Bird Highway
Landing on answers for skies, grounds, and waters Chicago has been labeled one of the most dangerous cities for birds because it is the largest urban area along a major migratory route. The Chicago Bird Highway (CBH) can serve as a regional system that returns some of the land to the birds by introducing wetlands and restoring natural habitat that will offset carbon, absorb stormwater and slow warming temperatures. Snowy Owl
5% 40% 40% of the world’s 10,000 bird species are in decline. Chicago is home to approximately 300 bird species. 300 1B birds die each year in North America as a 1 Billion result of window strikes. There has been a 30% reduction in bird 3 Billion numbers, roughly 3B birds, since 1970. The Midwest is losing up to 5% of migratory bird species every year as a result of human interference.
Blackpoll Warbler
Mississippi Flyway
Bay-breasted Warbler
Chicago White Throated Sparrow
CBH Potential Intervention Sites
Select Species Snowy Owl
Greater Red-winged Yellowlegs Blackbird
Bay-breasted Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
King Rail
Near Southside
South Works
Lake Calumet
White-throated Sparrow
Norhtern Shoveler
Scarlet Tanger
Greater Yellowlegs
Baltimore Oriole
King Rail
Red-winged Blackbird
Blue-winged Teal
Indigo Bunting
Great Blue Heron
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Great Egret
Blackpoll Warbler
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Northern Shoveler Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Great Blue Heron
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Great Egret
Indigo Bunting
Blue-winged Teal
Baltimore Oriole
Systems Thinking
Driving solutions with a holistic approach Outcome: Vision Plan
Guiding Principles
Clark Street
Rethink urban surfaces
Create hybrid models of soft & hard infrastructure to manage water flows
State Street
Preliminary Research
Walk the Study Area
Re-evaluate above & below ground infrastructure
Roosevelt
Determine Sites
16th Street
Develop a systems approach to climate change planning in Chicago
Achieve a better balance between development & ecological restoration
Improve urban health and quality of life through innovative interventions
Develop Guiding Principles
Collaborative Process
Prior to undergoing any amount of extensive design, a thorough analysis of natural and built environments was necessary. This was done in tandem with discussions that included a diverse array of professionals and incorporated intense explorations of several sites. All of this work helped to found fundamental principles that could inform fresh, fluid designs for the future.
Conceptual Sketching
There is a need to rethink all urban surfaces - considering both the ways in which they act individually, as well as the ways that they interact between one another. That can then help to create hybrid models of soft and hard infrastructure that manages water while simultaneously re-evaluating the relationship between above and below ground infrastructure in the city. Comprehensively, these core principles could achieve a better balance between development and ecological restoration through a newly created systems approach for climate change, subsequently improving urban health and quality of life for all residents through the innovations and interventions discovered throughout the process.
Refine & Develop Scenarios
The Cup, The Straw, & The Sieve Enabling both traffic and water to flow Water Flow Directionality
Day without rain
Proposed Solution Using knowledge on topography, water pooling, water directionality, and site conditions, ideas for profound transformation were conceived. Eventually this manifested into a model termed “The Straw and The Sieve” wherein large, northsouth corridors that are largely flat and experience excessive water levels can act as ‘straws’ that suck in and retain water through green infrastructure and regrading. At the same time, east-west avenues that cross the pooling area could be modified to direct water in support of ecological areas and restored wetlands being created across a new ecotope by filtering and distributing stormwater.
Day with rain
Permeable pavement
Green belt
Flood Risk
Planter
Re-graded streets
36% of land is at an increased risk of flooding in the future
The Straw
Utilizing the information gathered in various analyses, a new network to help bind the city culturally, while simultaneously creating a cohesive urban ecosystem was developed. Restructuring, regrading, and creating new areas where water can be retained, processed, and distributed would provide profound benefits for not only the environment but would also empower the larger functionality of ecosystems.
Water Pooling
The Sieve Ridge line Retention Streets
20% of the study area experiences water pooling
Release Streets Stormwater Movement
Grant Park The Grand Filter
Toolkit Rethink Lake Shore Drive
Mesh Highways & Flyways
Status Quo
Introduce Global Gardens
Canals to Dilute and Distribute
Re-programming
Bioswales In Lieu of Metra Rails
Future of Flooding
Additional water capacity: 400 million gallons New naturalized land: 170 acres
Plan View
Rail Yards & The 78 77 is enough
Toolkit Rehabilitate Existing Historic Structures activated historic powerhouse
room for the river
Elevate Natural Systems
native plant species
Status Quo
designed for wildlife
Blend Eco-Aspiration with Recreation
recreational open space
enhanced connectivity
Preserve Heritage with Modern Ideals
Re-programming
reimagined use of underutilized bridge
Harmony of Engineering, Art, & Environment natural systems prioritized
space for art installations
Future of Flooding
Additional water capacity: 500 million gallons New naturalized land: 120 acres
Plan View
working in tandem with existing infrastructure
Museum Campus
Toolkit Preserve Lakefront - Protect Wildlife
Melding logical with ecological
soften lake edge
native plant species
Optimizing Protected Burnham Waters floating boardwalk
lakeshore trail
floating island
Retrofit Soldier Field green roof
mixed-use interior
open space
Status Quo
permeable paths
Surface Parking Conversion open space
canal connection
retention pond
Redevelop East McCormick Place mixed-use rental
green roof
canal
Re-programming
Capitalize on Fresh Canal Framework
Naturalize West McCormick Place recreational green roof
Future of Flooding
Additional water capacity: 1 billion gallons New naturalized land: 210 acres
barrier to LSD
Plan View
Chicago as an Urban Ecotope