Governor’s Conference, Richmond, VA

Governor’s Conference, Richmond, VA
May 2, 2005
J. Glenn Eugster, National Park Service


THANKS FOR SHARING TIME.

I’VE WORKED WITH PARKS, OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION AREAS THROUGOUT MY CAREER. SINCE 1993 I’VE BEEN DEVELOPING IDEA TO MAKE MY WORK—AND THE WORK OF MY PARTNERS, MORE EFFECTIVE.

I’D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT:

1. GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CONCEPT—AS I SEE IT.

2. DEFINE IT’S ELEMENTS.

3. QUICKLY MENTION 8 OF THE BEST EXAMPLES I’VE FOUND.

4. TAKE QUESTIONS


I. OPENING: GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CONCEPT
SLIDE # 1. TEN VIEWS OF THE SAME SCENE

·2 AS QUALITY OF LIFE: MANY PEOPLE SEEK OUT HOMES WHERE THERE ARE MORE PLANTS AND OPEN SPACE.
·3 AS HABITAT: MIGRATORY ROUTES FOR BIRDS AND OTHER LIVING RESOURCES
·4 AS AMENITY: GOLF COURSE COMMUNITIES
·5 AS WATER QUALITY PROTECTION: RIPARIAN BUFFERS
·6 AS RECREATION AND WELLNESS: TRAIL CORRIDORS--GREENWAYS
·7 AS A FOOD SOURCE: WORKING LANDS
·8 AS HISTORY: SACRED PLACES
·9 AS A SENSE OF PLACE: DEFINE OUR COMMUNITIES
·10 AS LAND VALUE: OFFICES WITH WINDOWS WITH VIEWS OF NATURE ARE COVETED
·11 OTHERS……




III. CONCEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE: INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS
GREEN AND INFRASTRUCTURE AREN’T TERMS THAT ARE TYPICALLY LINKED.

INFRASTRUCTURE IS DESCRIBED AS “THE BASIC INSTALLATIONS NEEDED BY A COMMUNITY SUCH AS WATER SUPPLY, SEWAGE AND GARBAGE DISPOSAL, GAS AND ELECTRIC POWER, COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA CONNECTIONS, AND TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS SUCH AS ROADS, RAILROADS, AND AIRPORTS”.
THERE ARE MANY SUCCESSFUL EXAMPLES OF INFRASTRUCTURE—ELECTRIC, WATER, SANITARY SEWAGE AND HIGHWAYS. I LIKE THE ROAD SYSTEM ANALOGY.

SLIDE #2. MODEL TRANSPORATION
1954 PRESIDENT DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER ASKED GENERAL LUCIUS CLAY TO CHAIR THE COMMITTEE ON A NATIONAL HIGHWAY PROGRAM--TO ASSESS THE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS OF THE NATION THE COMMITTEE INCLUDED THE HEAD OF THE TEAMSTERS UNION, THE PRESIDENT OF A LARGE CONSTRUCTION FIRM, THE HEAD OF THE NATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND THE HEAD OF A ROAD CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY MANUFACTURER. THESE GROUPS SEEMED TO BE KEY LEADERS WITH A STRONG INTEREST IN THE FINAL OUTPUTS, PRODUCTS AND IMPACTS OF EISENHOWER'S VISION (I.E. MORE CONSTRUCTION JOBS,
MORE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, IMPROVED COMMERCE, ETC.)


THE KEY EMPHASIS BEHIND EISENHOWER'S VISION WAS THE PRINCIPLE
THAT "MODEL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING EMPHASIZES THE TOTAL TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEM, RATHER THAN ONE OR MORE ISOLATED FACILITIES". WHAT IKE DID WAS
CREATE A WAY TO ELIMINATE--OR AT LEAST REDUCE AN APPROACH TO HIGHWAY
PLANNING, FUNDING AND BUILDING THAT WAS SITE SPECIFIC, SEEMINGLY
UNCOORDINATED AND DISCONNECTED. THE APPROACH GREATLY HELPED AMERICA'S
TENDENCY TO GRAVITATE TOWARD A "TYRANNY OF SMALL SOLUTIONS".

UNFORTUNATELY THE COMMON VIEW OF INFRASTRUCTURE, DOES NOT RECOGNIZE NATURAL VALUES AND FUNCTIONS, AND INTEGRATE THEM WITH OTHER IMPORTANT ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL OBJECTIVES. AS THE LEADERS OF OUR NATION HAVE WRESTLED WITH THE FORMULA FOR CREATING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES AND LANDSCAPES THERE HAS BEEN CONSIDERABLE ONGOING INTEREST IN REVISITING HOW WE DEFINE INFRASTRUCTURE.

