A lecture on green infrastructure planning and design given by Nate Cormier of SvR at Ball State University in November, 2007.

1. GROWING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE:
how to create high-performance
landscapes and healthy cities
Nate Cormier, ASLA, LEED AP
Senior Landscape Architect
SvR Design Company

2. GI layers and elements
1. WHAT IS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE?

3. Introduction
what is green infrastructure?

4. Introduction
+
nature provides valuable ecological services for urban environments

5. Introduction
King County Greenprint
Open Space Seattle 2100
green infrastructure is a tapestry of open space in and around a city

6. Minneapolis’s Grand Rounds
Introduction
Boston’s Emerald Necklace
green infrastructure is not a new idea

7. Introduction
Mercer Slough Wetlands,
Bellevue, Washington
Mt. Si,
North Bend, Washington
protected and connected natural habitats are its foundation

8. Introduction
Jamison Square, Portland, Oregon
Beaver Lake Park,
Sammamish, Washington
traditional parks, gardens, and trails link communities to this nature matrix

9. Introduction
green infrastructure can also address urban challenges

10. Forms are patterns
“the forms we conceive are really patterns, and patterns are the
configuration of relationships between natural systems…” –David Miller

11. GI layers and elements
2. ELEMENTS OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

12. layers
High Point housing
redevelopment, Seattle
Looking at any community…

13. layers
we can map its green infrastructure.

14. layers
mobility
water
community
habitat
Peeling apart a series of green infrastructure systems like layers
and looking at their constituent parts...

15. Table of Elements
reveals a table of green infrastructure elements.

16. Table of Elements
green infrastructure elements: habitat

17. Mercer Slough Wetland,
Element: urban wild
Bellevue, Washington

18. Olympic Sculpture Park
Element: shoreline
Shoreline Restoration,
Seattle, Washington

19. Table of Elements
green infrastructure elements: community

20. Element: community garden
Oxbow Park,
Seattle, Washington

21. Element: streetside garden
2716 39th Ave. SW,
Seattle, Washington

22. Table of Elements
green infrastructure elements: water

23. Rain garden

24. Glencoe Elementary School, Portland, Oregon

25. Glencoe Elementary School, Portland, Oregon

26. Oxbow Park, Seattle, Washington

27. Maple Valley Library, Maple Valley, Washington

29. Denny Park Apartments, Seattle, Washington

30. Denny Park Apartments, Seattle, Washington

31. Liberty Center Parking Garage, Portland, Oregon

32. New Seasons Market, Portland, Oregon

33. SW 12th Avenue, Portland, Oregon

34. SW 12th Avenue, Portland, Oregon

35. Element: Bioswale

36. New Seasons Market, Portland, Oregon

37. Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), Portland, Oregon

38. East Esplanade Park, Portland, Oregon

39. High Point, Seattle, Washington

40. High Point, Seattle, Washington

41. High Point, Seattle, Washington

42. High Point, Seattle, Washington

43. 3
2
Cascading
1 Channel
Rain Garden
Kitsap Administration Building, Bremerton, Washington

