Case Studies / Design Precedents: Parks in Urban Settings with BMPs/Swales/Retention Basins

[Daniel Miller]

Does anyone know of any parks/plazas in urban settings that have successfully used such BMPs to work with rainwater/run-off in any way?  Maybe in an educational way?  I appreciate it.

[Chris Whitis]

Here are a few that come quickly to mind:

Tanner Springs Park (Portland)

South Waterfront (Portland)

Epler Hall, Portland State (Portland)
Bioretention and educational component

Citygarden (St. Louis)
Bioswales/ bioretention along cross-streets, permeable pavers in certain locations in the park

Public Square (Nashville)
Park/ Plaza green roof over subsurface parking structure

Not necessarily urban, but the Portland Stormwater Lab is really well done.

[Lucy Wang]

Here’s a case study of a plaza at 10th and Hoyt (also in Portland, OR):

http://www.artfulrainwaterdesign.net/files/uploads/98110th@Hoyt.pdf

[Wyatt Thompson, PLA]

The Conservation Discovery Center in downtown Kansas City isn’t really a park, per se, but it’s definitely park-like, urban, and incorporates BMPs in an educational way.

Also 10,000 Rain Gardens has some examples of urban rain gardens.

[Rob Halpern]

I don’t know if it is depressing or merely noteworthy that the pictures on the 10,000 Rain Gardens site show some pretty dismal “gardens”

[Tempe Macgowan]

In Sydney, it is standard practice/policy to work with rainwater/run-off in both parks and residential developments ie. the site must deal with its’ own runoff etc according to best practice in sustainable development. I’m not sure how this relates to your work but I imagine the principles can be applied. You can look up sites like Victoria Park, Zetalnd (a state of the art residential development on a former dunal area or teh Sydney Citiy Council website. cheers Tempe

[Christa]

Aiken, SC just began a project, the Aiken Green Infrastructure Retrofit Project. Funding is from a stimulus grant, and it’s a pretty extensive project in collaboration with Clemson University. They’ll be measuring soil moisture, storm flow before and after treatment, and other hydrologic information.

http://www.clemson.edu/media-relations/article.php?article_id=2569

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