MON-D06 Beyond Management: Stormwater as an Asset on the Urban Campus

As large land owners in cities, universities are uniquely positioned to be leaders in innovative stormwater practices and to leverage the regulatory environment for implementation. This panel explores the challenges and opportunities of stormwater management on three urban campuses - Tulane, Georgetown, and Virginia Tech.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the specific opportunities and challenges for stormwater innovation on campuses in urban contexts. • Discuss how contemporary thinking about stormwater management and BMPs challenges traditional civil engineering approaches. • Learn from case studies of three universities leading stormwater innovation in their respective cities: Tulane (New Orleans, LA), Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), and Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA). • Understand how the regulatory environment can be leveraged to facilitate the implementation of landscapes with both programmatic and stormwater functions.

Notes: Panelists

Laura Marett, ASLA MODERATOR Senior Associate, Landscape Architect, Sasaki Associates

Laura is a landscape architect practicing in Sasaki’s urban and campus studios. She has a particular interest in the design of urban public spaces through an engaged public process and the issues of social and environmental justice in the landscape. Her work at Sasaki includes landscape design and planning for cities and campuses, with an emphasis on resiliency. Laura maintains a close connection to the academic community, and has taught in recent years at Northeastern University, the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and the Rhode Island School of Design.

Christina Carlisle, ASLA PANELIST Campus Planner, Tulane University

Christina joined the office of Planning, Design, and Construction at Tulane University as a Campus Planner in 2014. Tulane’s University Master Plan has been the major project during that time where she worked with Sasaki to develop comprehensive approach to stormwater management through strategic landscape projects on the uptown campus. Her previous work in the private sector focused on campus planning and design at HGOR in Atlanta, GA and Grimball Cotterill in Columbia, SC. She is a native of South Louisiana and received her bachelor degree of Landscape Architecture from Louisiana State University in 2006. Christina and her husband Matthew are also the busy parents of four young children.

Zachary Chrisco, PE PANELIST Principal, Civil Engineer, Sasaki Associates

Zach Chrisco is a civil engineering principal at Sasaki. He leads a group of engineers that are integrated into Sasaki’s design process by providing technical rigor and pushing the boundaries of sustainable and resilient design. His practice includes some of Sasaki’s most complex site work and a broad array of projects that integrate architecture, landscape architecture and civil engineering. He is passionate about the integration and utilization of natural systems as means of managing stormwater as is demonstrated in many of his recent built projects.

Jason Soileau, ASLA PANELIST University Architect & Assistant Vice President, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Jason is from Baton Rouge, La and earned his BLA and MPA with a focus on Environmental Management from LSU. He worked in the private sector and then AD Planning at LSU where he worked to improve the overall campus experience. In 2012, Jason accepted a position with Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia as the University Architect and AVP for Planning. Jason oversees all architectural, transportation, and space planning. Jason and his wife Delin have 3 children and he enjoys outdoor activities to include hiking, “Jeepin’”, and sitting by the fire with the guitar and a beer. Introduction

I. Introduction: Context, Challenges and Opportunities

a. Challenges 1. Largely imperviousness urban environments create stormwater quality and quantity challenges 2. Densely packed/ land-bound universities have little green space to use for infiltration/ BMPs 3. Traditional civil engineering approaches move water off-site quickly and can have impacts downstream or on neighbors b. Opportunities 1. As large land owners in cities, universities can innovate / test stormwater ideas a scale with real impact 2. Opportunity to be good stewards/ role models of resilience in the city 3. Chance for systemic thinking about stormwater reuse for cooling, irrigation 4. Synergies with teaching in sciences, design, engineering 5. Regulatory environment offers opportunities for implementation Case Study 1: Tulane University

II. Case Study 1: Tulane University a. The Tulane Context i. Topography/ Flooding/ Hurricanes ii. Orientation of Uptown Campus b. A new regulatory environment i. New stormwater regulations and their potential impacts/ levers ii. Institutional Master Plan c. Signature projects i. McAlister Drive Pedestrian Way ii. Mintz Field stormwater storage d. Planning for the future i. Standardized Landscape and Stormwater BMPs 1. Written and Illustrated Design Level Standards, classified by zone 2. Operations and Maintenance Guidelines ii. Stormwater Management Plan 1. Identify and prioritize stormwater management projects independent of capital projects. 2. Investigating both green solutions and Engineered solutions Case Study 2: Georgetown University

III. Case Study 2: Georgetown University a. The Georgetown Context i. Key factors in planning for stormwater at Georgetown ii. Understanding the realities of planning, design and construction in a dense urban environment b. Regulatory environment i. The role of Department of Energy & Environment Stormwater Management Standards c. Signature project: Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Hall i. Balancing of context, design and regulations ii. The concept of “working surfaces” iii. BMP Functionality d. Management and Maintenance Case Study 3: Virginia Tech

IV. Case Study 3: Virginia Tech a. The Virginia Text Context i. Campus topography and geology (karst) ii. Existing landscape assets + challenges iii. One-off stormwater BMP’s - “the uglies” b. Regulatory environment i. The Virginia DEQ ii. Local floodplain regulations c. Campus Master Plan - stormwater strategies 1. Exploring nutrient banks on campus 2. Conserved open space 3. Daylighting opportunities 4. “Research, Ecology + Experience” at the Stroubles Creek and the Duck Pond 5. Specific guidelines for on-site remediation d. Implementation Considerations i. Prioritize holistic/systems approach ii. Cost iii. Aesthetics iii. Campus as a “living lab” Lessons Learned

V. Lessons Learned on urban campuses: a. BMPs are not as expensive as you think. They often cost the same or less than traditional approaches. b. Successful stormwater management requires different thinking about maintenance. Maintenance and training for staff must be factored into operating budgets. c. Stormwater landscapes don’t have to look fuzzy and unkempt. Strategies are compatible with hardscape treatments in urban contexts. d. Testing and employing BMPs is part of being a good neighbor and a good steward. e. On campuses, partnering with academic initiatives can jumpstart strategic stormwater projects. f. Leveraging the regulatory environment can also help to facilitate implementation.

VI. Discussion / Q+A