RHIZOME CITY 2040
A Guidebook for facilitating Sustainable Neighbourhoods Rhizome City | 02
Rosemont holds a wealth of institutional, residential, infrastructural, cultural, ecological and open space assets. Rosemont is also a neighbourhood set within a network of forces that extend far beyond its ward or territory. Adjacent to Wascana Creek and in close proximity to central Regina, Rosemont is positioned to act as a catalyst for local urban development and lead the sustainable transformation of neighbourhood across Regina.
Facing shifting demographics, aging infrastructure, economic and ecological shifts, how can the city of Regina take action that is adaptable to change while taking tangible steps towards a sustainable future?
INTRODUCTION
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rhi·zome /rahy-zohm/ noun. A continuously growing horizontal underground stem that puts out lateral shoots above and adventitious roots below to serve as reproductive structures.
A rhizome is a term used in botany to describe the a particular root structure and its associated growth pattern. Typical of grasses in prairie landscapes, rhizomes form vast subterranian networks connected plants Unlike the model of the tree with a central truck, root system, branches and leaves, rhizomes are a decentralized network. The rhizome’s root network is resilient, adaptable and can survive localized weakness through such forces as flooding, drought or fire. Rhizome City 2040 cross-pollinates a biological term to suggest a new paradigm for sustainable urban design and community building practice. In the place of a traditional Master Plan, Rhizome City 2040 is an adaptable set of strategies that build upon existing conditions and established new connections across political jurisdictions, redefining Rosemont as a system of urban practices, infrastructures and community nodes. Rhizome City 2040 is a flexible network of initiatives that is implemented by both bold, visionary gestures and through the negotiation of smaller, incremental changes over time.
RHIZOME CITY
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Rhizome City 2040 is a three part response to an urgent call for outlining a sustainable future for Rosemont and Regina. The first part of the proposal documents the existing conditions of Rosemont and identifies local assets and zones of opportunity. The second part organizes the transformation of Rosemont through 3 integrated systemsPerforming Landscapes; Local Economies; and Social Networks. The proposal concludes with an implementation and phasing scheme, directing the coordination of complex systems across the scales of neighbourhood, city and region, through distinct and manageable projects. Rhizome City 2040 proposes the retrofit of existing municipal infrastructure while incrementally fostering a community identity rooted in a unique place, culture, and ecology.
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NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES LAND USE ANALYSIS ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
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STORMWATER 1
1 Underground Stormwater Pipes 2 7th Ave Stormwater Trunk
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3 Outlet into Wascana Creek
Regina’s municipal infrastructure is a city-wide network of built structures and systems that is maintained and managed by the municipality. Regina provides drinking water, removes wastewater and storm water as part of services to its residents. The City of Regina derives it’s potable water from Buffalo Pound Lake, 50 km away from the city. The water is pumped into the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant for treatment and then delivered to the city for consumption.
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WASTEWATER 2
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1 Underground Wastewater Pipes 2 Sewage Pumping Station 3 Regina Sewage Treatment Plant
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ELECTRICITY 3
INFRASTRUCTURE
Highlights: Stormwater, Wastewater and Energy Infrastructure
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1 SaskPower Energy Producers
Regina’s wastewater is transported by a network of underground sewer pipes and sewage pumping stations. Rosemont Sewage Pumping Station is a final transfer point where the entire city’s sewage is directed to Regina’s sewage treatment plant. The treatment plant operates in 3 stages, through primary treatment, a five-cell lagoon system, alum treatment to remove phosphorus, and disinfection with ultraviolet light. The treated effluent is then discharged to Wascana Creek. Storm water infrastructure channels water from rainfall and snowmelt via a combination of underground storm pipes which outlet into surface drainage systems such as Wascana Creek and stormwater ponds. Regina’s infrastructure networks face capacity limitations and aging of systems, 20% of which are over 50 years old. Regina, along with many other Canadian municipalities is facing the need to repair or replace infrastructure that has reached the end of its useful life. Combined with ever tightening maintenance budgets, cities like Regina recognize the need for innovation targeted toward improving the way city services are managed and delivered to the communities.
2 Transmission Network 3 Local Energy Users
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WASCANA CREEK & WATERSHED: A Living Resource Wascana Creek begins southeast of Regina in the heart of Saskatchewan’s argicultural landscape. It flows southeast, then loops around to the west, through Wascana Lake in the City of Regina and then enters the Qu’Appelle River, travelling a distance of 272 km. Wascana Lake was created out of a marsh in the 1880’s becoming a source of water for steam locomotives for the Canadian Pacific Railway. It was deepened several times since then, to prevent the return of the marsh. Wascana’s marshlands historically have acted as significant habitat for migrating waterfowl.
