Chinatown. Green Street Demonstration Project. land + water. community

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1 Chinatown Green Street Demonstration Project land + water community

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3 Purpose. Dear Stakeholder, Thank you for your interest in making our neighborhood a greener, more sustainable, and attractive place to live, work, and play. ASLA has been part of the Chinatown community since 1999, when we purchased our building on I Street NW, and we look forward to continuing to be a part of the community for a long time. ASLA s mission is to lead, to educate, and to participate in the careful stewardship, wise planning, and artful design of our cultural and natural environments. We take this charge seriously and are committed to showing, and telling, the sustainability story. Our award winning green roof, constructed in 2006, has served as a high profile public education and outreach tool from day one. Thousands of visitors from elementary school students to First Ladies, have toured the roof, and learned about the many benefits green roofs offer. Our stewardship and outreach mission will continue to be served by expanding our green infrastructure footprint to include our streetscape. Green street technologies designed by our members to manage stormwater runoff are becoming more popular each year. Our proposed green streets pilot right here in the heart of Chinatown will serve as another high profile demonstration of the many benefits of green infrastructure technologies. 3 We are excited about the direction the city is moving in managing our precious water resources. We applaud Mayor Gray s visionary Sustainable DC initiative that calls for DC to use 75 percent of our landscape to capture and filter stormwater by As the District of Columbia moves forward implementing stronger stormwater management regulations, and DC Water seeks to pilot green infrastructure techniques as part of their agreement with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, ASLA seeks to provide the design expertise of our membership to create a national model to serve as an example for future development in our neighborhood and throughout the US. In the following pages we lay out an initial concept for greening the streets surrounding our national headquarters. We seek your input, your ideas, your criticisms, and your support to make this vision a reality. Our members are committed to providing the sustainable design solutions to help this city, and cities and towns across the country, meet not only the challenges of sustainable stormwater management, but their larger sustainable development goals. We hope that this project will catalyze the use of green streets across the District and across the country and we are eager to work with you to make it happen. Sincerely, Nancy C. Somerville, Hon. ASLA Executive Vice President/CEO Chinatown Green Street Demonstration Project

4 From Vision to Reality. In late 2012, ASLA President Tom Tavella, along with several colleagues, convened a design charette with representatives from District Department of Transportation, District Department of Environment, DC Office of Planning, DC Water, Downtown Business Improvement District, and Anacostia Watershed Society to brainstorm and design a complete streets project. 4 With the input of these stakeholders and agencies, the following preliminary concepts and plans were generated. These designs serve as a starting point. With these designs, ideas, and inspiration in hand, ASLA plans to move from vision to reality and implement these cutting edge green infrastructure solutions.

5 Project Location and Surrounding Areas. 5 Chinatown Green Street Demonstration Project

6 Concept and Goals. This project integrates low impact development (LID) techniques with community-oriented design to create an interconnected series of green streets. This integrated design approach not only addresses stormwater management, but also benefits the community environmentally, socially, and financially. This project will use proven green street technologies to: 6 maximize the opportunities for natural water infiltration and eliminates runoff; create aesthetically pleasing streets that are equally safe and accessible for pedestrians, vehicles, and bicyclists; establish a network of green links betweenexisting and planned open spaces as destinations and unique neighborhood amenities; and improve appearance of the district to draw additional visitors to walk and shop.

7 Precedent Project : Design and Outreach. ASLA s mission is to lead, to educate, and to participate in the careful stewardship, wise planning, and artful design of our cultural and natural environment. 7 One outstanding example of ASLA s efforts to lead and educate is the Green Roof Demonstration Project. Faced with the need to replace the existing roof, ASLA took the opportunity to install one that maximizes the benefits of green infrastructure, while showcasing how landscape architects add value to the design and installation of green roofs. ASLA monitors and gathers performance data and offers tours and educational opportunities to community members and visitors. ASLA s award winning green roof website serves as a virtual conduit to those who are not able to experience the green roof in person. Chinatown Green Street Demonstration Project

8 I Street 8 I Street is the anchor of the Chinatown Green Street Demonstration Project. Apart from being ASLA s home, I Street offers a unique opportunity for creating connections to existing parks and public amenities: The plans for CityCenterDC, currently in construction west of 9th Street, include LID projects along I Street as well as public green space. The proposed green infrastructure along I Street will create an attractive landscaped corridor connecting and book-ending the new CityCenterDC park and an recently renovated park area, Chinatown Park, on the northeast corner of 6th Street.

