GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, WHERE DOES THIS IDEA COME FROM?

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
USFWS MARCH 19, 2007

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, WHERE DOES THIS IDEA COME FROM?

I. NEW IDEA, OR NOT?
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.
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”.

II. CONCEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE: INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS

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”.
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 THIS 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.

III. 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, WATERSHED 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—DEFINE—TO BE SUCCESSFUL. IT’S MOVING GREEN SPACE FROM THE NICE TO DO IF YOU CAN TO THE ESSENTIAL, MUST HAVE CATEGORY.

OFTEN GREEN SPACE IS TREATED DIFFERENTLY THAN INFRASTRUCTURES—WHEN, IT IS IN FACT THE “OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE”.
WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN?

IV. DETAILS OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE: LET’S LOOK AT THIS “OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE”
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE DEFINITION-PCSD DEFINITION
"Green Infrastructure" is defined as: “Our Nation’s natural life support system – an interconnected network of waterways, wetlands, woodlands, wildlife habitats, and other natural areas; greenways, parks and other conservation lands; working farms, ranches, and forests of conservation value; and wilderness and other open spaces that support native species, maintain natural ecological processes, sustain air and water resources and contribute to the health and quality of life for America’s communities and people.”
– President’s Council on Sustainable Development 1999






V. METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON, DC GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

Goals

Move the parks, open space and recreation areas--the green infrastructure of the Washington metropolitan area to the forefront of their neighbors consciousness when they think of recreational, environmental leadership, superior education, cultural preservation, stewardship, natural resources, ecosystem management--the myriad of elements that contribute to an excellent quality of life.

h Build a lasting public constituency to create a model public and private partnership for a metropolitan region system of park, open space and recreation areas that addresses the needs of people, landscapes and nature.

Achieve a metropolitan region that has a balance between the built environment and green space, sustained by natural processes able to support and enhance the quality of life for its people and communities.

Objectives

Improve communication to the residents of the Washington metropolitan area about the extensive park, open space and recreation resources that exist and that have a direct impact on their quality of life.
Educate and motivate the public to help ensure long-term protection of park and open space resources.
Improve the public’s awareness of the park, open space and recreation area land management efforts in the region.

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: CONCEPT IS EVLOVING INTO A NATIONAL MOVEMENT FROM ITS APPLICATION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.

METRO-WASHINGTON, DC GREEEN INFRASTRUCTURE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT—

LEAD INTO COG AND BRIAN