Greening America’s Communities
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Honolulu, Hawaii Final Illustrations Booklet
Greening America’s Communities
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Honolulu, Hawaii Final Design Options and Case Studies
February 2018
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Table of Contents
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Introduction
1
Design Toolkit
3
Site 1- Kalani Street
7
Site 2- Kapalama Drainage Channel
18
Site 3- Development Opportunities at Iwilei Road and Pacific Street
26
Site 4- North Nimitz Highway Couplet
33
Case Study 1- Living Alleys Market Octavia Toolkit
39
Case Study 2- Modular Suspended Pavement Cells
40
Case Study 3- Ecoblocks
41
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
Project Area Map
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Location and direction of perspective view Location and direction of section Rail transit station 0
CHINATOWN Station
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Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Introduction The city and county of Honolulu (the city) hopes to integrate innovative design solutions into future policy, guidance, and built projects for infrastructure, transportation, and development to support their successful implementation of transit-oriented development plans and climate adaptation and resiliency goals and plans. The design concepts presented in this report demonstrate how sustainable approaches to street and neighborhood design can enhance the environment and the community, as well as build resiliency and support economic development. Through thoughtful design, the Greening Iwilei and Kapalama project provides concepts for site design, building strategies, and technologies that create comfortable and safe places for people to walk and cycle; improve connectivity; provide climate adaptation and resiliency by addressing flooding and sea level rise impacts and increasing water and energy efficiency; expand economic vitality; and enhance neighborhood character. City staff identified four focus sites that represent typical conditions in the Iwilei and Kapalama neighborhoods. In addition, all sites are near planned rail transit stations and are located within designated transit-oriented development areas. The city can use these design options as examples for other sites in Honolulu with similar conditions. The focus sites are: • Site 1 – Kalani Street: This site focuses on the two northern blocks of Kalani Street. Site 1.A focuses on Kalani Street between Kalihi and Mokauea Streets, and 1.B is focused on the block between Mokauea Street and Puuhale Road. The street is currently an uncomfortable place to walk or socialize, because pedestrians and vehicles share the street with no traffic calming measures placed within the right of way. Existing street characteristics include: no curbs, sidewalks or street trees; a mix of adjacent residential, commercial, and industrial uses; localized flooding during rainfall events; and regular truck traffic and loading. • Site 2 – Kapalama drainage channel: The channel’s inland terminus is the outfall for the Iwilei area’s piped stormwater system, with the waterway connecting to Kapalama Canal and ultimately the Pacific Ocean. The channel is adjacent to the dead end of Kokea Street, and the area is isolated and underused. There are no street, pedestrian, or bike route circulation connections along the channel, resulting in circuitous routes to get from Kokea Street to Alakawa Street on either end of the channel. Sea level rise, storm surges, and king tides are anticipated to cause more intense flooding throughout the area. • Site 3 – Potential development sites at Iwilei Road and Pacific Street: This area includes large industrial and commercial parcels, many of which are either vacant or underutilized. In addition, this area has a disconnected street network with poor circulation for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles. As new development occurs in this area, the city is planning to implement a new street network that will be designed to improve walkability, bikeability, and circulation for cars and trucks. New development also offers opportunities for more sustainable building design that uses a variety of means to improve efficiency, such as: renewable energy, energy efficient design, and capturing and reusing water onsite. Both street design and building design could consider ways to make the neighborhood more resilient to climate change impacts, especially flooding. • Site 4 – North Nimitz Highway: This busy couplet is a primary route into and out of downtown Honolulu for cars and trucks. The highway has limited sidewalks or spaces for bicyclists, creating an uncomfortable place to walk or ride. The wide width of the streets, high speed of traffic, lack of traffic signals, and physical barriers along the sides make crossing the highway from the neighborhoods to the waterfront difficult and unsafe.
1 | Introduction
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Conceptual Design Options
Honolulu requested assistance from EPA’s Greening America’s Communities program to help:
The concept designs in this report illustrate complete streets strategies combined with green infrastructure and green building concepts to create pedestrian-friendly, sustainable, and climate resilient streets, buildings, and sites. Complete streets use a range of strategies to make streets and sidewalks safe for all users, including people walking, bicycling, or driving. However, a street can be more than “complete” for transportation purposes by also improving its environmental performance. Green infrastructure includes a range of natural and built approaches to stormwater management–such as rain gardens, stormwater planters, and permeable paving–that mimic natural systems by capturing and treating polluted stormwater runoff and letting it absorb back into the ground rather than flow into the stormwater system. The use of landscape in green infrastructure can also provide environmental benefits of cooling the urban environment, and support complete streets goals by making streets more comfortable for walking and cycling. Green building concepts also provide green and sustainable strategies, and include elements such as green roofs, water reuse through collection and treatment, solar and other renewable energies, and building design.
• Improve multimodal connectivity and safety for all users. • Enhance and provide walking and biking facilities. • Provide sustainable practices for green streets, green infrastructure, and open space. • Identify innovative and resilient approaches for sustainable building and infrastructure that can be modeled for new or redevelopment. • Develop places for recreation and community interaction. • Create community identity. The design team made an initial site visit to Honolulu to tour the focus sites and other areas of Honolulu and meet with various city staff, stakeholders, and local designers and planners involved with similar projects to discuss and understand current policies, collect local data and maps, and identify opportunities and The design concepts presented in this report envision Iwilei and Kapalama as places that can be challenges. Based on information gathered on the site visit, the design team created a set of preliminary interconnected, walkable and bikeable, sustainable, and climate resilient. The design concepts can support design options. and attract economic vitality to the area and support rail transit ridership, while also improving air and water quality to benefit both current and future residents and visitors alike. Finally, the design options can Following the initial site visit, EPA staff, city staff, and the design team held a three-day workshop with enhance the overall quality of life and community identity for those living, working, and visiting Iwilei and stakeholders, local experts, and staff from city, state, and federal agencies to understand local priorities and Kapalama. challenges for the Iwilei and Kapalama neighborhoods. The workshop also focused on potential partnerships to move desired improvements forward. During the workshop, the design team presented and discussed preliminary design options at two public open houses. After collecting valuable comments and suggestions from community stakeholders and City staff, the design team refined the preliminary design options.
Introduction | 2
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Design Toolkit A design toolkit was developed to provide the city, designers, and residents with a range of strategies and tools that can be used for the four sites identified for this report, as well as in other locations throughout Honolulu facing similar issues. Other tools and strategies are available, however, the specific tools identified here are seen as having direct bearing on the design concepts. As the city moves forward with this and other projects, they can supplement the design toolkit with other tools and strategies. The selected design toolkit elements are organized on three sheets titled Intersection and Streetscape Tools; Site, Streetscape, and Greening Tools; and Greening and Resiliency Tools. These sheets illustrate: 1. Short-term low-cost and long-term improvements to create comfortable places for pedestrians and cyclists. 2. Elements and strategies to transform streets from predominantly vehicle areas into pedestrian-priority areas. 3. Street furnishings and design strategies that enhance people’s use of streets and adjacent underused parcels, foster community identity, and create improved growing conditions for trees. 4. Different landscape, green infrastructure, and other methods to collect, treat, and store stormwater runoff for water quality, groundwater recharge, water reuse, and to reduce flooding. 5. Landscaping, permeable pavements, and buildings that provide sustainable design and strategies such as improving air and water quality and reducing heat island effect.
