Climate change and resiliency inform park design

Changing climate patterns influence how we approach various aspects of life as we strive to build resilience against unpredictable and increasingly intense weather events.

At WithersRavenel, park projects provide an opportunity to strengthen a community’s climate resilience. Design aspects such as accessibility, inclusivity, protecting natural resources, increasing capacity to accommodate storm events, providing habitat, and reducing carbon footprint are a priority.

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) recognizes climate change in its strategic plan. Landscape architects are leading stormwater resiliency planning and design.

Climate resilient design is not only applicable to park design, but every project and at every scale from community planning to urban spaces. Our landscape architects are well-equipped to lead and take on the challenge working collaboratively with our environmental and stormwater engineers.

Duffyfield Community Park

One recent project where this collaboration has been successful is Duffyfield Community Park in the City of New Bern.

The Duffyfield project addresses stormwater management issues in the community. It turned into something much more. We saw an opportunity to provide a community space along with reducing flooding risks. The project incorporated a park space that provides opportunities for education, play, public art and gathering.

Having completed the master plan, WithersRavenel is developing construction plans for the project. These plans will detail constructed stormwater wetlands as well as park spaces and facilities.

The need for resilience is not confined to coastal North Carolina. The intensity and frequency of storms and the damage done by them can be seen across the state.

In addition to creating green space, habitat, and places for people to interact with nature, the importance of resiliency is a more recent design consideration.

Resiliency informs parks design

The goal of resiliency now informs and shapes park design. In park planning and design the marriage between general park design and mitigating stormwater events is an easy one, Brian said.

But do these measures come at a cost to the aesthetics of parks and visitor’s experience? Brian believes that designing for resiliency does not require compromise when it comes to aesthetics or the experience.

Our aspiration is to create experiences that connect park visitors with nature. In some ways, the experience can be enhanced by creating different habitats and a variety of landscapes which are made possible by low-impact development stormwater management solutions, he said.

Blending landscape architecture and stormwater

The collaboration between landscape architects and the stormwater management team at WithersRavenel from the start of the project ensures that opportunities for incorporating resilient solutions are identified early and bring together science and art, resulting in comprehensive solutions.”

Other resiliency-based design measures that are integral to the WithersRavenel team’s process include curating a native plant palette that will contribute to the local ecology, ensuring biodiversity, improving water quality, and supporting pollinators as well as the selection of hardscape materials and site amenities that are sustainably manufactured.

Lewis Smith Property

Another project where a primary aim is to build resiliency against frequent and serious flooding is in the City of Whiteville’s Lewis Smith Property downtown.

The plan converts what was a completely impervious site into a green community space.

Previously home to a shopping center, the site lies within the floodplain. Over the past few years, the site and surrounding properties flooded on numerous occasions. One of the primary objectives of the design is stormwater resilience.

The master plan illustrates a constructed wetland, a major bioswale, and green space that can temporarily hold water and allow it to infiltrate. When dry, this area will serve as the lawn for an outdoor performance space. The park also features native plant species. It also calls for permeable paving in parking areas and for other hard surfaces.

Funding resiliency

In support of the project, WithersRavenel’s Funding Department is working with the City to identify a funding pipeline for the project including state and federal sources.

Successful projects range from critical water and sewer infrastructure improvements to performing arts facilities, utility vehicles, and staffing resources at local governments.

Resiliency efforts in communities have sought to leverage federal resiliency funding programs such as FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) with state-funded resources such as the Golden LEAF Foundation’s Flood Mitigation Program that will support community-wide vulnerability assessments.

As with every project, WithersRavenel’s multidisciplinary capabilities allow us to provide holistic solutions to our clients.