REIMAGINING PARKING: ELIMINATING RUNOFF
Ian Vierck, Celia Hensey, Hannah Chapin, Sabina Hagen-Botbol
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We are gathered on the land of the Kalapuya,who today are represented by the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians, whose relationship with this land continues to this day. As graduate students of the University of Oregon we benefit from the power, privilege, and immense resources of this institution, which are derived from the systematic oppression and disenfranchisement of Indigenous peoples. We believe that green spaces and their benefits should be available to all people - yet we cannot ignore that the spaces that are part of our studio project are not ours to give. They have been seized and stolen from the Kalapuya. Moreover, we know that in the United States, Indigenous peoples and people of color are often denied access to these kinds of spaces. Over the course of this studio, we realized that our work as future landscape architects will build wealth for those who already have power and privilege. While we believe that the outcomes of our studio project will result in direct benefits to communities, our work ultimately falls short of enacting a just world. How can we use design to move towards a more just and equitable world? How can we reconcile the aspirations of our field with the realities of economic inequity and structural racism? These are some of the questions that we have been thinking about as we moved through this studio project - we invite you to join us in reflecting on them.
INDEX OF CONTENTS The Problem......7 The Solution.....37 Analysis ......55 Masterplan......81 Application......93 Conclusion......127
THE PROBLEM
NATURAL WATER FLOWS The Amazon Basin is 11,442 acres and its headwaters flow from the southern hills of Eugene. CITY OF EUGENE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
9
10
FORESTED WATER RUNOFF
11
12
STORM DRAINS Eugene has a separated sewer system, which means that storm water is not treated before running off into Amazon Creek. 13
14
WHERE IS RUNOFF COMING FROM?
15
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RUNOFF COMPARISON Runoff from urbanized areas is the leading source of water quality impairments to surveyed estuaries. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
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SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF RUNOFF Areas of the Amazon Basin that lie outside the urban growth boundary rely on groundwater for domestic use. CITY OF EUGENE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
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THE PARKING LOT PROBLEM
It is estimated in America that there are eight parking spots for every car. Combined, that’s enough surface area to make up roughly the entire state of West Virginia. Furthermore, off-street parking is typically a requirement as part of development. MOBILITY LAB
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AMAZON BASIN Amazon Basin is the largest of Eugene’s drainage basins and the most diverse in terms of land uses, landform, and natural resources. CITY OF EUGENE STORMWATER BASIN MASTER PLAN
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AMAZON BASIN: CONCERNS Impervious surface area in the urban growth boundary is projected to increase from 33% to 44% at buildout. CITY OF EUGENE STORMWATER BASIN MASTER PLAN
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AMAZON BASIN PAVEMENT Pavement - in the form of walkways, roads, and parking areas - plays a major role in transporting increased stormwater runoff and pollution to our streams, rivers, and groundwater. CITY OF EUGENE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
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IMPERVIOUS SURFACES Over 23% of major draining facilities exceed design capacity under existing conditions. CITY OF EUGENE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
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ABUNDANCE OF PARKING
31
32
DESIGNING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
Gerry Frank
Kari Greer
34
33 Chris Pietsch
THE FUTURE OF EUGENE Annual precipitation unchanged. Snowpack in the Cascades nearly gone by 2040. Rain flows in streams in near real time. Average summer increase of 10o-12o F by 2100. Wildfire surface area increasing by 400-500% by 2040. Reduced stream flow by 40-60% in summer due to reduced snowmelt by 2040. 35
Changes in disease patterns. Population changes and climate migration.
36
THE SOLUTION
Lydia Greatrix
Pete Marovich
GOALS OF GREEN NEW DEAL 1. Achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. 2. Create millions of good, high wage jobs. 3. Invest in the infrastructure. 4. Ensure public wellbeing. 5. Secure clean air and water, climate and community resilience, and access to nature. 6. Promote justice and equity. 39
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RESPONSE TO GREEN NEW DEAL
41
42
REENVISIONING PARKING LOTS
Using multiple approaches means that more parking lots can be transformed. 43
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TYPE C 1. Retain most of the existing parking capacity. 2. Replace impervious pavement with permeable yet drivable ground cover. 3. Add raingardens to eliminate runoff.