3 | Design Toolkit
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies Legend
site 1
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Intersection and Streetscape Tools
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PARKLET
NEIGHBORHOOD PARKLET
PEDESTRIAN LIGHTING
STREETSCAPE AMENITIES
ADD GREENERY
BARNES CROSSWALK
Most frequently placed adjacent to food and drink establishments to provide outdoor dining, or commercial districts to provide additional seating. Can integrate landscape and art elements
Provides venue for neighborhood interaction and interests; is not typically focused on food and drink services. Example features seating and a puppet theater, part of a rotating artist installation.
Pedestrian lighting improves pedestrian comfort and increases safety.
Seating, bike racks, and other site amenities provide increased comfort, community character, and opportunities for social interaction.
Create physical separation, permeable areas, and shade between the road and sidewalk with vegetation. Can remove existing pavement to retrofit/add the greenery.
Also known as “pedestrian scramble”. Allows pedestrians to cross at an intersection in any direction at the same time. Traffic signal controls require a dedicated time for pedestrians only when crossing to be safe from vehicle traffic.
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PAVEMENT TO PARKS/ROAD DIET
CORNER BULBOUT
PAINTED INTERSECTION
SPECIAL CROSSWALK/STREET PAINTING
Paints/coatings and planters can be used as fast and low cost techniques to expand people’s use of the street as social space, to provide color and landscape, narrow the vehicle area, and slow traffic.
Expanded sidewalk bulbouts and paints/coatings calm traffic and increase the comfort of pedestrians, and shortens the crossing distance of pedestrians.
Painted intersections provide traffic calming, neighborhood identify, and gateway treatment, while also fostering community interaction.
Paints/coatings can be used to create identity for neighborhoods in streets
Design Toolkit | 4
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI Legend
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Site and Streetscape Tools
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INTERIM USE OF VACANT AND UNDERUSED PROPERTIES
SHARED USE OF PARKING LOTS
STREET TREE
Wayfinding signage provides information to cyclists and pedestrians as to the route and distance of destinations. Decorative color aids in locating signage.
Vacant and underutilized properties can be used for neighborhood benefit such as community gardens, play areas, food trucks, etc.
Parking lots can become a shared neighborhood use and amenity when not in use as residents are typically home when the businesses are closed.
Street trees provide shade, reduce heat island effect, increase biodiversity, reduce rainfall runoff, and improve air and water quality.
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CHICANE
RAIN BARREL/TANK
Chicanes calm traffic by making vehicles slow down to maneuver through the lane changes. They also allow for increased pedestrian space along the street.
Rain barrels/tanks collect and stores rainfall from the rooftops of small buildings and structures for reuse, such as irrigation.
5 | Design Toolkit
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UNDERGROUND CISTERN/DETENTION/ INFILTRATION CHAMBER Underground cistern/detention/infiltration chambers collect, store, and in some cases, infiltrate stormwater runoff and/or rooftop rainfall.
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WAYFINDING SIGNAGE
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ABOVE GROUND CISTERN Above ground cisterns collect and store rainfall from the rooftops of large buildings and structures for reuse, such as irrigation or toilet flushing.
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STREET TREE IN STREET/PARKING LANE Trees in parking lane can aid in traffic calming, extend shade and greenery over street, and expand improved root areas with modular pavement support cells.
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MODULAR SUSPENDED PAVEMENT CELLS Modular suspended pavement cells improve soil volume for tree roots leading to healthy trees, and can collect, treat, and in some cases, infiltrate stormwater.
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies Legend
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Greening and Resiliency Tools
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INTEGRATED LANDSCAPE AND BUILDINGS
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ECOBLOCK/ECOBUILDING DEVELOPMENT
Green screens, planters, and other elements can provide landscape on building facades, helping to cool buildings and the urban environment and increase biodiversity.
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Decentralized water and sustainable energy infrastructure build community resiliency and reduces the development’s carbon and water footprints.
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PERMEABLE PAVER
PERMEABLE CONCRETE/POROUS ASPHALT
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Stormwater runoff percolates through or around pavers to either infiltrate or be collected and directed to storm drain line. Added depth of subbase can retain stormwater.
Stormwater percolates through pavement to either infiltrate or be collected and directed to storm drain line. Added depth of subbase can retain stormwater.
Allows stormwater to percolate through boards. Enables different look and provides structural support to bridge over green infrastructure or stormwater runoff storage areas.
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GREEN ROOF
DISCONNECTED DOWNSPOUT
Green roofs can provide stormwater management and treatment, food production, and visual amenity, as well as assist with improving air quality, reduce energy costs, and lower interior building temperatures through insulation and cool roof measures.
Disconnecting rooftop collected water in Constructed wetlands can be engineered to provide for stormwater or wastewater treatdownspouts from entering the city’s drainage ment and habitat restoration. They can be internal or exterior to buildings. infrastructure or gutter allows it to be treated naturally and potentially infiltrate into the soil.
CONSTRUCTED WETLAND
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BIORETENTION/GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
STORMWATER TREE
Different types of green infrastructure aid in improving water quality as it captures and treats stormwater runoff with natural processes.
Planters are designed with curb inlets and recessed soil elevations to capture and treat stormwater runoff with natural processes. Stormwater trees may be “linked” to other trees for increased runoff storage.
Design Toolkit | 6
Site 1: Kalani Street
Temporary and low-cost elements can be used until funding for more permanent improvements becomes available. Temporary design options include painted pavements for curb extensions, corner bulbouts, and full intersections to improve safety and create identity; bollards; movable planters, tables, and seating; and parklets. These low-cost solutions provide immediate benefits to the neighborhood and let the city and private property owners test out which options could be prioritized for long-term investment.
7 | Site 1: Kalani Street
Kalani Street
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Kalani Street has many vacant parcels and parking lots. These properties can be improved with temporary and low-cost elements that provide recreation, neighborhood services, and improve the character of the street. Site 1.A illustrates how a vacant lot can be used as a neighborhood gathering space with room for food trucks and movable planters, tables, and chairs.
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The designs focus on two portions of Kalani Street, and are identified as Site 1.A and Site 1.B. The designs illustrate how the area for vehicles to drive can be narrowed and meander to slow traffic speeds and create places for people to walk and gather. Pedestrian priority areas can be defined through the use of different pavement materials and colors, small seating areas or parklets, and landscape planters. Permeable paving and stormwater planters could be implemented to slow down, capture, and treat stormwater to improve water quality, reduce localized flooding, and add greenery and shade. Where soils and groundwater levels are conducive, stormwater can infiltrate into the underlying soil. The use of modular suspended pavement cells can be used with tree plantings to treat and detain stormwater runoff and to promote the recharge of stormwater back into groundwater supplies. Modular suspended pavement cells can provide better soil conditions for improved tree and root health, especially for trees in urban and constrained areas. See Case Study 2: Modular Suspended Pavement Cells in the Appendix for additional information. However, where there is unsuitable soil and/or high groundwater levels the following options are more strategic: underground stormwater storage that promotes the slow release of stormwater or that is designed for reuse to meet nonpotable water demands; and/or direct runoff collected and treated in bioretention or permeable areas into city stormwater pipes through subdrains.
