The document proposes a solution to alleviate flooding in Athens, GA by installing a larger culvert under Poplar Street. This would allow stormwater runoff to flow more freely while preventing upstream flooding. The project also aims to create an inclusive public space along the flood-prone Oconee River branches by developing recreational pathways and greenways. Key elements include accessible water play areas, observation decks over the waterway, and use of the historic railroad trestle as the design's spine to form a new Firefly Trail for the community. The holistic design seeks to provide both effective stormwater management and improved social, economic and ecological benefits through engagement with the river.

1. POPLAR STREET
WATER DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT
DUDLEY PARK
INCLUSIVE PUBLIC SPACE ENHANCEMENT
COUPLING

2. “Coupling” involves perceiving and capitalizing
upon fortuitous connections that exist between often
disparate events or ideas. Consider stormwater
runoff and inclusive public spaces as two such ideas.
Runoff challenges a city’s infrastructure. Conversely,
people are drawn to water. Charlotte, New York,
Chattanooga, and even Los Angeles have reaped
the social and economic benefits that come from
permeating their local waterways’ edges with useful
public spaces.
Seeking to create flexible public spaces that included
all of its citizens, Athens, GA established a Greenway
Trail along the flood-prone branches of the Oconee
River as recreational pathways. It is possible to
intervene at selected locations, with appropriate
actions, that serve to improve the situations of
seemingly disparate interests.
BRANCH STREET
POPLARSTREET
PETERSTREET
CONCEPTS AND DESIGNS BY
SHANNON MIKUS
LEED GREEN ASSOCIATE
contents
CONFLICTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
PROBLEMSTATEMENT
This project presents a solution that emphasizes the utility of
public space because flexible, inclusive public space creates
far-reaching, cascading benefits. Enterprise and companies
seek to establish operations in attractive communities because
these communities grow and draw a more productive, more
creative class of people.
A holistic solution seeks an effective stormwater management
solution while simultaneously improving social, economic,
cultural, and ecological community aspects.
MUTUALISMS
PROGRAM
TRANSFORMATION AND
DESIGN SOLUTION
DESIGN DOCUMENTS
CONCEPT RENDERING
When Peter Street floods at Branch Street, the diverted traffic
serves to further congest Oconee Street, a gateway arterial
roadway. The traffic problems cascade into social and
economic problems at many levels. Likewise, the flooding has
prevented any standard development of the most visible and
accessible part of Dudley Park, the gateway at Mulberry Street
and Poplar Street.
Peter Street floods because the culvert under Poplar Street is
too small to carry the lower Trail Creek Watershed drainage
that a larger, upstream culvert, at Peter Street, is conveying.
Water backs up, flooding the drainage stream that runs along
Branch Street, which connects Peter Street and Poplar Street.
A creative solution to the occasional flooding is coupled with
a non- standard approach to public space development, for
this particular portion of Dudley Park.
Installing a much wider, low profile culvert under Poplar Street
economically solves the flooding issue, since the street grades
will not have to change. Likewise, this is an opportunity to
purposefully develop the Dudley Park gateway and extend
the Greenway, laterally, into the community. This will open
the door to create an Athens icon for a different generation.
Satisfying the increasing citizens’ demand for public spaces
that include accesses to shopping, schools, work, alternative
transportation, and recreational venues is a critical political
and economic issue.
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6
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8-9
10-11
12-13
PROJECT AREA OF INTEREST
CONCEPT5
PROBLEM STATEMENT3