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TYPE B 1. Retain most of the existing parking capacity. 2. Replace impervious pavement with permeable yet drivable ground cover. 3. Add raingardens to eliminate runoff. 4. Create multifunctional community spaces. 47
48
TYPE A 1. Completely eliminate impervious surfaces. 2. Add raingardens. 3. Create green spaces to strenghten community connections. 4. Link with existing green infrastructure.
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52
COLLABORATIVE DESIGN
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54
ANALYSIS
RADICALLY REENVISIONING PARKING LOTS
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58
OVERVIEW OF SITES
C
B
59
A
60
C SITES Walmart size lots that are heavily trafficked. Greater than 30,000 sq ft. Located near major roads. 61
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B SITES
Moderately sized lots. 3,000 to 30,000 square feet. 63
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A SITES Chosen for maximum connectivity with existing green infrastructure. 2-3 minute walk from parks, bike ways, and low traffic local roads. Not located near major roads in order to increase walkability. 65
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RANKING SYSTEM FOR LOCATION OF SITES
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DIVERSITY OF USES “It is impossible to imagine physical resilience without social, cultural and economic resilience as well.” NICHOLAS DE MONCHAUX
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HOSPITALITY
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SOCIAL
73
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RECREATION
75
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FINDING THE RIGHT FIT
Community Uses Demographics Drainage Analysis Soil & Environmental Analysis 77
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MASTER PLAN “We can listen to what the system tells us, and discover how its properties and our values can work together to bring forth something much better than could ever be produced by our will alone.” DONELLA H. MEADOWS, THINKING IN SYSTEMS: A PRIMER
MASTERPLAN: PHASE I
Timeline: 5 years Goal: Create scaffold for future network 83
84
MASTERPLAN: PHASE II
Timeline: 10 years Goal: Address areas of concern for Amazon Creek 85
86
MASTERPLAN: PHASE III Timeline: 30 years Goal: Replace parking lots as they retire and create a robust green network. 87
88
MASTERPLAN
PHASE 1
PHASE II
PHASE III
89
90
91
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APPLICATION
DESIGNING FOR TYPE C
1. Retain most of the existing parking capacity. 2. Replace impervious pavement with permeable yet drivable ground cover. 3. Add raingardens to eliminate runoff. 95
96
C SITE BEFORE & AFTER
97
98
DESIGNING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
99
100
C SITE DESIGN
101
102
ACTIONS FOR TYPE B 1. Retain most of the existing parking capacity. 2. Replace impervious pavement with permeable yet drivable ground cover. 3. Add raingardens to eliminate runoff. 4. Create multifunctional community spaces. 103
104
B SITE BEFORE & AFTER
105
106
B SITE DESIGN
107
108
B SITE DESIGN
109
110
ACTIONS FOR TYPE A
1. Completely eliminate impervious surfaces. 2. Add raingardens. 3. Create green spaces to strenghten community connections. 4. Link with existing green infrastructure. 111
112
A SITE BEFORE
113
114
SITE A BEFORE & AFTER
115
116
A SITE DESIGN
117
118
CANVAS
6 16
5
4 12 30
15 14
119
120
THE TRANSITION
121
122
COMPOSITION Retained Parking
Children’s Park
Raised Garden Bed Bike Racks
Street Parking
Carshare Parking Patio
123
Rain Gardens
124
A SITE DESIGN
125
126
CONCLUSION
By converting parking lots to public spaces, we can reinforce existing community connections and strengthen the network of green infrastructure in the Amazon Basin.
SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS
129
130
Local Businesses
Farmers Markets
Community Gardens
Public Health
Buslines
Network of Parks
Bikeways
131
Vibrant Neighborhoods
Disaster Recovery
Green Parking
Community Programs
Climate Resilience
Walking Trails
Carsharing
132
THE PATTERN REPEATS ALBANY
133
CORVALLIS
SALEM
134
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