Site
Dillingham Blvd
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Kalani Street is typical of many streets in the area, which lack curbs and gutters, sidewalks, and adequate drainage infrastructure. It serves a mix of adjacent uses including: wholesale businesses, small factories, single- and multi-family residential, and commercial uses such as auto repair, small markets, and restaurants. Most of the adjacent properties have little if any landscape and are covered with buildings and paved areas. The results are localized flooding, the presence of truck traffic and loading, fast-moving vehicles, and a hot environment with little shade. Because the street has no sidewalks, it functions as a shared street as pedestrians, cars, and trucks all use the narrow right of way. New street designs can create a more attractive, comfortable, and safe shared street for people to walk and gather. [See Shared Street sidebar] While the design concepts are developed with Kalani Street in mind, they are not site-specific, and can be applied to other streets facing similar issues.
KALIHI Station
Kalihi Street
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Site 1 location map.
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
Shared Streets Shared streets are streets that are shared by all users whether they are walking, cycling, or driving. Shared streets create inviting public spaces and improve people’s comfort and safety. Shared streets give a priority to people to walk, bike, and socialize over vehicle use, while still providing safe and slow travel for people who are driving to uses along the street. Common shared street design elements include: • A narrowed area for people driving and cycling with adjacent pedestrian priority areas that provide continuous pedestrian circulation and public space. These areas are all at the same elevation, without curbs, which allows people walking to cross or walk along the driving and cycling area when traffic is low. • Offsetting, or jogging, the alignment of the drive aisle to aid in traffic calming and reinforce the pedestrian-orientation of the shared space. • The design provides cues to drivers they are in a pedestrian zone and to drive slowly, such as use of planters, trees, and other elements to cause people to deviate from driving a straight line along the street. • The pedestrian priority and public space areas are defined by landscape planters, tree wells, bollards, light and utility poles, and other design elements. Landscape areas can also function as green infrastructure, collecting and treating stormwater runoff.
• Enhanced paving can delineate the driving and cycling area from pedestrian priority areas, and to emphasize the more pedestrian nature of the entire shared street. Pavement color, texture, and pattern are important in defining the different uses of the shared street; providing safety cues to all users, including the disabled community, to alert them that they are entering into and are within a shared space; and fostering an attractive appearance. • An elevation and pavement change at the points where people driving and cycling enter the shared street. This is often accompanied by “gateway” features that signal the driver or cyclist that they are entering a different space. Signs can also be provided that indicate drivers need to share the road with other users, and indicate a slow speed, such as 15 miles per hour.
Longfellow Street in Santa Monica, CA is curbless and has no sidewalks, enabling the entire street to be used as a pedestrian priority space. Permeable pavers and landscape planters define parking areas and visually narrow the drive aisle. Cross street intersections are depressed, continuing the curbless street and paver treatments for a uniform appearance and function. Image source: Sherwood Design Engineers
Industrial and commercial uses front onto Park Avenue in Emeryville, CA. The shared street is curbless and uses brick pavers to demark a narrowed drive aisle and parking areas. Raised planters with palms and landscaping define parking, seating, and pedestrian priority spaces.
Site 1: Kalani Street | 8
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Site 1.A Kalani Street: Existing Plan View Example/prototypical location
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9 | Site 1: Kalani Street
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This aerial view is typical of Kalani Street and other streets in the area. The streets are characterized by occasional vacant parcels, perpendicular parking stalls on private property which create unsafe conditions for people to walk along the street, and limited, if any, landscaping.
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
Site 1.A Kalani Street: Design Option Example/prototypical location
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Shared street
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Painted intersection
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Adaptive reuse of vacant lot as neighborhood gathering space with temporary food truck space, movable planters, tables, and chairs
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Permeable on-street parking and driveway areas
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Boardwalk pedestrian priority area
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Permeable private parking area
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Rain tank for rainfall collection
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Landscape/bioretention area
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Parklet associated with adjacent market/restaurant
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Permeable pedestrian priority area
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Tree in grate with bollards
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Many tools are available to create neighborhood identity and social spaces. This includes painted intersections; parklets; and adaptive reuse of vacant or underutilized parcels for neighborhood benefit including parks, food truck dining areas, and pop up commercial enterprises. Different paving material types and colors allow the street to be delineated into pedestrian priority and vehicle zones, and provides cues to drivers to slow down.
Site 1: Kalani Street | 10
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Site 1.B Kalani Street: Existing Plan View Example/prototypical location
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11 | Site 1: Kalani Street
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This aerial view is characteristic of Kalani Street and other city streets, including occasional parking lots fronting along and having access to the street and there are no prioritized places for people to walk.
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
Site 1.B Kalani Street: Design Option Example/prototypical location A
Permeable pedestrian priority area
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Landscape/bioretention area
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Boardwalk pedestrian priority area
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Tree in grate with bollards
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Permeable shared street
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Permeable private parking
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Permeable pavements can help remove stormwater runoff within the right of way as well as define pedestrian priority areas. Street trees, planting areas, and site furnishings can be placed to preserve and define parking, visually narrow the street to calm traffic, provide character to the neighborhood, and help reduce heat island affect.
Site 1: Kalani Street | 12
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
10’
21’
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Parking/ Pedestrian Area
Drive Aisle
Parking/ Pedestrian Area
Typical Street Section for Kalani Street (example location)
41’ Right-of-Way
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This section/street view is representative of the narrow character of Kalani Street and other similar, local streets. Dimensions vary along the street, those shown are prevalent along the street.
Site No. 1 : Kalani Street Typical Existing Section 5’
10’
13 | Site 1: Kalani Street
July 12, 2017
Greening America’s Communities “Greening Iwilei and Kapalama” Honolulu, HI
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
Site 1.A Kalani Street Section
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Various street sections are possible depending upon specific site conditions. The design option illustrates how a crowned street can direct stormwater runoff to adjacent permeable pavement areas, rain gardens, landscape areas (where grades or other constraints prevent the ability to collect runoff for treatment in a planter), and modular suspended pavement cells. Landscape or bioretention areas alternate with the parking lane to define the drive aisle.
Site 1.B Kalani Street Section
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This option shows a different street design strategy where stormwater runoff infiltrates through permeable pavement within the full shared street area. Depending upon grades and sitespecific conditions, landscape or stormwater planters can provide greenery and varying levels of stormwater attenuation. Boardwalks can be used in the pedestrian priority area to provide a permeable walkable surface above areas that collect and infiltrate or detain stormwater runoff.
Site 1: Kalani Street | 14
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Kalani Street Existing Perspective
This perspective shows a typical condition along Kalani Street, including standing water from a rainstorm the previous day, people are walking in and at the edges of the street, and the lack of landscaping and other amenities which creates a poor neighborhood identity, heat island affects, and an uninviting place to walk, bike, and socialize.
