A presentation about strategies for urban development. Presented by Pallavi Kalia Mande with the Charles River Watershed Association during the Buzzards Bay Coalition's 2014 Decision Makers Workshop series. Learn more at www.savebuzzardsbay.org/DecisionMakers

1. Charles River Watershed Association
Strategies for Urban Development:
The Blue Cities Approach and Case Studies

2. • Who we are and what we do
• The Blue Cities approach
• Implementing the approach
• Project case studies
• Successes and Challenges
Strategies for Urban Development:
The Blue Cities Approach and Case Studies

3. • Environmental Science and
Advocacy Organization
founded in 1965
• Mission: To use science,
advocacy and the law to
protect, preserve and
enhance the Charles River
and its watershed
Charles River Watershed Association

4. • Water quality
• Sediments
• Floods and low flows
• Groundwater
• Ecosystem and habitat
• Algal blooms
Impacts of Urbanization on Rivers

5. Standard Urban
Development
• Pave
• Pipe
• Pump
Standard Urban
Problems
• Floods
• Water table changes
• Degraded rivers and streams
• Hot, noisy urban canyons

6. In Massachusetts, average annual runoff increases from 4.2” to 23” and
groundwater recharge decreases from 21” to 6.3”.
Impacts of Urbanization on Natural Water Cycle

7. Blue Cities is a water-oriented approach to urban
development and redevelopment that promote designs
for the built environment that engages with every stage
of the water cycle. Going beyond “green” building, “blue
cities” embraces green infrastructure design with the aim
of restoring the natural water cycle in the built
environment
CRWA’s Blue Cities Initiative

8. • Water centric planning
and urban design
• Mimic natural water
cycle and restore
hydrologic integrity
• Retrofit sites to
incorporate “green
infrastructure”
• Build on links to open
space, public health and
public realm needs
Pre-development
Post-development
CRWA’s Blue Cities Initiative

9. CRWA’s Blue Cities Initiative
…function like this!
Try to make this…

10. Blue Cities Guide

11. Public realm/neighborhood scale approaches
• Green streets and Greenways
• Integrate stormwater management
with existing open space
• Stream daylighting
• Regional retention and detention
systems

12. Large site scale approaches
• Parking lot retrofits
• Courtyard retrofits
• Permeable
pavement
• Constructed
wetlands and other
retention and
detention systems

13. • Cisterns/ rainbarrels
• Rain gardens
• Stormwater planters
Residential/ small site scale approaches

14. Blue Cities Analysis and Design Process
Existing Conditions Analysis and Data Compilation
Neighborhood Assessment and Surveys
Issues and Opportunities Analysis
Concept Design and Visualization
Recommendations for Green Infrastructure Retrofits

15. Implementing Blue Cities
• Creating Partnerships
– Engaging cities, towns, state, universities /
institutions
– Grassroots advocacy and work with
community groups
• Public Education, Site Visits, Workshops
– Public charettes and forums
– Target audience workshops
– Site visit to University of New Hampshire
Stormwater Center
• Developing Sub-watershed Restoration Plans
– Green infrastructure assessment and
design in urban and sub-urban contexts
• Building Demonstration Projects
– Green Street retrofits
– Site scale retrofits

16. Blue Cities Projects
• Environmentally Sensitive Urban Development
– Blue Cities Guide- North Allston, Zakim North
and LMA
– Mystic River Collaborative Project
– Blue Cities National
• Sub-watershed / Neighborhood Scale
– Franklin and Bellingham Subwatershed
Restoration Plans
– Subwatershed Plan for Broadway, Chelsea
– Green Streets Guide for Allston Brighton,
Boston
• Site Scale Demonstration Projects
– Peabody Square Greening, Dorchester
– Everett Street Pilot Project, Allston
– Waltham Watch Factory, Waltham
– Parmenter School and Fletcher Field, Franklin
– Chester Avenue and Crescent Ave, Chelsea
– Porous Alley Retrofit, Boston

17. Blue Cities Projects
Environmentally Sensitive Urban Development
• Blue Cities Guide -North Allston, Zakim North
and LMA
• Mystic River Collaborative
• Blue Cities National- Louisville, KY & Michigan

18. Blue Cities Projects
Sub-watershed Scale
• Franklin and Bellingham Sub-watershed Restoration Plans
• Sub-watershed Plan for Broadway, Chelsea

19. Neighborhood / Street Scale
• Green Streets Guide for Allston Brighton, Boston MA
Blue Cities Projects

20. Blue Cities Projects
• Site Scale Demonstration Projects
– Everett Street Pilot, Allston
– Peabody Square, Dorchester
– Waltham Watch Factory, Waltham
– Parmenter School and Fletcher Field, Franklin
– Crescent Ave / Mace Apartments, Chelsea
– Porous Alley Retrofit , Boston

21. Everett Street Pilot

22. Everett Street Pilot

23. Everett Street Pilot

24. Peabody Square

25. Waltham Watch Factory

26. Parmenter School and Fletcher Field

27. Crescent Ave / Mace Apartment Retrofit

28. Crescent Ave / Mace Apartment Retrofit

29. Porous Alley Retrofit

30. Successes and Challenges
Challenges
• Coordination between traditionally silo’ d agencies
• Construction supervision and oversight
• Post construction monitoring and maintenance
• Scaling up beyond demonstration projects
• Funding for planning, design, implementation, monitoring,
public outreach and education
• Reduced flooding and increased recharge
• Reduced ‘heat island’ effect in urban areas with increased
vegetation
• Aesthetic, pedestrian and public realm improvements
• Improved water quality in receiving waters
• Public support for neighborhood greening
Successes

31. Charles River Watershed
Association
Thank You!
For more information
Visit us at www.crwa.org