DESIGN PROPOSAL FOR THE HALIFAX URBAN GREENWAY MARLBOROUGH WOODS BRIDGE TO THE OAKS JESSICA WAGNER DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY BACHELOR OF COMMUNITY DESIGN HONOURS THESIS APRIL 2007 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Deborah Buszard and my thesis professor Dr. Patricia Manuel at Dalhousie University for their encouragement and guidance throughout this project. I would also like to thank Mark Poirier, president of the Halifax Urban Greenway Association for helping me to find this project and assisting me along the way. Thank you to Don Ambler, Dr. Bill Freedman, Gabrielle Morrison, Bob Ogilvie and Maggie Holm for their time and help. I would like to extend my gratitude to Ron Fritz, Jennifer Strang and Tom Duffett at Dalhousie University for their assistance with GIS and GPS technology. 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This thesis project is a landscape and trail design proposal for a small section of the Halifax Urban Greenway. The project site is semi-natural wooded landscape approximately 400 meters in length and 15 to 100 meters wide, located on the eastern side of the CN railway corridor between the Marlborough Woods Bridge and Roger’s Drive, behind St. Mary’s University campus in Halifax Nova Scotia. This project examines the history of the landscape, the process leading up to the development of this proposal and the guidelines related to the Greenway development. A review of literature of landscape design theories and principles provides a look into what characteristics create enjoyable landscapes and trails and how to design to protect ecological health. The concepts examined in the literature review provide the framework for the trail design. An assessment of the project site uses the overlay mapping method to determine physical opportunities and constraints providing the foundations of the final design. The design proposal aims to meet the requirements established by the HRM Active Transportation plan, the Halifax Urban Greenway Association and St. Mary’s University while effectively conserving the natural environment and valuable landscape features. The final landscape design proposal includes routes for both the multi-use and footpath Greenway trails as well as all other significant design features that shape the landscape and trail experience. These design features include additional vegetation barriers and fencing, locations for signage and interpretation, rest areas and locations from which to view the railway corridor. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3-4 LIST OF MAPS AND FIGURES 5-6 PROJECT SITE LOCATION AND CONTEXT MAPS 7 INTRODUCTION 8 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 9 METHOD 10-12 SECTION 1: The Halifax Urban Greenway History and Context 13-27 Nineteenth Century South End Halifax and The Construction of the Railway 14-16 The Railway Cut Today 17 Development of the Halifax Urban Greenway 18-20 Halifax Urban Greenway Phase One: Physical Characteristics, Design Guidelines 21-25 and Routes Trail Design Guidelines (multi-use and footpaths) 21-22 Physical Descriptions and Development of the Trail Routes 23-25 South Street to Marlborough Woods Bridge 23 Marlborough Woods Bridge to Rogers Drive (project site) 23-25 Project Site Selection 26-27 SECTION 2: Project Site Inventory 28-43 Physical and Ecological Characteristics 29-35 General Description 29-32 Slope and Elevation 29 Soil, Bedrock and Surficial Geology 29-30 Vegetation 30-32 Environmentally Valuable or Sensitive Features 32-35 Lady’s-Slipper Orchids 33-34 Mature Trees 34 Steep Slopes 34-35 Ownership and Zoning 35-39 Zoning Regulations 36 3 Ownership 37-39 Historic Wall Remnants 40-43 Brief History of Maplewood Estate 41 Historic Preservation 41-42 Historic Significance of the Walls 42-43 Interpretation 43 SECTION 3: Theory and Design Principles 44-54 Aesthetic and Social Design Principles 45-50 General Concepts 45-47 Design Principles and Techniques 47-50 Ecological Design Principles 51-54 SECTION 4: Analysis 55-58 SECTION 5: Design Proposal 60-73 Proposal Site Plan 62 Trail Routes 63-68 Trail Routes & Analysis Map 64 Nodes: Interpretation, Rest Areas and Viewing Sites 68-71 Buffers and Barriers 71-72 Surface Material 72-73 Reducing Construction Impacts 74 APPENDICIES 75-92 Appendix A: Figures 76-81 Appendix B: Design Guidelines 82-85 Appendix C: Inventory Maps 86-92 REFERENCES 93-94 FIGURE SOURCES 95-96 CONTACTS 97 4 MAPS AND FIGURES Document Figure 1 Project Site Location and Context 7 Figure 2 Late 19th century South End Halifax and the Northwest Arm 14 Figure 3 CN railroad construction 1912-1918 16 Figure 4 Railway corridor today (aerial view) 17 Figure 5 Railway corridor today (edge of cut) 17 Figure 6 2005 Preliminary route map for project site 26 Figure 7 Lady’s-slipper orchids growing through stone wall remnant 