15 | Site 1: Kalani Street
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
Kalani Street - Near-term Perspective
Elements that are in color represent new items that have been added. Low cost, and quick and easy to install elements can be provided in the near term to test designs and elements under pilot programs for community feedback and until full funding and final design of the shared streets are obtained and completed. Planters, and movable tables and chairs can be provided by commercial establishment owners in front of their storefronts to provide outdoor seating. Bollards can be used to define pedestrian and vehicle spaces. Bollards come in many shapes and sizes; here, round ball bollards are introduced for a whimsical appearance and a place for children to play on. The street pavement can also be painted to define vehicle and pedestrian areas and create neighborhood identity.
Site 1: Kalani Street | 16
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Kalani Street - Long-term Perspective
Elements that are in color represent new items that have been added. Shared street elements to calm traffic and provide an attractive and comfortable place to walk and ride a bike can include parklets; permeable paving across the street’s full width, and landscape or stormwater planters with street trees to provide greenery, shade, and improve stormwater quality. Parklets and planters can assist in creating chicanes to slow down traffic and create social pedestrian places along both sides of the street.
17 | Site 1: Kalani Street
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
Site 2: Kapalama Drainage Channel
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Site 2 location map.
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KAPALAMA Station
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Site two focuses on improving the Kapalama drainage channel and its adjacent open space to provide: improved neighborhood connectivity for people walking and bicycling; gathering spaces; improved water quality; and flood control along the channel. The Kapalama drainage channel is a critical component of the existing and long-term drainage network in the Iwilei area, which has flooding concerns. The channel and immediate area will be significantly impacted by sea level rise, storm surges, king tides, high water table, and other water related events. A two-step implementation approach can allow the placement of immediate and low-cost improvements until full funding and land area are available for a more comprehensive long-term approach. The short-term concept includes a multi-use path and pedestrian lights situated between the drainage channel and existing parking lot. The multi-use path can continue through the adjacent parking lot to improve connectivity for people walking and biking to Alakawa Street and beyond. Trash capture devices can be placed at the mouth of storm drain outfalls into the channel to improve water quality and limit debris floating out to Kapalama Canal and ultimately the sea. A mural painted on the building elevation facing the multi-use path can deter graffiti and add interest and identity to the area. The long-term design concept repurposes some of the open space buffer and adjacent parking lots along the channel for a raised berm with a multi-use path and a constructed wetland. This can help to reduce flooding in the general area and improve the quality of stormwater runoff entering the drainage canal, before it is released into the canal. The engineered constructed wetland is designed to improve water quality in the channel and as sea level rises, it can adapt to the rising water table and serve as an ecological buffer to the development located behind it. The constructed wetland could be planted with native wetland plants and/or varieties of taro, which would provide cultural and historical linkages to the past and could provide added educational benefits. The multi-use path would also provide vital and convenient connections in an area that has few linkages for people walking and biking. The design concept links to the future path along the Kapalama Canal, that is proposed as part of the Kapalama Canal Catalytic Project, and provides access to North Nimitz Highway via a bridge connection and to Alakawa Street by a connecting street and adjacent multi-use path through the adjacent parking lot. The multi-use path will also bring people to and through the site, which is currently not heavily visited, and users can provide “eyes on the path� to improve safety in the area. In addition, stormwater planters and permeable pavement could be added to collect, slow down, treat and recharge stormwater runoff before it is released into the drainage channel.
Site 2: Kapalama Drainage Channel | 18
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Kapalama Drainage Channel Existing Condition
This aerial plan shows the lack of connectivity between Kokea Street, Alakawa Street, and North Nimitz Highway, and how existing uses do not engage the Kapalama drainage canal. 0
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19 | Site 2: Kapalama Drainage Channel
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
Kapalama Drainage Channel Near-term Plan Option A
New crosswalk
B
Connection to Alakawa Street; alignment to be determined and coordinated with landowners
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Improved debris capture system for stormwater outflow
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Wayfinding signage for multi-use path
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Multi-use path with pedestrian lighting
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Until a final plan is completed for improved access and drainage and flooding issues, and full funding is obtained, low cost or prioritized elements can be installed to provide an immediate benefit to users. This can include the installation of a pedestrian lights and a multi-use path along the channel connecting Kokea and Alakawa Streets, striping a bicycle boulevard along the street leading to North Nimitz Highway, and providing access and safe passage between Honolulu Community College and the open space area by installing crosswalks across existing parking lots and constructing paths to connect to the multi-use path.
Site 2: Kapalama Drainage Channel | 20
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Kapalama Drainage Channel Long-term Plan Option A
Improved intersection crosswalk
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Pedestrian activated flashing signal lights
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Multi-use path; final alignment to be determined and coordinated with landowners
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New street connection; alignment to be determined and coordinated with landowners
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Bike boulevard to North Nimitz Highway
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Improved debris capture system for stormwater outflow
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Wayfinding signage for multi-use path
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Inlet to constructed wetland and pump basin to bring water into constructed wetland for treatment
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Multi-use path with pedestrian lighting
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Regrade paved areas to drain to bioretention planters, with optional permeable pavement in paved areas with bioretention to help manage heavier rain storms
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Multi-use path bridge to North Nimitz Highway
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Overlook area
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Multi-use path connection to the Kapalama Canal Catalytic Project
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Constructed wetland
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Outlet of constructed wetland back to drainage channel
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Potential pedestrian bridge per Kapalama Canal Catalytic Project
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21 | Site 2: Kapalama Drainage Channel
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Workshop participants expressed interest in extending a street and path for people to drive, walk, and bike between Kokea and Alakawa Streets to significantly improve area circulation. Permeable paving and stormwater planters can collect and treat stormwater runoff, reduce debris and trash from entering the waterways, and diminish flooding. Landscape areas, while not designed or sized to collect and treat all the runoff from adjacent areas, can still aid in capturing and infiltrating or detaining some rainfall and runoff.
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
Kapalama Drainage Channel Long-term Section Option
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A constructed wetland can aid in improving the water quality of some of the drainage from the Iwilei stormwater outfall while creating an interesting landscape focus. Water from the drainage channel would require pumping to the wetland for treatment. As sea-level rise continues, the wetland would become part of the channel. A multi-use path on a raised berm and pedestrian bridge crossing improves and extends area circulation, creates and continues an open space buffer, and reduces flooding from sea level rise.
Site 2: Kapalama Drainage Channel | 22
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Kapalama Drainage Channel Existing Perspective
The Kapalama drainage channel and adjacent open space buffer are isolated and unimproved, with a fence cutting off access between Kokea and Alakawa Streets. The isolation of the area encourages undesirable activities such as graffiti painting and littering, and prevents through and direct circulation in an area that has poor connectivity.
23 | Site 2: Kapalama Drainage Channel
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
Kapalama Drainage Channel Near-term Perspective
Elements that are in color represent new items that have been added. This view shows elements such as murals, pedestrian lighting, and a multi-use path that can be provided immediately and create initial community benefit for improved access, security, and beautification until ultimate project funding can be obtained.
Site 2: Kapalama Drainage Channel | 24
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Kapalama Drainage Channel Long-term Perspective
Elements that are in color represent new items that have been added. Drainage and stormwater infrastructure such as this constructed wetland can be attractive, meet community open space and water quality goals, and visually educate about sustainability and water treatment. A bridge spans the water elements to provide direct and convenient access to neighborhood streets from the multi-use path.