44. Kitsap Administration Building, Bremerton, Washington

45. Thornton Creek Water Quality Channel, Seattle, Washington

46. “Swale on Yale,” Seattle, Washington

48. Meadowbrook Pond, Seattle, Washington

49. Meadowbrook Pond, Seattle, Washington

50. Meadowbrook Pond, Seattle, Washington

51. Waterworks Gardens, Renton, Washington

52. Waterworks Gardens, Renton, Washington

53. Waterworks Gardens, Renton, Washington

54. High Point, Seattle, Washington

56. Multnomah County Building, Portland. Oregon

57. Multnomah County Building, Portland. Oregon

58. Seattle Municipal Courthouse and City Hall, Seattle, Washington

59. Colman Center, Seattle, Washington

60. Colman Center, Seattle, Washington

61. Oxbow Park, Seattle, Washington

62. Element: cistern

63. Growing Vine Street, Seattle, Washington

64. Growing Vine Street, Seattle, Washington

65. Cascade Community Center, Seattle, Washington

66. Table of Elements
green infrastructure elements: mobility

67. Chief Sealth Trail, Seattle, Washington

68. Element: complete street
assorted complete streets

69. Yale Avenue Campus, Seattle, Washington

70. layers
integrated systems form of a green infrastructure network

71. GI APPS
3. CREATING A GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN

72. 1) educate the public
Mark Childs, Designing Compelling Public Places
Mike Houck, Creating Livable Cities with Urban Green Space
Robert Garcia, The City Project: New Open Spaces for Social Justice in Los Angeles
Patrick Condon, Green Urban Infrastructure for the 21st Century
OSS2100 included many public lectures, articles, and events
LFP Legacy had a Green Infrastructure Festival

73. 1) educate the public
from the Cascade Agenda by the
Cascade Land Conservancy
Olmsted Brothers plan
OSS2100 linked the effort to Seattle’s history and current imperatives
around growth, public health, and global warming

74. 2) choose your units
what will be your planning unit?

75. 2) choose your units
what is the scale?

76. 2) choose your units
corridors can have units too

77. 3) discover the anatomy of the landscape
OSS2100 Technical Panels: Development, Biodiversity, Waters of Puget Sound,
Future Scenarios, Seattle Parks, Climate Change, Transportation Futures
what are your existing green infrastructure elements?
what is missing? what would make the system whole?

78. 4) develop a long-term vision
OSS2100 Green Futures Charrette: 350 people x 3 days

79. 4) develop a long-term vision
watershed by watershed, system by system

80. 4) develop a long-term vision
Seattle’s Green Infrastructure Plan

81. 4) develop a long-term vision
Lake Forest Park’s Green Infrastructure Plan

82. 4) develop a long-term vision
Lake Forest Park’s Green Infrastructure Plan

83. 5) identify catalytic projects
LFP Legacy projects to be integrated into comp plan and CIP

84. 5) identify catalytic projects
online voting for priority projects

85. 5) identify catalytic projects
online voting for priority projects

86. PROJECT LOCATION:
A2. Town Center main hub @ intersection of main Creekways and Arterial Green
Streets
VISIBILITY: high
CHALLENGE: high
POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:
Habitat Water
• create a wider riparian buffer and remove • use bioswales, green roofs, and other LID
fish blockages at 522 and under Town features to manage parking lot run-off
Center Mobility
• daylight Lyon Creek through the parking lot • improve sidewalks and crosswalks to connect
Community neighbors to Town Center
• create high-density, mixed-use, transit- • create trail along Lyon Creekway (start of
oriented development connection between BG and Interurban)
• create a central civic space for community • park & ride facility

87. PROJECT LOCATION:
A4. Tolt Pipeline Trail gateway on the northeast end of Bothell Way Arterial Green
Street and the Lakeway
VISIBILITY: low
CHALLENGE: low
POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:
Habitat Water
• restore maintenance-appropriate native • use bioswales, rain gardens, and other LID
habitat in pipeline right-of-way features to manage trail run-off
Community Mobility
• build multi-use trail for bikes and pedestrians

88. PROJECT LOCATION:
B2. West Fork Confluence hublet at intersection of Lyon Creekway and Ballinger
Way Arterial Green Street
VISIBILITY: high
CHALLENGE: medium
POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:
Habitat Water
• improve riparian and wetland habitat • use bioswales, rain gardens, and other LID
around creek confluence features to manage run-off from Ballinger Way
Community Mobility
• incentive a market or coffee shop • build part of the trail on the mainstem Lyon
destination along Ballinger Way Creekway
• redevelop a segment of Ballinger Way as a
complete street for bicycles, transit, and
pedestrians