SLIDE # 3. THE OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE

A GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE APPROACH, REGARDLESS OF ITS SOPHISTICATION, SEES A HOST OF FORMERLY UNRELATED ACTIVITIES AS ALL PART OF A LARGER INTEGRATED WHOLE. IT IS SOMETHING TECHNICAL IN ITSELF, AND A WAY OF LOOKING AT OUR COMMUNITY, WATERSHEDS AND OURSELVES. IT IS A SOCIO--TECHNICAL NETWORK

IT IS INTENDED TO INTEGRATE PARKS, OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION AREAS WITH OTHER PUBLIC AND PRIVATE USES. IT RELIES ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF MULTIOBJECTIVE MANAGEMENT TO BE SUCCESSFUL. IT’S MOVING GREEN SPACE FROM THE NICE TO DO IF YOU CAN, TO THE ESSENTIAL, MUST HAVE CATEGORY.

MORE OFTEN THAN NOT GREEN SPACE IS TREATED DIFFERENTLY THAN INFRASTRUCTURES—WHEN, IT IS IN FACT THE “OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE”.
IV. DETAILS OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE: LET’S LOOK AT THIS “OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE”
SLIDE #4. PCSD DEFINITION

NEW IDEA, OR NOT?
FORMER PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON IN HIS 1ST STATE OF THE UNION
ADDRESS SAID IT BEST:

“CLEAR AIR, CLEAN-WATER, AND OPEN SPACES SHOULD BE THE BIRTHRIGHT OF EVERY AMERICAN”.

IT’S AN IDEA THAT GOES BACK TO MOSES AND “THE BOOK OF
LEVITICUS”: THE ANCIENT IDEA OF AN AGRICULTURAL BELT AROUND COMMUNITIES IS MENTIONED IN THE BOOK OF NUMBERS AND CAN BE TRACED TO THE DAYS OF MOSES.
QUEEN ELIZABETH’S “ROYAL PROCLAMATION OF 1580” WAS THE FIRST
ATTEMPT AT ESTABLISHING A GREENBELT IN BRITAIN. IT WAS TO ENSURE CHEAP FOOD AND TO MINIMIZE THE EFFECTS OF THE PLAGUE.

HOW DOES THIS CONCEPT TRANSLATE TO THE QUALITY OF OUR LIVES TODAY?
SLIDE #5-6.GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CONTIUUM
KEY: NEEDS TO BE DESIGNED TO REFLECT THE AREA THAT THE APPROACH IS BEING CONSIDERED IN. DIFFERENT PURPOSES, SCALES, VALUES AND FUNCTIONS.
PERSONAL SPACE (WINDOW BOXES, PRIVATE GARDENS RESIDENTIAL PLANTINGS, GREEN ROOFS, RAINWATER GARDENS)

DEVELOPMENT SPACES (PLANTINGS, GREENROOFS, RAINWATER GARDENS, WATER’S EDGE PROMENADES)

RESIDENTIAL SPACES
PRIVATE LAND HOLDINGS (STEWARDSHIP AREAS-PRIVATE LANDOWNER MASTER PLANNING)
WOODLOTS
RESIDENTIAL COMMONS (“SHARED PARKS IN
URBAN BLOCKS”, ALLEY-WAYS, RIGHT-OF-WAYS, COMMUNITY GARDENS, DEDICATED GREEN SPACE)

COMMUNITY SPACES
COMMUNITY GARDENS
STREET TREES
LOCAL GOVERNMENT JURISDICTIONS (LAND USE EFFORTS)
ARBORETUMS, SEMI-PUBLIC AND PUBLIC GARDENS)
NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS
PUBLIC COMMONS (SQUARES, MAJOR COMMONS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL MALL)

REGIONAL SPACES
LINEAR GREEN CORRIDORS: GREENWAYS, TRAIL CORRIDORS, PARKWAYS
LINEAR CORRIDORS (RIGHT-OF-WAYS, LANDS UNDER RESTRICTED EASEMENT)
PROTECTED STREAM CORRIDORS AND RIPARIAN AREAS
MAJOR PARKS AND RECREATION AREAS
WORKING LAND RESERVES (FARM AND FOREST RESERVES)
MANAGED WATERSHEDS ( CHARLES RIVER, MA;
CATSKILL-NYC WATER SUPPLY LANDS)
AIRSHEDS (STUTTGART, GERMANY; DAYTON, OH)
REGIONAL CORRIDORS (APPALACHIAN TRAIL)
METROPOLITAN SYSTEMS (MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN; CHICAGO, IL;, NY REGIONAL PLAN)
PRIVATE WORKING LANDS (FARMS, GRAZING LANDS, NURSERIES, ORCHARDS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FORESTS)

STATEWIDE SPACES
STATEWIDE SYSTEMS (FLORIDA,
WISCONSIN, MARYLAND)

MULTI-STATE SPACES/ MEGA-REGION
MULTI-STATE SYSTEMS (CHESAPEAKE BAY
RIPARIAN AND SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION CORRIDORS)

MULTI-NATIONAL SPACES/ GLOBAL REGIONS
MULTI-COUNTRY SYSTEMS (PASEO PANTERA,
“THE PATH OF THE PANTHER”, CENTRAL AMERICA; ATLANTIC FLYWAY MIGRATORY BIRD CORRIDOR; Y 2 Y YELLOWSTONE TO THE YUKON, US-CANADA)


KEY: GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CONCEPT IS EVLOVING INTO A NATIONAL MOVEMENT FROM ITS APPLICATION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. THERE IS A WEALTH OF ON-THE-GROUND EXPERIENCE.