25 | Site 2: Kapalama Drainage Channel
Ro ad ile i Iw
KAPALAMA Station
Alakawa Street
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
Site
3
Pacific Street
North
Site 3 location map.
Nimitz
Highway
Site 3: Development Opportunities at Iwilei Road and Pacific Street Site three is a brownfield site undergoing remediation and was chosen to demonstrate the potential for using sustainable and resilient building and site design techniques within new or re-development projects. The area around the site has flooding concerns and the entire Kapalama and Iwilei areas are characterized by diminishing freshwater supplies to meet future development needs, according to the State of Hawaii Commission of Water Resource Management. Design options for site three include an innovative infrastructure design in an Ecoblock model, defined as a single building, block, neighborhood, or district that incorporates decentralized water and energy infrastructure strategies. An Ecoblock approach to site three could build resiliency, reduce the energy and water footprints of the development, create community spaces, and still provide a good return on investment for the developer. See Case Study 3: Ecoblock for more information. The design concept uses the following design approaches to create an Ecoblock: • For energy use, a combination of photovoltaic cells or other renewable energy systems such as wind turbines and energy efficient building, lighting, and electrical technologies can be used to meet the energy demands and lessen the development’s carbon footprint. • For water use, the buildings can include onsite water capture and reuse systems. Stormwater, condensate from air cooling systems, greywater from sinks and laundry, and wastewater can all be collected, treated, and reused for nonpotable uses such as but not limited to, toilet flushing, irrigation, water features, and fire suppression. • Stormwater and flood management can use sustainable approaches including onsite green infrastructure and low impact development (LID) practices to alleviate flooding concerns, treat stormwater, create ecological habitats, and reduce the heat island affect. More specifically: • Green roofs can provide stormwater management benefits as well as offer community gathering spaces, insulation that could enhance the building’s energy efficiency, and offer agricultural zones in the urban core to support local food initiatives. • Public open spaces that can be artfully designed as “water plazas” including areas that would be allowed to flood when it rains or as groundwater levels rise over time to help retain water. For the Ecoblock buildings located within current or future flood zones (based on sea level rise predictions), some strategies for preventing future flood damage and building resiliency include but are not limited to: raising the elevations of the base floors to a minimum height determined by drainage planning based on projected sea level rise; anchoring underground and above ground tanks; relocating building systems (cables, backup power, water storage systems, air conditioners, etc.) as well as placement of onsite infrastructure components (wastewater treatment, nonpotable water storage, photovoltaics, meters, and any associated batteries and controls, etc.) to higher floors or elevations. While the actual program of the site is to be determined, charrette participants felt strongly that the Pacific Street and Iwilei Road intersection include a public park to address a severe lack of public open space in the area and be visible along Iwilei Road to offer “eyes on the street” and the park. New and improved streets adjacent to this parcel can increase multimodal connectivity, reduce circuitous and time-consuming routes, thereby supporting people’s choice to walk or bike. In addition, the design concepts illustrate how active uses and architectural design along the building’s ground floor can increase visual interest and street character that in turn, can encourage people to walk and linger. Architectural design strategies include placing dwelling units, commercial uses, and other active uses along the street and “hiding” the interior parking lot structure, and facing entries, doors, and windows onto the street.
Site 3: 3:Development Development Opportunities Opportunities at at Iwilei Iwilei Road Road and and Pacific Pacific Street Street || 26 26 Site
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Building Nonpotable Water Resources (Typical Residential) The potential for capturing and (re)using water resources that are available onsite to meet nonpotable water demands is represented in the following series of exhibits. The first image, Building Nonpotable Water Resources, shows source water by type and proportional percentages of volumes available for reuse from types of nonpotable water resulting from typical residential units. Examples of end-uses, and their typical percentages of building water demands that are suitable to use treated nonpotable water are also provided. End-use water demands percentages can be used during the design process to plan for capture and (re)use of nonpotable water sources to meet water demands. To note, the blackwater (toilets and kitchen water) percentage of available water for reuse is 0%, since it would likely not be cost effective to produce recycled water from these sources alone due to the high volume of solids. Foam flush, commercialgrade compost toilets, however, could be an option to save on potable water for toilet flushing. Alternatively, when the blackwater is combined with greywater, 100% of the water can be treated to be recycled to various nonpotable end-uses cost effectively.
* Assumes tropical & humid climate Reference: EPA typical indoor household water use
27 | Site 3: Development Opportunities at Iwilei Road and Pacific Street
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
Road Map for Nonpotable Water Capture and (Re)Use
Rain LEGEND: Rainwater catchment
Biofilter
Nonpotable water
Sources of nonpotable water: Condensate Greywater
Bioretention
Blackwater Stormwater
End uses receiving nonpotable water
100% wastewater from building
Recharge groundwater Water feature
Irrigation
Fire surppression
Cooling
Nonpotable water storage
The Road Map for Nonpotable Water Capture and (Re)Use diagram provides visual demonstration of potential sources of nonpotable water and viable end uses for the nonpotable water such as water features, irrigation, fire suppression, makeup water for cooling, and toilet flushing. The sources of nonpotable water include stormwater, blackwater, greywater, and condensate are indicated by their respective line colors. Ultimately, appropriate pathways for any of the given source water is determined by the site conditions and program of the development, and matching available source volumes with the nonpotable water end use demands. The nonpotable storage tank shows conceptually a location for storing any one of these nonpotable water sources and depending on the regulations,
Toilet
Kitchen sink
Shower
Bathroom sink
Washing machine
Constructed wetland (or other technology) wastewater treatment plant
may require individual tanks for separating some of the sources (i.e. stormwater from recycled water). Stormwater collection offers various pathways that include its capture and use (rain catchment), recharging it onsite (bioretention), and/or filtering it in a vegetated biofilter before its disposal in the city storm sewer. Some basic treatment may be needed for the rainwater harvested from the roof and/or condensate before their reuse, but likely it would be minimal. For blackwater and greywater, the arrows first point to a treatment system (constructed wetlands technology) before supplying the various nonpotable end uses since these sources would require more robust treatment before reuse.