EXISTING ECOSYSTEMS 4
1 Wascana Creek & Watershed 2 Naturalized Prairie and Riparian Plantings
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3 Commercial Agriculture 4 Managed Landscapes
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Wascana Watershed is one of the smallest in Saskatchewan, but it is located on a territory that holds 20% of Saskatchewan’s population. It is embedded in an environment that is one of the most altered by human activity in all of Canada. Spring snowmelt provides a recharge of water to the stream; at all other times of the year Wascana creek is almost entirely fed by urban stormwater and agricultural runoff, and treated effluent from Regina’s sewage treatment plant. As a result, the watershed and ecosystem is highly stressed by the pollution entering the creek, as reported by Environment Canada and Saskatchewan Watershed Authority.
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ECOLOGIES
Watersheds, Agriculture and Open Space
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NEIGHBOURHOOD PARKS WASCANA CREEK FLOODWAY
ECOLOGIES
Managed Landscapes: Parkland and Recreation
SCHOOLS
URBAN HOLDING AREAS
NEIGHBOURHOOD EDGE CONDITIONS
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Located in the northwestern corner of Regina, outside of the downtown core, Rosemont is a relatively small neighbourhood with an abundance of community facilities. There are several elementary schools throughout Rosemont. Martin Collegiate, is a designated community high school. with a large student body and infrastructure to support them. There are two private institutions in the community, Western Christian College and its affiliated high school, which are situated on a large campus with onsite residences. Rosemount also has some important physical heritage assets including a long relationship to the railroad. Government House, the restored residence of the NW Territories is of historic significance in close proximity to the Rosemount community. Between the eastern boundary of Wascana Creek (near McCarthy Blvd and 4 Ave) is the McCarthy Pumping Station, which collects local sewage from homes and businesses and is a crucial infrastructure opportunity.
NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES
Public Facilities and Services, Educational and Commercial Areas, and Other Activities in Rosemont 01 | Rhizome City
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Existing Public Transportation System
Rosemount benefts from a consistent public transportation service and a relatively uniform grid pattern conducive to active forms of transportation. There are currently two bus routes (#11 and #13) that serve the Rosemont neighbourhood, and connecting between northern and southern parts of Regina. Given the routes designed for the #11 and #13 bus services, however, and the recovery time at transfer point, it could take more than an hour to travel between opposite corners of Rosemont. For example, a traveller at the Rosemont Shopping Center who wishes to travel to Martin Collegiate would have to take a 13min bus ride to Normanview Crossing, wait for a 30min layover, and then spend another 7min to arrive at Martin Collegiate. The distance between these two locations would only take 2min by car. Interestingly, it would also only take 2min by bicycle, and 5min by walking.
MAJOR ROADS
BUS ROUTES
MINOR ROADS
TRAILS
There are two main established cycling routes in Rosemont - the Devonian multi-use pathway that runs along the Wascana Creek, and an on-street, shared-use bikeway on McCarthy Blvd. McCarthy Boulevard is an arterial street with parking on both sides of the streets, and the shareduse bikeway does not appear to be well utilized. As public transit is not the main mode of transportation in the community, the local transit systems is a last-resort alternative for people who either do not have access to a vehicle or are not able to drive.
NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES Circulation and Accessibility
ON-ROAD BIKE-LANES
LANEWAYS RhizomeCity2040 | 17
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Rosemont has a lot of space-
620 acres for 8,000 residents. School and sport fields, parks, floodways, rail corridors, streets, wide streets, trails, boulevards, boulevards, trails and andlaneways lanewaysmake makeup upover over60% 60% of Rosemont’s surface area. Much of this space is currently under utilized and Rosemont’s greatest asset is also its greatest challenge. With aging suburban infrastructure and shifting demographics, Rosemont must address a host of economic, ecological and cultural pressures. How can a municipality coordinate the space and infrastructure between city dwellers in an economically, ecologically and culturally sustainable way? Can streets and parks transform into Performing Landscapes? Can municipal infrastructure provide the conditions for Local Economies? How can passive sites become active spaces? Can a suburban neighbourhood cultivate a dynamic Social Network?