33 Figure 8 St. Mary’s University campus master plan 38 Figure 9 Wall remains 40 Figure 10 Original Maplewood mansion (built 1870) 41 Figure 11 Curved pathway in Central Park 48 Figure 12 Layered trees create the illusion of depth 49 Figure 13 Ecological destruction along existing footpath 53 Figure 14 Bridge section 65 Figure 15 Section through wall remnant and trails 66 Figure 16 Bridge detail 69 Figure 17 Section and detail of corridor viewpoint 70 Figure 18 Detail of rest area behind Oaks 71 Analysis Map 59 Proposal Site Plan 62 Trail Routes & Analysis Map 64 Appendix A Figure 1 1894 Halifax peninsula map 76 Figure 2 Northwest Arm and rural South End Halifax 76 Figure 3 Watercolour painting of rural Halifax on the Northwest Arm 76 Figure 4 Map of railroad route over Halifax peninsula 76 Figure 5 Two phases of Greenway development 77 Figure 6 Proposed Active Transportation routes map 77 Figure 7 Photo of proposed greenway development site adjacent with Beaufort Ave 77 Figure 8 2005 Preliminary Design Map of area adjacent with Beaufort Ave 77 Figure 9 Photo of project site 78 Figure 10 First rejected route proposal for phase one of Greenway Development 78 Figure 11 Second rejected route proposal for phase one of Greenway Development 78 Figure 12 Final trail route for phase one of Greenway Development 79 Figure 13 Dicranum moss on site 79 5 Figure 14 Blue-bead lily (Clintonia borealis) on site 79 Figure 15 Vegetation and footpath in early summer 80 Figure 16 Lady’s-slipper orchids on current footpath 80 Figure 17 Single orchid in wall remnant 80 Figure 18 Former trails of Maplewood Estate along Northwest Arm 81 Figure 19 1896 Maplewood mansion (rebuilt) 81 Figure 20 Maplewood Estate property boundaries and CN railway development 81 Appendix B Figure 1 Minimum sight stopping distances 83 Figure 2 HRM Active Transportation multi-use trail right-of-way dimensions 84 Appendix C Ownership Map 87 Zoning Map 88 HRM Heritage Properties Map 89 Inventory Map 1 90 Inventory Map 2 91 Slope Inventory Map 92 6 Project Site Location and Context Figure 1 Site Location N SMU Campus M a G r l r b R Ave. e ok B o o ebro e e Gors a r b u n o i fo w e r u t A o g S v o e h t . d . A A v v e e e . iv Dr er’s Rog ut l Dr. ail C ne Hil CN R Pi No rth we st Arm Project Area 7 INTRODUCTION The Halifax Urban Greenway is a plan to establish a recreational trail system through the naturally vegetated landscape adjacent to the Canadian National Railway corridor that runs along the south western side of the Halifax peninsula. The Greenway is intended to preserve the natural landscape that exists along the corridor and provide the community of Halifax with an active recreational trail and footpaths. Since 2000, the Halifax Urban Greenway Association (HUGA) has been working with the HRM to establish this Greenway trail. A small section of the proposed Greenway area has been neglected in the planning and design process of this project. This is an undeveloped site located on the eastern side of the CN railway corridor between the Marlborough Woods Bridge and Roger’s Drive, behind St. Mary’s University campus. This is a naturally wooded site that has great potential for trail development. The municipal plan currently is to execute most of the planning and design for this section of the Greenway, on the fly, at the time of construction. A natural landscape such as this is rarely found in this type of urban context. It would be a shame to see the character of this landscape lost through poor planning and design. If this area does not receive proper planning and thoughtful design, the natural environment will suffer, valuable landscape features will be lost and the Greenway will not reach its full potential as an enjoyable recreational trail. The lack of attention and planning provided for this section of the Greenway has created an opportunity to produce a design proposal that will ensure that the protection of important landscape characteristics. This thesis project examines the history of the area and Greenway project leading up to this design proposal, and then proposes a landscape and trail design based on the method and principles used in landscape architecture and environmental planning. 8 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The purpose of this project is to develop a landscape and trail design for both the multi-use and footpath Greenway trails on the designated project site. The goal is to design the trails to meet the standards and expectations established for the Halifax Urban Greenway, as well as provide an aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable experience for the trail users. Three primary objectives were adopted to guide the design process. The objectives were selected to ensure the protection of valuable landscape features, as well as satisfy the desires of the HUGA and landowners.