Site 3: Development Opportunities at Iwilei Road and Pacific Street | 28
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Cost Analysis for Ecoblocks
Estimated annual wastewater volumes & sewer cost Parking lot Parking lot 3.5 FAR 7.0 FAR
Vacant land 3.5 FAR
Vacant land 7.0 FAR
Parking structure lot 3.5 FAR
Parking structure lot 7.0 FAR
100% wastewater
100% wastewater
100% wastewater
100% wastewater
100% wastewater
100% wastewater
10 MG
21MG
65 MG
132 MG
28 MG
357 MG
$129K
$267K
$815K
$1.6M
$346K
$717K
Recommended wastewater volume (GPD) for onsite treatment (to R-1) & potential annual cost savings 28% (match toilet water demand)
28% (match toilet water demand)
28% (match toilet water demand)
28% (match toilet water demand)
28% (match toilet water demand)
28% (match toilet water demand)
6K GPD
13K GPD
40K GPD
81K GPD
21K GPD
44K GPD
$36K
$75K
$228K
$466K
$97K
$201K
$12K
$26K
$81K
$165K
$43K
$90K
Direct cost savings: potable water & sewer cost savings Indirect cost savings: energy cost savings associated with Hawaii’s centralized water & wastewater infrastructure ($5.57 per 1,000 gallons)
Legend FAR floor area ratio GPD gallons per day K thousand MG million gallons sf
square feet
Direct cost savings: potable water & sewer cost savings Indirect cost savings: energy cost savings associated with Hawaii’s centralized water & wastewater infrastructure ($5.57 per 1,000 gallons)
The Cost Analysis for Ecoblocks provides examples of potential volumes of onsite wastewater and condensate recovery potential to replace potable water for toilet flushing and respective cost savings under different residential density scenarios. There are both direct and indirect costs savings associated with onsite systems. Direct costs are annual cost savings based on 2017 water and sewer rates. Indirect cost savings are associated with energy cost savings embedded in Hawaii’s water infrastructure; the energy expended to move water to and from users.1
1 2016 Water-Energy Nexus Report, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Commission on Water Resource Management. May 2017. The State of Hawaii Commission on Water Resource Management published a report in 2017 that analyzes the water energy nexus in Hawaii and found that the average energy costs of water and wastewater in 2015 was $5.57 per 1000 gallons. The report notes that decentralized systems would not only support water conservation but also help meet energy efficiency goals for the state.
29 | Site 3: Development Opportunities at Iwilei Road and Pacific Street
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
Iwilei Road and Pacific Street Existing Plan View
Iwilei Road and Pacific Street Land Use Option
This contaminated parcel and surrounding district are typical of many areas of the city which have a lack of street connectivity and bike facilities, and creates a poor walking experience due to narrow sidewalks, wide streets, and a lack of street trees. Vacant and underutilized parcels offer the ability to more easily be (re)developed to improve circulation, streetscapes, and support the city’s transit oriented development goals.
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Concerned about a lack of public open space in the neighborhood, workshop participants suggested a highly visible and central location for a public park be included. New and improved streets, along with sidewalks, bike facilities, and street trees, can also be integrated to provide comfortable and direct access for all modes of travel.
Site 3: Development Opportunities at Iwilei Road and Pacific Street | 30
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Building Relationship to Street Options Key Plan and Sections
A 0
40
In this section, the sidewalk is disjoined from the street edge, raised to the finished floor elevation, and buffered with landscape or bioretention, to provide refuge and reduce flooding and sea level rise impacts. In a more traditional scenario, where the sidewalk and street edge are joined at the curb, access along the street and building frontage for pedestrian access options from the sidewalk level to building level can occur by the use of ramps or stairs. This space between, where no direct access from street to building is needed, is designed as a landscape or bioretention area.
0
20
Section A- Elevated sidewalk and no on-street parking
31 | Site 3: Development Opportunities at Iwilei Road and Pacific Street
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
Section Through Building with Ecoblock Features A
Nonpotable water available for reuse for irrigation, flushing toilets, fire supression etc.
B
Nonpotable water storage for (re)use inside building: rainwater catchment, condensate, reclaimed water (R-1)
C
Wastewater treatment
D
Community gardens and passive and active green roof space
E
Shade structure with photovoltaic cells
F
Raised building floor elevation
G
Photovoltaic cell awnings
H
Constructed wetlands, as part of the wastewater treatment system
E D
G
H B
A
C
F
The above conceptual ecoblock building is a prototype for buildings susceptible to flooding due to sea level rise or natural disasters. The example demonstrates protecting critical infrastructure and building systems by raising them onto higher floors. Where flooding or sea level is not a concern, building systems and infrastructure can be placed in areas at or below existing grade. 0
Design options for site three include an Ecoblock model, defined as a single building, block, neighborhood, or district that incorporates decentralized water and energy infrastructure strategies. The building section shows an example of conceptual Ecoblock elements including capture and treatment of onsite water supplies to be stored and reused for indoor or outdoor nonpotable water uses, renewable energy systems, and a green roof that not only serves as a stormwater best management practice, but also demonstrates urban agriculture and provides space for community gathering. It is important for Ecoblock buildings within areas that are susceptible to flooding due to sea level rise or other natural disasters, to identify building infrastructure components that need to be protected. The example demonstrates both elevating the building footprint, as well as protecting critical infrastructure and building systems by raising them onto higher floors.
20
Site 3: Development Opportunities at Iwilei Road and Pacific Street | 32
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
The use of stormwater planters and modular suspended pavement cells can aid in the collection and treatment of stormwater runoff in constrained spaces and urban environments. Stormwater detention/infiltration storage chambers placed under the roadway to not take up developable space and can be used to recharge and/or store stormwater runoff.
et
The long-term design concept reorganizes the couplet into two streets with traffic traveling in both directions that are designed to serve different transportation purposes, rather than combining all the traffic in two one-way streets. This allows for transforming the mauka (mountain) side into a two-way narrowed main street and reconfiguring the makai (ocean) side as a two-way four-lane highway with facilities for people walking and cycling. The reorganization of the couplet into these two different streets allows the port and commute traffic to travel efficiently along the two-way highway, and allows for a lower speed and more comfortable place to walk and bicycle along the main street which will better serve the new transit-oriented development. Raised bicycle lanes provide safer places to ride with more separation from adjacent traffic. Traffic signals and ondemand pedestrian crossing warning lights at intersections and mid-block crossings provide a safer and more comfortable street crossing experience for people walking and biking. New development along the main street can provide additional housing and commercial opportunities for this redeveloping area and support city transit-oriented design policies and use of the rail transit line. In addition, the main street blocks can be elevated to reduce future flooding from sea level rise, higher storm surges, and tsunamis.
Pacific Stre
The concepts include a near-term and a long-term design approach. The near-term design concept maintains the one-way couplet (i.e.; paired one-way streets with the private parcels between), and number of vehicle lanes. Space for multi-use paths located at the sidewalk level is provided by reducing the vehicle lane widths. This improves multimodal circulation, and supports people’s choices to walk or bike. The addition of trees improves the character of the street and reduces the heat island effect by shading the pavement.
tz mi Ni
The North Nimitz Highway couplet is a primary route into and out of downtown. This portion of the North Nimitz Highway carries heavy traffic traveling at high speeds, has limited and unsafe pedestrian and bicycle facilities, acts as a barrier to pedestrians trying to cross to access the waterfront, and has a poor streetscape character and could provide a better visual character given that it is an important entrance to downtown. The area has been rezoned with higher intensities and densities and a wider mix of uses as part of the transit-oriented development policies and plans recently approved to support the Honolulu rail transit line. As this development occurs, the demand for a comfortable and safe environment for people walking and cycling will increase.
North
Site 4: North Nimitz Highway Couplet
Iwi
IWILEI Station lei
Ro
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Site
Hi
gh
wa y
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Honolulu Harbor
CHINATOWN Station Site 4 location map.