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Rhizome City 2040 is an inventory of Rosemont’s and the greater Regina’s infrastructure, physical, and cultural assets. It is also a proposal for the reconsideration of the districts development from the perspective of landscape, infrastructure and neighbourhood as a synthesizer and organizing force for sustainable change. The proposal is situated by a framework that defines sustainable communities through three interconnected systems: 1) PERFORMING LANDSCAPES 2) LOCAL ECONOMIES 3) SOCIAL NETWORKS
ANALYSIS &
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SOCIAL
NETWORKS
Neighborhood Hubs; Pedestrian and bicycle friendly Streets, Laneways, Sidewalk and Trails; Cultural Nodes & Landscapes including Playscapes, Public Art and Historical features.
LOCAL ECONOMIES Agriculture; Local Energy and Waste
Management; Small Business; Tourism.
PERFORMING
LANDSCAPES Living Avenues, Streets and Laneways; Habitat Preserves and Corrdors; Green Roofs; Storm Ponds; Bio-filtration Plant.
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Housing; Commercial; ROW’s; Rail-lands; Institutional; Public Service; Parkland; Wascana Creek and Floodway; Urban Holding Area.
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PERFORMING LANDSCAPES
LIVING STREETS
PRAIRIE HABITAT
Living Avenues, Streets and Laneways; Habitat Corridors & Reserves; Institutional Green Roofs, Storm Ponds; Biofiltration Plant. Performing landscapes refer a network of living ecosystems, conceived as soil & plant systems, hydrology and communities of living organisms. Performing landscapes possess metabolic properties & performance characteristics that are measurable and can be designed to perform as part of cities' infrastructure. The processes inherent to living ecosystems allow them to act as carbon sinks; to store water; provide habitat & generate biodiversity; to assimilate waste and pollutants; convert energy into matter. Performing landscapes are also inherently beautiful. Ecosystem diversity in natural landscapes enriches the urban experience and makes cities more livable.
WASCANA CREEK REVITALIZATION
BIOFILTRATE WASTE
GREEN ROOFS
BIODIVERSITY
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LIVING STREETS
2020
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LOCAL ECONOMIES
BIOENERGY PLANT
Agriculture; Local Energy and Waste Management, Tourism; Small Business. Local Economies aim to bring economic and social vitality to a neighbourhood that has its planning origins as a housing subdivision. Transforming Rosemont into a neighbourhood where residents can Live, Play and Work will enhance the desirability of the neighbourhood and its social vitality. Local Economies seek to generate systems of exchange and prosperity including Food Security, Waste Recycling, Energy Management, incentive for Small Business, and Tourism and Research associated with a Prairie Eco-reserve.
SMALL BUSINESS
MICRO ENERGY PRODUCTION DISTRICT ENERGY NETWORK
TOURISM
URBAN AGRICULTURE
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WASTE TREATMENT STATION & WASCANA CREEK ENVIRONS
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SOCIAL NETWORKS
NEIGHBOURHOOD LINKS
MULTIMODAL NETWORK
Community Hubs, Enhanced pedestrian and bicycle ROW’s, Corridor Trails, Cultural Nodes including Playscapes, Public Art, and Historical features.
Rhizome City 2040 proposes to strengthen access to vital services and facilitate opportunities for social engagement in Rosemont. An innovative partnership between the City of Regina and Regina Board of Education proposes to Community Hubs as a strategy re-invigorate schools with declining student numbers through multi-service and multi-use programs. Building upon the school’s existing physical infrastructure and Rosemont’s Park network, a thorough assessment across age and culture demographics aims to ensure access to essential services such as Public Gathering Space, Information networks, Recreation and Health services. There is enormous potential to transform a community’s sense of place through the introduction of a multi-modal transportation network that harnesses the potential of green infrastructure to enhance a city’s functionality and Regina’s urban identity. These new urban systems can connect to the historic context of the community while developing strategies for sustainability that are resilient and self-sufficient. Rhizome City 2040 attempts more than a retrofit to existing systems, it fosters a new community identity rooted in the traditions of this unique place, culture, and ecology.
PUBLIC GATHERING SPACE
COMMUNITY HUBS
HISTORICAL FEATURES
PLAYSCAPES
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COMMUNITY HUB & LIVING BOULEVARD
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4th Avenue & McIntosh St.
