I saw this article on
Paisajismo (a landscape magazine) the other day:
Washington, D.C. leadership has requested input from a range of organizations as it develops a new “unified vision” and “comprehensive framework” for a more sustainable Washington, D.C. The end goal: to connect sustainability with economic development and become the number-one, most sustainable city in North America. Washington, D.C. is currently ranked eighth in a recent Economist Intelligence Unit report sponsored by Siemens.
As part of this process, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) polled members from its Potomac, Northern Virginia, and Southern Maryland chapters and incorporated their input into a set of bold recommendations in the priority areas identified by the city government.
There are a lot of great ideas in the list. My only comment is that,
as always, most of the ideas seem to be geared more towards business and
government rather than what the average property owner can accomplish
from their own homes and yards. However, the report does reiterate many
of the ideas that green gardeners follow, such as re-using water, using
trees for shade, using native plants and providing spaces for wildlife
in our own home landscapes.
Anyway, here are some of the ideas from the
American Society of Landscape Architects for a Sustainable DC. You can read the full report by following the link, above.
If you want more ideas for how you, personally, can create a more sustainable DC, subscribe to the
Metro DC Lawn and Garden Blog!
Energy: Reuse brownfields as solar energy farms.
Through revised building codes and local tax incentives, expand use of
smart tree placement and green roofs and walls. Reduce building energy
use through green infrastructure. Incentivize the use of rooftop solar
panels.
Climate Change / Mitigation: Reduce total greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions by expanding urban park land, further improving
bike and pedestrian infrastructure, incentivizing the growth in the
number of bicycle and pedestrian commuters, creating highly walkable
pedestrian-only areas, and introducing new innovative forms of public
space such as parklets and underpass parks.
Climate Change / Adaptation: Increase coverage of
street trees for shade and expand use of green and cool (white) roofs in
order to adapt to higher average temperatures along with more varied
temperature fluctuations within the District. Improve building and
landscape water efficiency measures. Develop resiliency plans for
Washington, D.C.’s plant and animal life within parks and green spaces,
including the introduction of wildlife migration corridors and heat and
drought-tolerant plants.
Water: Use
Sustainable Site Initiative™ (SITES™)
guidelines to improve water efficiency measures, require the use of
appropriate plant species in public and residential landscapes, and
enable rainwater capture and filtered or treated greywater (and even
blackwater) reuse for landscape irrigation. In addition, approve the
use of rainwater cisterns for irrigation of green roofs and other green
infrastructure. Improve the permeability of the District’s park surfaces
and their ability to capture and store water. Create multi-use
infrastructure, or rain gardens or bio-retention systems in District
parks, turning them into green infrastructure and water treatment
systems. Continue to expand urban tree canopy and preserve larger trees
to manage stormwater runoff. As part of a public education campaign,
parks and public green space should follow the highest water efficiency
standards.
Transportation: Expand bike and pedestrian
infrastructure. Create safe bicycle infrastructure. Connect the Metro
system with bike infrastructure and bikeshare stations. Incentivize the
growth in the number of bicycle and pedestrian commuters. Create highly
walkable pedestrian-only areas, and introduce new innovative forms of
public space such as parklets and underpass parks.
Waste: Set clear, ambitious targets and deadlines
for achieving zero waste in the District and measure progress against
targets. Ensure all building materials are reused in new buildings (if
the materials are non-hazardous). Use Sustainable Sites Initiative
(SITES) guidelines for park maintenance and eliminate grounds waste
generated from Washington, D.C., parks through composting.
Built Environment: Invest in turning more
brownfields into parks. Develop an Internet-accessible inventory of all
brownfields in the city to enable easier remediation and redevelopment
of derelict sites by local developers. Create a certification program
for remediated brownfields to facilitate faster reuse. Invest in
retrofitting older school buildings to make them LEED Platinum and also
integrate green school redesign activities into school curricula.
Nature: Develop a biodiversity and environmental education action plan based on the concept of
biophilia.
Recreate wetlands along riverfront edges and reintroduce native
wildlife. Reduce the mortality rate of trees and extend their lifespan
by enabling them to grow in larger tree pits with structural soils and
under permeable pavements. Use appropriate trees grown locally for urban
forestry campaigns. Experiment with growing trees in park nurseries.
Food: Develop a comprehensive urban agriculture
plan. Evaluate all available empty lots (including brownfield sites) as
potential opportunities for commercial and community urban agriculture.
Allow local residential food production. Allow and also increase tax
incentives for rooftop food production.
Green Economy: Invest in bicycle and pedestrian
infrastructure improvement projects to boost job growth. Use green
infrastructure systems, including green roofs, to increase number of
local, non-exportable green jobs. Launch a comprehensive green jobs
program, training chronically unemployed and former convicts in
brownfield remediation, green roof installation, and other tasks. Launch
a national campaign in an effort to lure the best green talent to the
District.
Governance: Organize watershed councils at the local
level and appoint ward-level sustainability advocates to help implement
and align SustainableDC initiatives. Use Sustainable Sites Initiative
(SITES) guidelines as a management tool for achieving high-performing
landscapes across the district.