Vision to support transit oriented development EXISTING High-speed, one-way highway couplet with no pedestrian amenities, uncomfortable pedestrian and bicyclist facilities
NEAR TERM Create a complete street with improved pedestrian and bicycle facilities and streetscape
LONG TERM Separate the one-way highway couplet into a two-way Main Street and two-way throughway. Potential to raise Main Street area above future sea level rise elevation
33 | Site 4: North Nimitz Highway Couplet
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
North Nimitz Highway Existing Condition
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Fast traffic, wide streets, long blocks, and lack of traffic signals make it difficult and uncomfortable for people to walk or bike on or across the North Nimitz Highway couplet.
Site 4: North Nimitz Highway Couplet | 34
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
North Nimitz Highway Existing Section Condition
0
10
35 | Site 4: North Nimitz Highway Couplet
North Nimitz Highway is designed to move traffic quickly into and out of the city, which discourages people to walk and bike. The lack of street trees and wide expanse of pavement also increases the heat island affect.
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
North Nimitz Highway Near-term Section Option
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Removing the parking lane to improve bike facilities, wider sidewalks, pedestrian lights, and street trees, as well as installing more vehicle and pedestrian crossing signals can improve the environment for walking and biking, safety for vehicles, and the streetscape character.
Site 4: North Nimitz Highway Couplet | 36
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
North Nimitz Highway Connectivity Diagram, Long-term Option
A
New signal
B
New street segment
C
New/expanded public open space Pedestrian circulation Bike circulation Vehicle circulation
A
Direction of travel
A
A
C
B
A A
A A A B
A
0
37 | Site 4: North Nimitz Highway Couplet
200
A
A
The addition of vehicle and on-demand pedestrian signals, and narrowed street crossing widths provide a more comfortable and convenient street crossing experience for pedestrians. Adding bike facilities can encourage more people to ride. Separating truck and commute traffic from neighborhood traffic supports a main street character on the mauka side with slower traffic, encouraging more people to walk and linger along the street.
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
North Nimitz Highway Long-term Section Option
0
10
The city will need to identify, evaluate, and determine how they will address sea level rise. The long-term design concept illustrates one method by raising the interior block and mauka side of the street network which places the buildings and the street above a determined future sea level rise elevation and also acts as a barrier to rising waters to protect lower lying inland areas beyond.
Site 4: North Nimitz Highway Couplet | 38
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Case Study 1: Living Alleys Market Octavia Toolkit The city of San Francisco developed the Living Alleys Market Octavia Toolkit (Toolkit)1 to provide designers and residents with guidance, inspiration, and a range of design tools to create and implement safe, livable, sustainable, and comfortable places for people to walk, bike, and use streets as public spaces in their neighborhoods. A living alley is defined as “a street that is activated, pedestrianized, and greened to support environmentally sustainable functions, with an emphasis on community and social activation.”2 Living alleys are essentially shared streets, and this Toolkit offers relevant information to design and implement model shared streets. The Toolkit presents four goals of living alleys, being: • Green - incorporates landscaping and plants • Shared - balances the mix of pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles, and prioritizes non-vehicular travel • Vibrant - supports a range of development and activities by residents, the neighborhood, and businesses • Clean and safe - is maintained, and fosters a sense of safety In addition to discussing design considerations, the Toolkit identifies and describes design tools and guidance relatable to each goal. Design tools include furnishings, lighting, landscaping, pavements, pedestrianoriented street design (such as chicanes, mid-block crossings, and sidewalk extensions), and active uses and street frontages and how each tool can be used in a project. Funding for these projects often comes from sponsorship and donation opportunities from new development impact fees, community businesses and institutions, grants, private funding, community fundraising; and partnerships with private developers. Implementation relies heavily on community interest and public-private partnerships. The Toolkit acknowledges that there may be short term (interim) and 1 San Francisco Planning, San Francisco Public Works, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. Living Alleys Market Octavia Toolkit, http://208.121.200.84/ftp/ files/plans-and-programs/in-your-neighborhood/market_octavia_living_alley/MarketOctavia-Living-Alleys-Toolkit_FINAL-WEB.pdf. Accessed August 15, 2017. 2 Ibid, page vi.
39 | Case Studies
long-term implementation strategies, provides direction on taking small steps, and offers many resources for the community regarding implementation. The Toolkit includes a community organizer checklist with a loose timetable for all aspects of project phasing, including starting the process, design, permitting, construction, and programming use of the space. It also provides guidance on research, case studies, general cost estimation, funding, and partnership strategies. Linden Street is used as one case study in the Living Alleys Toolkit as it exemplifies the design goals and type of project that the Toolkit aims to create. Characterized by narrow sidewalks, regular and fast moving through traffic, and little open space, a one-block portion of Linden Street was redesigned to create a safe, vital, and attractive place for people to walk, bike, and linger; calm traffic; and provide a front door and “living room” to fronting local businesses and homes – Linden “Alley”. There are a number instances where commercial uses front onto the street. The project designers worked with community members, adjacent building owners, and various city agencies in a coordinated effort to create the final design. Design techniques used to transform the street into an inviting pedestrian environment and shared space include the introduction of street trees and landscaping within and adjacent to the drive aisle, bollards, seating, raising the drive aisle to the same elevation as the sidewalk to provide a continuous pedestrian and public space, and narrowing the drive aisle to calm traffic. These measures assist in providing cues to drivers they are in a pedestrian zone and to drive slowly. Dedicated areas for sidewalks and pedestrian priority areas are defined by and protected from the drive aisle by planters, tree wells, granite seating slabs, and in some locations by tactile warning panels. The addition of planting provides greenery and shade in a predominantly paved and built environment. In some cases, the landscape areas function as stormwater planters, collecting and treating stormwater runoff. Popular food establishments with no indoor seating further support outdoor movable seating here, and lines of customers regularly queue up waiting to place and receive their order. Linden Street has become an asset for those in the neighborhood, and a destination for those outside of the community.
Street trees, stormwater planters, a narrowed and raised drive aisle, and seating areas calm traffic and create a shared place for people to walk, shop, sit, and socialize.
Food establishments are supported by adjacent seating and greenery which create comfortable and relaxing places to linger.
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
Case Study 2: Modular Suspended Pavement Cells Urban environments are often difficult places for trees to grow due to compacted soils; a lack of nutrients in the soil and the presence of contaminants; a high percentage of pervious surfaces; competing root space constraints with utilities, foundations, etc.; and other factors. Techniques such as the use of modular suspended pavement cells can provide benefit to tree health, enable green stormwater infrastructure, and allow for expanded pedestrian areas. Modular suspended pavement cells can be surfaced with parking lanes, vehicle and loading areas, sidewalks, and bike facilities to expand usable space. This is especially helpful in constrained rights of way with competing uses such as vehicular circulation, seating, parking, and so forth. Modular suspended pavement cells can also collect and treat stormwater. Plants and soils within the cells can filter debris, sediments, and contaminants. Depending upon the native soil and groundwater
On Winslow Way in Bainbridge Island, WA, on-street parking areas have pervious concrete and street trees planted in modular suspended pavement cells to aid with traffic calming, encourage healthy growth of the trees with increased soil volume, and capture and treat stormwater runoff. Image source: DeepRoot Green Infrastructure, LLC
elevation conditions, stormwater may infiltrate into the native soil and groundwater under the cells, or be directed to subdrains and connect to the municipal stormwater pipe system. Either approach decreases the amount of stormwater runoff from impervious areas, and can provide stormwater storage capacity. Modular suspended pavement cells can also lessen localized flooding by providing soil volume and area to capture and retain or redirect stormwater runoff. Permeable paving can also be placed over modular suspended pavement cells to provide area for other uses while still achieve tree health and stormwater management benefits. In addition, the use of modular suspended pavement cells benefits trees by providing a greater volume of uncompacted soil, which supports tree root growth and long term health of street trees. Healthy, mature trees do more to reduce heat island effects, improve air quality, and provide habitat and shade.