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URBAN CORRIDOR TRAIL
2015
IMPLEMENTATION &
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IMPLEMENTATION & PHASING + KEY CONSIDERATIONS Rhizome City 2040 offers a flexible organizational framework that can adapt and adjust to future budget programs, civic priorities, and changing public desires. Given the complexity of achieving a fully sustainable community, it will take many years to complete the revitalization process. Phased and incremental implementation is a necessary approach because it divides larger project objectives into manageable pieces, each of which fit into the overall Rhizome City 2040 plan. The completion of smaller components will allow projects to incrementally build up to larger ones where necessary. For example while parts of the existing parkland can continue to be accessible to the public, the larger Living Streets strategy can be implemented in the fullness of time. + ORGANIZATION OF PHASES The phasing plan identifies a set of initial targets to guide growth and development in this unique community with a eye towards focusing the primary organizational and design principles of Rhizome City 2040. The projects are proposed with the first projects being implemented as early as 2012. This proposed framework will be subjected to ongoing evaluation, review and coordination with existing capital plans. Opportunities to dovetail or re-allocate existing budgets to harness the potential of implementing this larger Plan could advance more project elements forward. + FINANCIAL MOMENTUM The long-term implementation of Rhizome City 2040 will require a considerable amount of financial investment over time. It will be important to establish momentum in the early stages of the project to catalyze and harness this investment. This can be done in part by structuring the phasing of implementation to encompass a progressive sequencing of financially realistic projects and knit together existing projects that support the overall objectives of this plan. The phasing of implementation should also consider the need to implement revenue-generating components in the initial phases of build-out such as the recreation of natural reserve in Wascana Creek that can generate potential sources of revenue from community events to ecotourism. This approach should be implemented with realistic expectations and not with the assumption that revenue generation will significantly offset operation and maintenance costs, but rather that it will contribute to the long-term financial sustainability of implementing Rhizome City 2040 in conjunction with other committed long-term funding sources, such as existing capital works budgets that could be reallocated.
+ FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability is a key consideration of Rhizome City 2040. This means that protecting the capital investment in sustainable infrastructure with sufficient funding to ensure that appropriate ongoing maintenance can be provided. In addition, developing sustainable structures, amenities and infrastructure can often mean higher initial capital costs. These are offset over time by reduced maintenance costs. + STAKEHOLDER AND PUBLIC CONSULTATION Effective stakeholder and public consultation will be a vital part of the implementation of Rhizome City 2040. Public support and engagement will promote the need for implementation over time. Stakeholder consultation during implementation will be needed to ensure that the needs of existing users are understood and addressed in the planning process. While the direction of realizing the goals of the system is clear, the phasing and long term realization of the project is flexible in how it acheives its goals. reformulating a neighbourhood structure to allow for micro-projects to be deployed immediately and incrementally. is proposed as an evolving set of projects stemming from the system analysis and funding and partner availibility. Projects can be further broken down into performance targets following best practice standards. + DEFINE EXISTING AND NEW COMMUNITY NETWORKS We’ve started to identify opportunities for the enhancement of community networks, but the project list could be expanded with further community engagement. These new and existing opportunities, amenities and community nodes will become distinctive places: some enhance existing places, some mark iconic elements, some must be cultivated and ‘found’ as points of community focus. The overall presence and design of the community networks is intended to shape the identity, beauty and ecology of each place as a community benefit. + PROJECT ZONES The Implementation of Rhizome City 2040 translates the 3 system analysis of Performing Landscapes, Local Economies and Social Networks into 6 administratively efficient projects with unique identities: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
LIVING STREETS: Streets; Boulevards; Laneways URBAN CORRIDORS COMMUNITY HUBS NEIGHBOURHOOD PARKS INTEGRATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT WASCANA CREEK REVITALIZATION
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WASCANA CREEK REGENERATION
6 PROJECT ZONES Implementation & Phasing
NEIGHBOURHOOD PARKS
URBAN CORRIDORS
INTEGRATED WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT
COMMUNITY HUBS
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WASCANA CREEK & PRESERVE
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RHIZOME CITY 2040 Shannon Baker Senior Landscape Architect, Ecoplans, Toronto, ON Andrey Chernykh Environmental Designer, RaD Studio, Toronto, ON Genevieve Cheung Transportation/Municipal Design, MRC, Toronto, ON Gladys Cheung Designer, WeatherstonBruer Associates, Toronto, ON Katerina Gloushenkova Lead Designer, RaD Studio, Toronto, ON Annie Li Senior Project Manager, MMM Group, Vancouver, BC Hon Lu Senior Project Manager, MMM Group, Toronto, ON. Kevin Murray Lead Designer, RaD Studio, Toronto, ON. Consultant: David Lieberman, Architect, Associate Professor, University of Toronto.