The Art of Sustainable Stormwater

Nancy Rottle

Rapid urbanization and climate change are causing stormwater runoff to present increasingly severe problems in cities and metropolitan regions, including flooding, aquatic degradation and water shortages. Yet, stormwater can become an amenity when designers artfully capture, detain, treat and re-use stormwater, using it to generate more livable, delightful, and environmentally sustainable cities.The Art of Stormwater helps students and practitioners of landscape architecture and related environmental design fields understand the needs and possibilities for transforming stormwater into multi-functional urban amenities. Providing essential background concepts, useful planning and design principles and approaches and instructional illustrated case studies demonstrating how stormwater impacts on natural systems, urban infrastructure, neighborhoods, parks, plazas, streets, buildings and public art. Guest practitioners contribute brief perspectives on their successful projects, cultivating awareness of contemporary leaders in the field and bringing to life the profession and practice of landscape architecture as it relates to stormwater management planning and design.

Introduction1. Stormwater Function BasicsThe Urbanized Hydrologic CycleStormwater Runoff Impacts: Quantity and QualityEmploying and Mimicking Natural ProcessesRole of Landscape Features in Detaining and Filtering StormwaterResponse to Urbanization and Climate ChangeWater as a Resource, Habitat, and MeaningAchieving Multiple FunctionsFactors, Approaches and Tools for Predicting Water Quantity on a Site2. Designing for Natural SystemsThe Urbanized Hydrologic CycleStormwater Runoff and Impervious SurfacesEmploying and Mimicking Natural Processes in Detaining and FilteringRole of Landscape Features in Detaining and FilteringResponse to Urbanization and Climate ChangeAchieving Multiple FunctionsSummaryExercise and Discussion Questions3. Cities and NeighborhoodsPlanning and Designing Urban Hydrological Green InfrastructureInfrastructural OpportunitiesWater as StructureVisible vs. InvisibleUrban ChallengesUrban MandatesCase StudySummaryExercise and Discussion Questions4. ParksMulti-functional, artful, in public view, flexibleVarying ScalesLegibility, Safety, Recreation, Exploration, EducationThe Evolving Urban ParkCase StudySummaryExercise and Discussion Questions5. Plazas and Public SpacesThe Urban Expression of StormwaterIdentity, Iconic and Multi-functionalCase StudySummaryExercise and Discussion Questions6. Streets and ParkingComplete StreetsMobility and Community FunctionsPaved Surfaces as ReservoirsStreets as ConnectorsSupporting the Urban CanopyCase StudySummaryExercise and Discussion Questions7. Housing, Courtyards, Gardens and PlayEveryday Living with WaterWater as a ResourceGardens and ArtInteracting with WainSustainable LifewaysWater PlayCase StudySummaryExercise and Discussion Questions8. Roofs and WallsGreen and Blue RoofsGreen Roof Stormwater PerformanceGreen WallsGreen Factor ProgramsRoofs and Walls as TableauxCase StudySummaryExercise and Discussion Questions9. Closed Loop Systems: Integrated Buildings and LandscapesWater Harvest and Re-useWaste Becomes FoodCyclical Flows Rather than Linear FlowsDetention in WinterWater Supply in SummerMaking Water Collection VisibleCase StudySummaryExercise and Discussion Questions10. Site-specific Stormwater ArtArt as Carrier of Message, Meaning, Provocation, Reframing and DelightCase StudySummaryExercise and Discussion Questions11. Putting it togetherSpecific to Place and ContextRetain, Infiltrate and CollectIntegrate with Other SystemsAesthetic, Experiential and Emotionally CompellingEngagingStructuralIntegrate Messaging into the Design ConceptResource and Ecological RegenerationWork with Dynamic NatureSimple, Elegant and BeneficialFurther ResourcesWeb LinksFurther ReadingOrganizations