IV. EIGHT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CASE STUDIES.

1. PRIVATE LANDOWNER LID: THERE ARE A VARIETY OF SMALL ACTIONS, * INCLUDING LID, THAT CAN BE TAKEN.
SLIDE # 7 PRIVATE LANDOWNER LID

2. PRIVATE LANDOWNER MASTER PLANNING
SLIDE # 8. LANDOWNER MASTER PLANNING
* ECONOMIC AND LAND PROTECTION STRATEGY.

3. LARGER PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS—WOODLANDS IN TEXAS; AMEILA ISLAND IN FL.
SLIDE # 9 ON THE WOODLANDS IN TEXAS
NEW TOWN; 25,000; 150,000 RESIDENCES, 52,000 HOMES, 750
BUSINESSES
* EMULATE NATURAL DRAINAGE
4. SMALL CITY PLANS—WEST EUGENE, OR
SLIDE # 10 ON WEST EUGENE, OREGON
IDENTIFY WETLANDS IN ADVANCE—REGULATORY CERTAINTY
ACQUIRE, PROTECT AND INTEGRATE

5. LARGER CITY PLANS
SLIDE # 11 ON PORTLANDS OF TORONTO, CANADA
INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS OWNER ACTIONS—STREET TREES AND GREEN ROOFS.
PRIME INDUSTRIAL LAND
CONCENTRATIONS OF NATURALIZED URBAN AREAS
USED AS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE FOR ATTRACTING DEVELOPMENT.
6. COUNTY PLANS
SLIDE # 12 ON VA EASTERN SHORE SOLE SOURCE AQUIFIER
* RURAL PENINSULA—90 MILES LONG
* BETWEEN BAY AND OCEAN
* GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AND FLYWAY—HIGH GROUND FOR DEVELOPMENT

7. PERFORMANCE-BASED GUIDELINES—CENTER FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION
SLIDE # 13 MODEL DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES
CENTER FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION
SITE PLANNING ROUNDTABLE: INVESTORS; ENGINEERS; MANAGERS; REALTORS; ENVIROS; LOCAL AND OTHER GOVERNMENTS.

METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

SLIDE # 14 WASHINGTON DC “CITY IN THE WOODS”.

V. METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
* THE NEED: GREEN, MORE OR LESS—THE CHALLENGE OF PROSPERITY AND
PROTECTION
SLIDE # 15 AND 16 ON WASHINGTON POST STORY
28-43 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE PER DAY IS LOST TO DIFFERENT KINDS OF
DEVELOPMENT.

THE SPONSORS—NPS AND COG

SLIDE # 17, 18, 19 AND 20 GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

4. CONCEPT FOR MAJOR TASKS
5. MAJOR TASKS AND BRIEF RATIONALE
SLIDE # 21 ON MAJOR TASKS
1. DIRECTORY AND CONTACTS LIST—
STAKEHOLDERS AND EXPERTS.

2. GREEN MAPPING FORUM AND SURVEY

3. GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE MAP

4. GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FORUMS

5. GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE WORKSHOPS

6. EXCHANGE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

7. MESSAGING & COMMUNICATION

8. ACTION

* CUE GREEN ROOF
* GREAT FALLS PARK VISITOR CENTER
* CONSULTATIONS WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT ON PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
* TREE PLANTINGS

VII.CONCULSION
WHETHER YOU SEE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AS PART OF YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE; ECONOMIC INVESTMENT; A FOOD AND WATER SUPPLY; A PLACE TO RELAX; A HABITAT FOR LIVING RESOURCES; A TOURIST ATTRACTION, OR A PLACE TO GRAZE CATTLE, IT IS AN UNDERPINNING OF ECOLOGICAL, CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC HEALTH.


THE APPROACH ADVOCATES THAT NEW ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND INFORMATION ARE NEEDED TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF A COMMUNITY, WATERSHED OR REGION.
EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON PROVIDING PUBLIC ACCESS TO INTEGRATED QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION, ORGANIZING COMMUNITY LEADER AND EXPERT NETWORKS, HOLDING THEMATIC TECHNICAL AND SOCIAL PUBLIC FORUMS, AND FOSTERING OF INNOVATIVE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.

THESE APPROACHES AND CASE STUDIES WILL HELP DECISION-MAKERS—AT ALL LEVELS OF THE GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR, BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW THEY CAN RESPOND TO CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES, ACHIEVE MULTIPLE OBJECTIVES SIMULTANEOUSLY AND ENSURE THEIR AREA'S CAPACITY TO SUSTAIN AND IMPROVE ITS QUALITY OF LIFE.

SLIDE # 22 FORMER GOVERNOR GLENDENING QUOTE