Integrating Green Infrastructure into Regional Planning

Integrating Green Infrastructure into Regional Planning
2010 APA Conference
New Orleans, LA
April 12, 2010

Speakers
State of the Practice & Green Infrastructure Concepts
Don Kostelec, AICP;
Transpo Group, Asheville, NC
Linking Lands & Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region
Linda Giltz, AICP;
Land-of-Sky Regional Council, Asheville
Jacksonville Collector and Green Streets Plan
Don Kostelec substituting for Chris Lukasina

Objectives
Appreciate how a regional GI network/plan can be used and integrated with other regional and local plans and practices.
Know state-of-the-practice techniques
Understand the value in assessing and identifying green infrastructure at a regional, landscape scale.
Gain insight on what to consider if you want to undertake similar projects.

Being Green is Contextual
Not all things are as they appear
Some bad may come as a result of a lot of good
Elected officials don’t like these types of tradeoffs & uncertainties
Planners need to understand the good/bad and the tradeoffs to be effective

Defining Green Infrastructure - Natural Environment
Green Infrastructure is a region’s Natural Life Support System – an interconnected network of land and water that contributes to the health, economic well being & quality of life for communities & people.

Defining Green Infrastructure - Natural Environment
A GI Network may include:
Natural areas
Public and private conservation lands
Farmlands and lands managed for forestry
Outdoor recreation areas and trails
Cultural resources and sites
GI networks exist at various scales (parcel, community, regional)

Defining Green Infrastructure - Built Environment
Green infrastructure is a way for municipalities, developers, engineers and planner to provide for urban infrastructure that supports and improves the region’s natural resources, including:
Land, Water, Forests, Air, Etc.

Defining Green Infrastructure - Built Environment
A GI Network may include:
Reduced impervious structures
Stream buffer requirements
Stormwater management practices that treat water at its source
Street design that promotes efficient transportation (e.g. connectivity policies)
Provides for safe travel by pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users.
Again, GI networks exist at various scales (parcel, community, regional)

Green Infrastructure Policies
There is a direct correlation between land use patterns, the way a site is developed and environmental degradation. Well-planned growth using good site design and development practices can restore and prevent environmental degradation and enhance community character.
RI Department of Environmental Management

Characteristics of Policy/Regulations
Regulations are often developed with no research base.
Regulations are often developed as an emotional response to some phenomena.
Regulations are often imposed by layers of cumbersome structure.
Regulations have many benefits including protecting the health, safety and general welfare of the public.

Characteristics of Policy/Regulations
Regulations serve as a “bar” or standard for the regulator.
Regulations often impose maximums.
Regulations often impose minimums (e.g. EPA, federal).
Regulations that are vague sometimes allow environmental initiatives

Impervious Surfaces

Typical Language in an Ordinance
“All built-upon areas shall be designed and located to minimize stormwater runoff impacts to the receiving waters and minimize concentrated stormwater flow.”
Ideal?
Too vague?
Too restrictive?
Don’t know?

Impacts of Stormwater
Urban stormwater contributes to:
13% of impaired rivers and streams;
21% of impaired lakes;
46% of impaired estuaries;
55% of impaired ocean shorelines
Stormwater BMP Maintenance & Inspection

Impacts of Stormwater
Addressed through:
Controlling stormwater runoff
Low impact development techniques
Green architectural techniques
Green parking lots

Street Connectivity as a Green Infrastructure practice
Cities are looking at a host of transportation, land use, energy, environmental and sustainability policy issues and considering new measurement techniques:
Complete Streets Policy
Concurrency Program Refinements
VMT and GHG per Capita Reduction

Background Policy Issues
Multi-Modal Level-of-Service (LOS)
Street Connectivity Policies
Connectivity between new/existing developed lands
Non-motorized public accessways and limiting cul-de-sacs
Grid-based standards for streets (500 feet ) and Non-motorized (330 feet) – emphasis on smaller block lengths
Developing connectivity metrics

Systems Connectivity is Important
Measuring and quantifying system connectivity is essential to evaluating non-motorized plans and central to addressing part of the climate change dilemma.
Improved street and non-motorized connectivity increases accessibility and route options and reduces VMT and GHG. Traffic congestion, accidents and pollution emissions are reduced while mobility for non-drivers is increased. Emergency response improves because emergency vehicles have more direct access with less the risk that an area will become inaccessible if a particular part of the street network is blocked.

Systems Connectivity is Important
Recent academic studies identified four land use and transportation factors associated with walking and cycling, and the resulting reduction in VMT:
Density: residential units within a specified area
Destinations: grocery stores, restaurant, retail, schools
Distance: to key destinations
Route: smaller blocks, better sidewalks

The optimization of routes in relations to these factors can help reduce VMT by as much as 35%, with similar reductions in vehicle energy consumption and emissions.

Achieving VMT Capita Reduction
Research conducted in Seattle area by C. Lee and Anne Moudon (University of Washington), 2006: Quantifying Land Use and Urban Form Correlates of Walking
- 2 %
- 4 %
- 5%
Measures of connectivity helps indicate transportation-efficient land uses that yield lower VMT and GHG per capita

What is Route Directness Index?
A
B
straight-line distance “A”
actual route distance “B”
RDI = A / B

Before
After
Impacted Parcels
Route Directness Index
Using ViaCityTM
0.58
0.62
1,115
Intersection
Density
55.9
56.0
N/A
Link-Node Ratio
1.09
1.10
N/A

Example RDI - Existing Conditions
Shared-Use Path Connections

Using RDI to Test New Project / Plan

RDI is Sensitive to Critical Street Design
Sensitive to Block Length
Sensitive to Cul-de-Sac Length
305 ft
330ft

Integrating Green Infrastructure into Regional Planning
2010 APA Conference
New Orleans, LA
April 12, 2010

Integrating Green Infrastructure into Regional Planning

by Transpo Group on Jul 08, 2010

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Integrating Green Infrastructure into Regional Planning — Presentation Transcript