89. PROJECT LOCATION:
C1. Orchard Park new park on 35th Ave. NE in the Lyon Creekway
VISIBILITY: low
CHALLENGE: low
POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:
Habitat Water
• improve Lyon Creek riparian habitat • use rain gardens, bioswales, and other LID
features to manage run-off from park and
Community
street
• acquire land for park
Mobility
• create orchard-themed passive open space
• build portion of Lyon Creekway trail
amenities
• improve sidewalks and crosswalks near park

90. PROJECT LOCATION:
D1. Greening Perkins Way McAleer Creekway trail on Perkins from Whisper
Confluence to 178th intersection
VISIBILITY: high
CHALLENGE: medium
POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:
Habitat Water
• improve riparian and instream habitat along • use rain gardens, bioswales, and other LID
McAleer Creekway features to manage run-off from trail and
street
Community
Mobility
• build benches and overlooks for watching
and learning the creek • redevelop Perkins as one way with a separate
trail (on creek side) for bikes and peds;
• build trailhead onto Creekway trail

91. PROJECT LOCATION:
D2. 178th Street Gateway gateway on 178th Street Arterial Green Street
VISIBILITY: high
CHALLENGE: low
POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:
Habitat Water
• improve wetland habitat in the Hillside Creek • use rain gardens, bioswales, and other LID
headwaters features to manage run-off from street
Community Mobility
• build creative gateway elements on 178th • redevelop a segment of the 178th Street
Street Arterial Green Street Arterial Green Street as a complete street for
bicycles, transit, and pedestrians

92. PROJECT LOCATION:
E1. Greening 158th Street pilot Residential Green Street between 33rd and 35th in the
Sheridan Heights neighborhood
VISIBILITY: medium
CHALLENGE: medium
POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:
Habitat Water
• plant native plants for wildlife habitat in LID • use rain gardens, bioswales, and other LID
features features to manage run-off from street
Community Mobility
• use grouped mailboxes to create mini- • meander street to slow traffic
gathering places • create trail-like sidewalk

93. PROJECT LOCATION:
E3. Greening Brookside School schoolyard hublet at the confluence of the
Brookside and Hillside Creekways
VISIBILITY: high
CHALLENGE: low
POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:
Habitat Water
• improve riparian and wetland habitat at • use green roofs, rain gardens, and other LID
confluence features to manage run-off from school
Community Mobility
• increase environmental and green building • improve safe school walking routes from
education neighborhood and from 178th Street Arterial
Green Street
• build environmental art with kids to inspire
stewardship • increase public health and physical activity
education

94. PROJECT LOCATION:
F4. McAleer Creek Delta @ intersection of the McAleer Creekway and the Lakeway
VISIBILITY: medium
CHALLENGE: high
POSSIBLE PROJECT ELEMENTS:
Habitat Water
• restore and enhance Lake Washington • use bioswales, rain gardens, and other LID
shoreline features to manage run-off from adjacent
roads and residences
• create more distributary channels in McAleer
Creek Mobility
Community • build trail spur between Bothell Way, Burke
Gilman trail, and the shoreline
• acquire lakeside parcels to increase public
access to the shoreline
• build park amenities such as picnic shelters
and restrooms for shoreline visitors

95. 5) identify catalytic projects
OSS2100 projects...provocative and inspirational

96. GI OPPS
4. TOWARDS AN AESTHETIC OF PERFORMANCE

97. towards an aesthetic of performance
“form follows function.” –Louis Sullivan

98. towards an aesthetic of performance
Stephen Epler Dormitory, Portland, Oregon

99. towards an aesthetic of performance

100. towards an aesthetic of performance
New Seasons Market
Portland, OR
Portland Convention Center, Portland, OR

101. GI OPPS
5. ESTABLISHING THE NEW NORMAL

102. establishing the new normal
Seattle’s Green Factor

103. establishing the new normal
Portland’s Green Streets Program

104. contact: natec@SvRdesign.com
join the movement: www.greeninfrastructurewiki.com