3. A
B
C
D
E
F
G
AB
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
A
B C
D
D
E
F
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CONFLICTS
ALLEVIATING street flooding
creates an opportunity to
visibly ENGAGE CITIZENS WITH
SCENIC WATERWAYS IN the HIGHLY
PEDESTRIAN Dudley Park area
PPORTUNITIES
THE WATERSHED DRAINAGE IS CONSTRICTED BY AN
UNDERSIZED CULVERT “B”, THAT IS EASILY OVERCOME,
CAUSING PETER STREET AND POPLAR STREET FLOOD
OLD RAILROAD GRADE
130 ACRE WATERSHED
48” X 48” SEWER BOX
12” X 24” CULVERT
FLOOD AREA
4,500 CARS /DAY
1,000 CARS /DAY
DUDLEY PARK DOG RUN
FIREFLY TRAIL
OLD TRESTLE
HIGH DENSITY APARTMENTS
MAMMA’S BOY
FAMILY HOMES RESTAURANTS
GREENWAY TRAIL HEAD
TAILGATE FACILITY
INCLUSIVE SPACE
aN INCLUSIVE space for INTERACTION AMONG CHILDREN AND
ADULTS IS AN ATTRACTIVE AMENITY FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD
the
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sting
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pen
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the
ACTIVE
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rkers
ONCEPT
OCONEE STREET
PETERSTREET
POP
LARSTREET
M
ULBERRY
STREET
TRAIL
CR
EEK
DRAINAGE CREEK
DUDLEY PARK

4. THE ICONIC, WOODEN RAILROAD TRESTLE, 200
FEET LONG AND 80 FEET HIGH, IS A PROMINENT
BACKDROP, DOMINATING THE VIEW AND FORMING
THE SPINE OF THE FIREFLY TRAIL
UTUALISMS
THE TRESTLE’S TEXTURES AND SHAPES
INFORM MATERIALITY IN AN INCLUSIVE
NATURAL EXPLORATION AREA
ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSIVITY
GOVERN THE OVERALL DESIGN,
CIRCULATION, INTERACTION, AND
EXPLORATION
PEOPLE ACCESS AN INFLUENTIAL WATERWAY,
EXPLORING AND UNDERSTANDING WATER’S ROLE IN
SHAPING THEIR COMMUNITY
OBSERVE
INTERACT
MANIPULATE
CONTEMPLATE
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
COMMUNITY EDUCATION
COMMUNITY AWARENESS
COMMUNITY ACTIVATION
FUN
FAMILY
RESPECT
TRADITION

5. B
A
A B
DRAINAGE STREAM
TRAIL CREEK
TRANSFOR
CREATE ICONIC VIEWS
THE SPACE IS DESIGNED TO
WITHSTAND FLOODING
PILINGS SUPPORT PLATFORMS
ABOVE THE SITE, AND PROTECT
THE BANK FROM TRAFFIC
TALL POLES SECURE THE
PLATFORMS AND BECKON TO
NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS
CULVERT UNDER STREET
THE BANKS ARE GRADED TO
HANDLE FLOOD STAGE FLOWS.
A GRAVEL AND ROCK BED IS
LAID TO CHANNEL DAILY FLOWS,
AND CONCRETE PILINGS ECHO
THE PATH OF THE FIREFLY
TRAIL’S LARGER TRESTLE
SOLUT IONRESTORES HYDROLOGIC FUNCTION
installing A larger CULVERT OF SIMILAR DEPTH, BUT
MUCH GREATER WIDTH WILL PREVENT UPSTREAM FLOODING
WHILE THE STREET GRADE OF POPLAR, PETER, BRANCH, AND
MULBERRY STREETS REAMINS THE SAME, SAVING COSTS
SYNERGY ON SITE
CURRENT CULVERT
LARGER CULVERT
MODIFY THE CULVERT
CURRENT view
proposed view
bamboo FILLS THE
congested streamway
trestle and viewing
platforms
ada pathway