9 I Street 9 CityCenterDC and other planned development on and surrounding I Street may lead to an increase in traffic, vehicular as well as pedestrian. The complete street approach will effectively, and sustainably, manage stormwater, create a more appealing pedestrian experience, and manage / calm traffic. Chinatown Green Street Demonstration Project

10 Educational Outreach and Interpretive Plan. As seen with the green roof, ASLA has a record of successful implementation of demonstration projects. ASLA will oversee public outreach for the Chinatown Green Street Demonstration Project. Before 10 Installation of a rain garden directly outside of the ASLA building coupled with the ASLA green roof provides opportunity to highlight innovative stormwater systems throughout the site. Signage on the ASLA headquarters building in addition to along the street will inform the public, school groups, decision makers, and designers on how to effectively and sustainably manage stormwater from curb to roof.

11 Educational Outreach and Interpretive Plan. After 11 Chinatown Green Street Demonstration Project

12 Project Elements. Repeated throughout the design are several LID elements. Proposed installations include: Existing tree pits expanded to include rain gardens, connected by a series of open grates allowing passersby to see water move through the area. Borrowing from wide traffic lanes, additional feet will allow the installation of green gutters to capture and retain stormwater in planted areas bordering sidewalks. Parking bays replaced with permeable pavers will increase stormwater retention capabilities. Raised intersections with painted caution lines calm traffic. 12 Stormwater curb extensions, bump outs, have dual purpose-- collection and treatment of stormwater, as well as traffic calming. Examples of LID techniques proposed for this project.

13 Project Elements. 13 Examples of LID techniques proposed for this project. Chinatown Green Street Demonstration Project

14 7th Street. Moving west from ASLA s front door, the first intersection with I Street is 7th. 7th street is characterized by heavy vehicular traffic volume, in addition to a high pedestrian traffic to and from the Gallery Place/Chinatown metro stop. Eliminating a row of parking provides an opportunity to rethink traffic lanes (opposite page) and create a dedicated bus / bicycle lane separated from traffic with a planted barrier that also allows stormwater to infiltrate. The remaining three lanes of traffic can be utilized for traffic only or traffic and parking. Additional design suggestions for 7th Street address traffic concerns and pedestrian comfort: 14 Extend sidewalk to increase pedestrian area to improve throughtraffic. Add bio-infiltration strip to retain stormwater. Explore alternative vehicular traffic patterns to improve pedestrian and vehicular traffic circulation. Enlarge tree boxes to improve health and longevity of street trees. Create green connections to/from Gallery Place metro station.

15 7th Street. 15 Chinatown Green Street Demonstration Project

16 8th Street. Crisscrossing I Street would be a new northsouth green festival street running down 8th Street, transforming an under-used, garageheavy street into an active, pedestrian-friendly zone. Designed to be like a Dutch woonerf or pedestrian mall, this low-traffic street would be designed so pedestrians can move freely between the Reynolds Center and Carnegie Library. Before Additional design suggestions for 8th Street will help create a pedestrian-oriented festival street : 16 Incorporate a variety of LID strategies and attractive plant material in the ample rightof-way space. Capitalize on inviting, usable space for community amenities, such as the churches and local bars and restaurants. Flexibility of space allows for outdoor seating, food trucks to congregate, parklets, and other seasonal and community-oriented activities.

17 8th Street. After 17 Chinatown Green Street Demonstration Project

18 9th Street. On 9th Street, creating a new cycle track, a dual-direction bicycle lane, provides an opportunity to incorporate more green infrastructure. The bicycle lanes will be protected by a planted barrier - not just paint and bollards. That physical separator not only protects bicyclists from vehicular traffic but also helps to create a sense of place and adds greenery, while managing stormwater. Before 18

19 9th Street. After 19 Chinatown Green Street Demonstration Project

20 Next Steps. ASLA is currently fundraising for this project through grants and private funding compaingns. In November of 2013, ASLA issued an RFQ seeking a landscape architecture firm to serve as lead consultant for the design and installation of this interconnected series of vegetated systems and proven technologies to manage stormwater runoff and beautify the public right-of-way in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. 20 ASLA intends this project to be a world-class model and education tool for developers, designers, city officials, and the public.