This document summarizes a community call about the Grant Park Gateway project in Atlanta, Georgia that pursued SITES certification. The project involved renovating an existing park lot to increase greenspace, tree canopy coverage, and sustainable development goals. Key design strategies to meet SITES criteria included a green roof, comprehensive stormwater management through collection, infiltration trenches and cisterns, and improving the human experience with amenities like seating and signage. Lessons learned included the importance of an integrated design/construction team, addressing community pushback over saving specimen trees, and synergies between SITES and other rating systems. The call discussed how SITES added value for clients through increased sustainable practices awareness and more efficient certification documentation.

1. SITES September Community Call
SITES Certification from the Ground Up
Wednesday, September 23, 2020

2. GRANT PARK GATEWAY
Atlanta, Georgia, United States

3. Context
Project Location
• Grant Park
Neighborhood
• Atlanta, GA

4. Context
Site Constraints
& Opportunities
• Existing Lot
• Slope
• Historic Park
• Neighboring
Zoo Exhibits

5. Context
Reasons for
SITES
• Comprehensive
Site Design
• Community
Pushback re trees
• Push for goals
for sustainable
development

6. Sustainability
GoalsCLIENT GOALS:
• Minimum of 10 acres of
greenspace per 1,000
residents
• Protect and restore tree
canopy and a target goal of
40% coverage
• Park system that promotes
and supports sustainable
development
• Landscaping and facility
renovations that reduce
energy demand and
maintenance costs
PROJECT GOALS:
• Increase native and adaptive
vegetation on site to 8.61
acres of vegetation
• Increase parking capacity from
625 spaces to over 1,000
spaces
• Reduce parking congestion on
surrounding residential streets
• Reuse of stormwater through
cisterns and revitalized on-site
management pond
• Preserve specimen trees
• Organized area for public
events with viewsheds of zoo
and downtown Atlanta

7. Examples of Design Strategies
site elements that helped to meet SITES criteria
GREEN ROOF
• P3.2 Reduce Water Use for Landscape
Irrigation
• C3.4 Reduce Outdoor Water Use
• P4.3 Use Appropriate Plants
• C4.8 Optimize Biomass
• C4.9 Reduce Urban Heat Island Effects
• C6.2 Provide Optimum Site Accessibility,
Safety, and Wayfinding
• C6.5 Support Physical Amenities
COMPREHENSIVE
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
• P3.1 Manage Precipitation Onsite
• P3.5 Design Functional Stormwater
as Amenities
• P3.2 Reduce Water Use for
Landscape Irrigation
• C3.4 Reduce Outdoor Water Use
HUMAN EXPERIENCE
• C6.2 Provide Optimum Site
Accessibility, Safety, and Wayfinding
• C6.5 Support Physical Amenities
• C6.6 Support Social Connection
• C6.9 Encourage Fuel Efficient and
Multi-Modal Transportation
• C6.10 Minimize Exposure to
Environmental Tobacco Smoke
• C9.1 Promote Sustainability Awareness

8. Design
Strategies
Greenroof
• Increased
Open Space
• Reduced Heat
Island Effect
• Increased
Biomass and
Vegetation

9. Design
Strategies
Stormwater
Management
• Collection
• Infiltration
Trenches
• Designed Pond
• Cisterns
• Irrigation Supply

10. Design
Strategies
Human
Experience
• Transit Routes
• Bike Racks
• Seating
• Fountains
• Signage
• Grandstand

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Tips/Lessons Learned
Body Text
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Importance of
Integrated
Process with
design and
construction team
Community
Pushback -
Saving
Specimen Trees
Synergies with
other rating
systems (LEED,
Parksmart, and
SITES)
Continuous
reassessment of
SITES scorecard
and opportunities

12. Tips/Lessons
Learned
Tree Canopy
• Tree Save
Areas
• Special Status of
Specimen Trees

13. Body Text
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How SITES added value to clients and team
Body Text
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Body Text
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Educating
contractors on
sustainable
practices and
certifications
Civil development
best management
practices
Synergies
allowed for
decreased
certification
documentation
Increased
awareness from
Owner regarding
SITES and
commitment for
future projects

14. Questions
?