Investing in Multiple Benefits

Historically, infrastructure systems have been very costly and are built to serve a single purpose such as transportation, drainage, or recreation. As infrastructure ages and budgets shrink, there is a growing demand for replacement strategies that are more resource efficient and serve multiple necessary functions. This is particularly true given increased rates of community development, and the inability of individual communities to pay for systems that keep up with their own demand and the cumulative impacts of development from neighboring communities.

Designing infrastructure with multiple functions (multifunctionality) allows for the integration of social, environmental, and economic considerations to get the most benefit for the money spent. Social functions include recreation, cultural heritage, education, and other benefits directly experienced by members of the community. Environmental functions include water storage and filtration, biodiversity conservation, climate regulation, and other benefits and for environmental health that also indirectly benefit community members. Economic functions of multifunctionality include a reduced need for expensive engineering solutions, food production, energy efficiency, and other benefits that have a market value.

infrastructure

Infrastructure is the fixed system of public works that a community and its economy need to function. There are two general categories of infrastructure, hard and soft. Hard infrastructure refers to the physical networks necessary for basic functions (e.g. roads, water & sewer, drainage, and telecommunications). Soft infrastructure refers to the institutions that maintain community and economic health (e.g. schools, parks & open space, health care).

drainage infrastructure

Typical drainage systems use wide concrete culverts and ditches to direct water out of communities as fast as possible. These systems are expensive, prone to catastrophic failure (especially with increased demands from upstream neighbors), and provide no additional benefits. Alternatives with green infrastructure provide multiple benefits, including: recreation opportunities that support public health, water filtration with riparian buffers that improves water quality and biodiversity, and increased stormwater storage capacity that translates to economic savings.

The below picture show how a multi-functional drainage way creates space to hold excess stormwater during flood events and provides ecosystem benefits, such as improving water quality and preserving habitats for wildlife.

Design + Policy Recommendations

This section introduces three driving concepts that emerged as solutions to community concerns: living with water, connected communities, design for active living. These concepts or themes can be layered to create multi-functional spaces that reduce risk and increase community wellbeing. The themes represent ways of thinking about urban space that foster resilience and wellbeing. The ideas are not new. They build upon stormwater and transportation management best practices recognized by professional organizations and government agencies such as the American Institute for Architects (AIA), the American Planning Association (APA), the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Center for Planning Excellence (C-PEX).

The following defines each theme and provides a short discussion of benefits and considerations before discussing specific tools and implementation strategies. While this section focuses on applying each concept in a residential subdivision, such as Baker Estates, the next section shows how these concepts can be utilized to create multi-functional stormwater management, transportation, and recreation systems throughout the entire community.

Infrastructure investments with multiple benefits means increasing quality of life while decreasing flood risk.

Living with Water

As the threat of more intense and frequent storms grows, current drainage systems struggle to keep streets and homes dry. This is forcing communities to think differently about stormwater management. Many communities are turning to alternatives that emphasize restoring natural systems and storing water in place. Living with Water means turning drainage from an annoyance to an amenity by creating space for stormwater in the landscape.

Connected Communities

Streets connect people to the places they need to go. In the past, street and roadway design focused almost exclusively on the needs of drivers to the detriment of others, such as bicyclists and pedestrians. Connected Communities provide the ability for all community members, regardless of age, ability, or access to resources, to move around their community safely. Encouraging walking and biking reduces automobile use and increases community health + wellbeing. Careful design of trails and pathways can also connect Baker to surrounding communities and resources.

Design for Active Living

Design for Active Living means more than creating networks to encourage exercise. Design for Active Living means identifying and investing in the design elements and programming that allow recreation to be a year-round endeavor. In a place that sustains high temperatures for much of the year, designs for year-round outdoor space should incorporate natural elements (e.g. trees for shade, water fountains and features) sittable space (e.g. benches, ledges, movable tables and chairs), ample lighting, and food options (e.g. food trucks, picnic areas) that give life to a space.