At the Amazon Headquarters in Seattle, WA, modular suspended Installed June Burbank 2015Water and Power installed a demonstration green street project pavement cells are placed under a raised cycle track, linking the street tree showcasing different methods for stormwater capture and treatment in wells with adjacent planted bulbouts. This increased improved soil volume Burbank, CA. This project included the placement of modular suspended allows trees to grow to a greater size in urban and constrained spaces, pavement cells below the sidewalk to provide additional area for managing providing dual function. Image source: DeepRoot Green Infrastructure, LLC stormwater and increasing soil volume for trees and plants in an adjacent curbside planter. Image source: DeepRoot Green Infrastructure, LLC
Case Studies | 40
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
Case Study 3: Ecoblocks An Ecoblock, also called Ecodistrict, can consist of a single building, block, neighborhood, or district that incorporates decentralized water and energy infrastructure, and other sustainable building and site development strategies. When planning for an Ecoblock project in urban areas, the intent is usually “to recover some of the ecosystem functions that have been lost to conventional infrastructure, such as water management that uses underground pipes to transport nutrients and water out of the system and flush them downstream in concentrated flows.”3 Other goals of Ecoblocks are to reduce dependency on centralized infrastructure and diversify energy and water supplies, which serves to build community resiliency, and to reduce the development’s, and utilities, carbon and water footprints by maximizing the capture and use of onsite energy and water resources to meet certain building energy and water demands. This often also includes incorporating green infrastructure that can serve multiple functions (such as landscaped areas, habitat restoration, food or fiber systems, or parks while also functioning as onsite stormwater management). This case study provides three examples of Ecoblocks, each at different scales:
Emory University Water Hub4 Atlanta, Georgia (neighborhood scale) Building facts:
• 631 acres (neighborhood scale) • More than 70 buildings Green building features:
• Stormwater capture and use (saves 800,000 gallons per year of potable water) • Greywater reuse (saves 750,000 gallons per year of potable water) • 400,000 gallons per day of wastewater “scalping” from main trunk line. Treatment includes moving bed bioreactor (MBBR) and constructed wetland technologies. Recycled water is used for cooling, toilet flushing, and steam plant (146,000,000 gallons per year of potable water savings). 3 EcoDistricts. Living Infrastructure Guide, https://ecodistricts.org/wp-content/ uploads/2013/05/Living-Infrastructure-Guide.pdf. Accessed August 16, 2017. 4 Emory University. Healthy Emory, Healthy Planet The WaterHub at Emory University Moving from Feasibility to Project Execution, https://smartandsustainable.umd.edu/sites/ smartandsustainable.umd.edu/files/the_waterhub.pdf. Accessed on August 16, 2017.
41 | Case Studies
The WaterHub greenhouse on Emory’s campus that houses the Onsite wastewater treatment at Emory University is coined the constructed wetlands for onsite wastewater treatment. Image source: “WaterHub.” It encompasses constructed wetland technologies to treat Biohabitats, Inc. wastewater while also serving as an educational resource. Once treated, reclaimed water is reused as process make-up at three central chiller plants and the campus steam plant, for irrigation of campus landscaping, and for toilet flushing at select dormitories. Image source: Biohabitats, Inc.
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama Final Design Options and Case Studies
Hassalo on 8th5 Portland, Oregon (block development) Building facts:
• Three buildings in a block layout • 657 residences • 50,000 square feet of commercial space on ground floor Green building features:
• Green roof (eco-roof garden) • Onsite wastewater treatment using trickling filters and constructed wetland technologies (45,000 gallons per day). Water is reused for flushing toilets, irrigation for the block’s landscape, and feed for cooling tower. • 60,000 gallon cistern collects rainwater. Collected stormwater used for the block’s water feature. • Over 1,000 bike parking stalls with access to bike valet and repair • Electric vehicle charging stations • Composting
Water features are fed by water harvested from a green roof. These stormwater – water features provide a complementary and aesthetically pleasing background of wetland plants and cascading water in the midst of the urban development. Image source: Biohabitats, Inc.
Hassalo on 8th treats its wastewater for reuse onsite, redirecting it away from stressed city sewer infrastructure. The constructed wetland technology shown above highlights that wastewater treatment can also serve as an aesthetic amenity and provide landscape for community gathering areas. Image source: Biohabitats. Inc.
Site location:
• Located next to Portland’s light rail system
5 Hassalo on 8th. Portland’s Newest Neighborhood An Eco-Community Bringing Us Together, http://hassalooneighth.com. Accessed on August 16, 2017.
Hassalo on 8th has an onsite wastewater treatment system coined “NORM” (Natural Organic Recycling Machine). The treatment system components include both trickling filters (red towers) and constructed wetland technologies to meet water quality suitable for reuse as irrigation, back inside the toilet for flushing toilets, and makeup water for cooling. Image source: Biohabitats, Inc.
Features such as vehicle electric charging stations and bike parking support sustainable and alternative transportation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Case Studies | 42
Greening America’s Communities Honolulu, HI
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Building6 San Francisco, California (single building) Building facts:
• One 13-story Class A office building • 277,500 square feet • Houses over 900 employees • Approximately 40% of project construction work performed by San Francisco residents • Construction cost: $146.5 million • Projected $3.7 billion in ratepayer saving ($500M in 2011 dollars) over the 100-year building lifespan
The SFPUC has onsite wastewater treatment using a constructed wetland technology coined “The Living Machine.” The wetlands are planted in above ground planters that are located along Golden Gate Road on the sidewalk next to the building. The system treats and reclaims all of the building’s wastewater to meet 100% of the toilet and urinal water demands. Image source: Roth Ecological Design International. 6 San Francisco Water Power Sewer, Services of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Our Headquarters, http://www.sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=583. Accessed August 16, 2017.
43 | Case Studies
Green building features: Energy: consumes 32% less energy than similarly sized building
• Hybrid solar array and wind turbine can generate up to 277,000 Kwh/year (7% of building’s energy needs) • Raised flooring system incorporates the building’s data and ventilation infrastructure (reduces heating, cooling, and ventilation energy costs by 51%) • Maximizes interior daylighting to reduce energy demand • Lighting and workstations automatically shut off after work hours Water: consumes 60% less water than similarly sized buildings
• Onsite wastewater treatment system using a constructed wetlands technology treats 100% of the total wastewater produced by the building (~5000 gallons per day). Water is reused for flushing toilets and urinals inside the building. This reduces (potable) water consumption per person from 12 gallons per day to 5 gallons per day. • 25,000 gallon cistern for onsite rainwater harvesting provides water for irrigation use around the building
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Headquarters building has an integrated hybrid solar array and wind turbine system. Image source: Roth Ecological Design International.
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