6. EL: 598.5
WATER ACCESS PATH
COBBLESTONE DRAIN
SUSPENDED
WATER PLAY
GUTTER
SPLASH
ZONE
PLAY AREA UNDER AND AROUND PLATFORMS
ACCESSIBLE
WATER PUMP
AND FLOW
CONTROLLS
ACCESSIBLE
WATER PLAY
TABLE
LOW PLATFORM
CONCRETE
TRESTLE PILINGS AT VARIOUS
DEPTHS AND HEIGHTS
TODDLER PLATFORMS
SENSORY PLANTINGS
PREVENT EROSION
SCALE IN FEET
0 5 10 15 20
ACCESSIBLE
PERVIOUS
POURED
RUBBER
HIGHEST
PLATFORM
PILINGS AND FOOTERS SHOWN - SOIL CUT AWAY FOR CLARITY2
TOP DECK ELEVATION - SECOND DECK REMOVED FOR CLARITY
TRESTLE TOP “X” SECURED
WITH 3/4” BOLTS
TRESTLE POLES ARE 10”-14”
PEELED BLACK LOCUST
DECK BEAMS - 10” SQUARE
WEATHERED DOUGLAS FIR
3/8” STEEL PLATES JOIN
POSTS AND BEAMS
2 STAINLESS STEEL GUTTER
PATHS ORIGINATE AT ACCESSIBLE
WATER PUMP
ACCESSIBLE HAND-POWERED WATER PUMP
AND DIVERTER VALVE ARE CONTROLLED FROM
THE HIGHEST, ACCESSBILE PLATFORM
HIGHEST DECK MEETS ADA
PATH AT SAME LEVEL
BURIED GABIONS
HOLD 4”-8” RIVER
ROCK AND SECURE
THE FOOTER
SUPPORT POSTS IN
CONCRETE PILINGS
ON FOOTERS
SECURED IN GABIONS
DECK JOISTS AND
JOIST HANGARS ARE
HIDDEN BEHIND
BEAMS
SECOND DECK BEAM IS
SUPPORTED BY HANGARS
BOLTED TO TRESTLE POLE
SUPPORT POSTS
SECURED IN POURED
CONCRETE PILINGS BY
3/8” STEEL STRAPPING
THAT IS FIRST
SECURED IN FOOTER
SCALE - 1:50
EL
1
6 1 2 3
INCHES FEET
DETAIL A
DETAIL A
DETAIL B
DETAIL B
TOP DECK BEAMS SUPPORTED
BY HANGAR JOISTS ON POST
SECOND DECK BEAMS
SUPPORTED
BY SHORT JOISTS
ACROSS POSTS
INCHES FEET
6 1 2 3
POSTS SUPPORT
BEAMS FOR ONE
OR TWO DECKS
EL: 606.2
EL: 606.2
EL: 606
EL: 605.9
EL:604.7 EL: 603.2 EL: 602 EL: 600.5
EL: 597.95
EL: 601.3
EL: 602
EL: 600.1
EL: 604
WATER ACCESS PATH
COBBLESTONE DRAIN
SUSPENDED
WATER PLAY
GUTTER
SPLASH
ZONE
PLAY AREA UNDER AND AROUND PLATFORMS
ACCESSIBLE
WATER PUMP
AND FLOW
CONTROLLS
ACCESSIBLE
WATER PLAY
TABLE
LOW PLATFORM
CONCRETE
TRESTLE PILINGS AT VARIOUS
DEPTHS AND HEIGHTS
TODDLER PLATFORMS
SENSORY PLANTINGS
PREVENT EROSION
SCALE IN FEET
0 5 10 15 20
ACCESSIBLE
PERVIOUS
POURED
RUBBER
HIGHEST
PLATFORM
STREAM SIDE ELEVATION
PILINGS AND FOOTERS SHOWN - SOIL CUT AWAY FOR CLARITY
EL
2

7. AA’
B’B
The circular water pump and flow controls can put
special needs children in charge of the fun
An accessible water table and accessible splash zone
caters to all ages and abilities
Accessible pathway provides links to the highest and
the lowest zones as well as to the rest of Dudley Park
Resilient structures and materials withstand occasional
innundation, preserving hydrologic functions
Foregrounding water’s interactions with the ecology,
the human and natural interactions are revealed
pedagogically through observable changes
INCLUSIVE WATER PLAY
TALL GRASS GARDEN
ALL AGES WATER PLAY
NATURAL EXPLORATION
INCLUSIVE WATER PLAY
ECOLOGICAL OBSERVATION
ALL AGES PHYSICAL PLAY
SENSORY GARDEN
ACCESSIBLE PATHWAY
This visible, integrated public space reflects the
community’s ecological and social values
SPLASH ZONE
OBSERVATION DECKS
Welcome to
Dudley Park
Athens Clarke County Leisure Services
AC
Inclusive
Educational
Ecological
Public Space