Designing for Climate Change Resilience
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Designing for Climate Change Resilience con'text Magazine of The Conway School //2 01 7// Faculty Administration Mollie Babize ’84 Bruce Stedman ’78 Planning + Design Executive Director Ken Byrne Ken Byrne Humanities Academic Director Anne Capra ’00 Dave Nordstrom ’04 Planning Finance Director Kate Cholakis ’11 Nancy Braxton Landscape Planning + Alum Coordinator Design Kate Cholakis ’11 Kim Erslev Admissions Manager Landscape Design, Site Rachel Lindsay ’15 Engineering, Graphics Publications Manager CJ Lammers Priscilla Novitt ’07 Planning Senior Administrator Bill Lattrell Kristin Thomas ’10 Ecology Project Manager Rachel Loeffler Dave Weber ’15 Site Engineering + Campus Manager Landscape Design Elaine Williamson ’11 Glenn Motzkin Event Coordinator Ecology Jono Neiger ’03 Board of Trustees Regenerative Design Keith Ross, Chair Keith Zaltzberg LandVest Digital Design Warwick, MA Stephen Thor Johnson, Visiting Instructors Vice Chair + Clerk Michael Ben-Eli North American Land Trust Sustainability Chadds Ford, PA Walt Cudnohufsky Timothy A. Umbach, Design Process Treasurer Northampton, MA Edwina von Gal Landscape Architecture Mitch Anthony Clarity David Jacke ’84 Northampton, MA Permaculture Janet Curtis ’00 Erik van Lennep ’83 Union of Concerned Sustainability Scientists Climate Program John O’Keefe Cambridge, MA Ecology Marianne Jorgenson Keith Ross ALPINE Conservation Innovation Cambridge, MA Joel Russell Nicholas Filler Conservation Law Conway, MA Dana Tomlin John O’Keefe GIS Harvard Forest Petersham, MA Greg Watson Food Systems Theresa Sprague ’08 Ecological Landscape Alliance The Conway School Harwich, MA of Landscape Design 322 S. Deerfield Road Charles Tracy PO Box 179 US National Park Service Conway, MA 01341-0179 Boston, MA 180 Pleasant St. Studio 211 William B. Sayre Easthampton, MA 01027 Wm. B. Sayre, Inc. Williamsburg, MA The mission of the Conway School is to explore, (413) 369-4044 www.csld.edu develop, practice, and teach design of the land Emeritus Trustees Nicholas T. Lasoff ’05 David Bird (d. 2007) that is ecologically and socially sustainable. Editor Gordon H. Shaw ’89 Bruce Stedman ’78 Rachel Lindsay ’15 Project Manager Past Directors The Conway School of Landscape Design, Inc., a Massachusetts non-profit corporation Allison Gramolini ’16 Walter Cudnohufsky organized under Chapter 180 of the General Laws, is a school of sustainable landscape Corrin Meise-Munns ’16 Founder, Director design and land use planning. As an equal opportunity institution, we do not con’text Interns (1972–1992) discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, marital or veteran status in the administration of educational, Lilly Pereira, Murre Creative Donald Walker ’79 admissions, employment, or loan policies, or in any other school-administered program. Kristen Winstead, Director (1992–2005) Sund Studio Paul Cawood Hellmund © 2017 con’text is published by The Conway School of Landscape Design, Inc. Design Director (2005–2015) All rights reserved. John Baldwin Bruce Stedman ’78 Priscilla Novitt ’07 Contributing Writers con'text Magazine of The Conway School //2 017// FEATURES 04 Implementing Resilient Systems Robbin Peach ’78 on asking the right questions and bringing key players together to understand the implications of a changing climate. 08 From Rural Costa Rica Professional photographer Gioia Kuss ’99 shares images and reflections from her David Bird International Service Fellowship. 11 Be Curious. Create Masterpieces. Tell Stories. Claudia J. Ford asks the class of 2016 to imagine, design, and repair the world. DEPARTMENTS RAINGARDENS FOR CITY STREETS 02 From the Directors 14 Class of 2016 A message from Conway Highlights from the first As part of their green streets design for the X Intersection in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Springfield, Massachusetts, codirectors Bruce Stedman year with two cohorts of Breyonne Golding ’16 and Eric DePalo ’16 recommended adding ’78, Ken Byrne, and Dave students. raingardens (image above), bioswales, and street trees to the asphalt-dominated area. These elements of Complete Streets Nordstrom ’04. increase the amount of stormwater infiltrated before entering the combined sewer and stormwater system. The plans, which 16 Portfolio the city planning board intends to implement along with other 03 Perspectives Students’ projects focus on road improvements, address anticipated increases in precipitation due to climate change. Complete Streets are also associated with Using skills from two revitalization, accessibility, better mental and physical health of residents. Read about this graduate degrees, Willa climate change resilience, and other students’ projects on page 16. Caughey ’14 designs a and more. therapeutic garden. ON THE COVER 22 Conway Currents Photograph of the Quabbin Reservoir by Margot Halpin ’16. Find additional photos and a description of the class trip that Margot 10 Perspectives News of and from the school. participated in at csld.edu/2017/02/on-the-cover. As a built environment specialist, Melissa Mourkas 26 Annual Report ’94 analyses the impact of A summary of operations Printed on Rolland Environment 100 Satin, energy plants on cultural for the 2016 fiscal year. an uncoated 100% post-consumer reycled paper that is processed chlorine free, EcoLogo landscapes. and FSC® Certified, and is manufactured using biogas energy. Printed by Hadley Printing, Holyoke, Massachusetts. //2 017// con'text 1 FROM THE DIRECTORS Taking Our Responsibility to Heart The year 2017 promises to be one of California, Melissa Mourkas ’94 analyzes history’s most significant years. We are the impact of energy plant proposals on facing unprecedented challenges that local cultural resources as new regula- need to be addressed in policy, law, tions are introduced in energy generation, planning, and design. (p. 10), and Willa Caughey ’14 designs “Conway believes that As this issue of con’text demonstrates, for the health of inner-city communities Conway believes that professionals in and the environment in the city of San professionals in design design and planning fields have a respon- Mateo (p. 3). The scope of 2016 student sibility to address many of the challenges projects (pp. 16–21) further demonstrates and planning fields have we face, especially climate change. how communities are faced with com- a responsibility to address Commencement speaker Claudia J. Ford plex socio-economic and environmental challenged the class of 2016 to “go for- challenges—and how our students work to many of the challenges ward and repair the world” (see p. 11). Her design appropriate solutions. call to action underscores our resolve to This issue should help inspire us all we face, especially engage in an inclusive conversation about to further consider what we can do to climate change.” what needs repair; to bring climate issues improve our own homes, to influence into each student project; and to reduce planning for our communities, and to the carbon footprint of the school. help shape the policies of our states and Our community of alums takes these nation. As designers and planners with issues to heart, and works alongside us an understanding of how to adapt to at the innovative edges of design and the changing climate and how to create planning fields. They apply the “Conway resilient communities, we each have the approach”—conducting rigorous site anal- profound responsibility to be at the fore- yses while considering socio-economic front of these issues. context and regional climate change Like our alums, the Conway School impacts—to an impressively wide range of must be attentive to the changing places and professions. The Massachusetts demands for ecologically oriented design Port Authority manages a complicated and planning professionals, and regularly built environments that require cut- assess what we do and how we function. ting-edge technologies. There, Robbin As you may know, the school is drafting Peach ’78 has implemented changes as an updated strategic plan for our campus, the founding resiliency program manager governance, and curriculum. We genuinely (p. 4). In the remote rural community welcome your advice on these and other of Mastatal, Costa Rica, Gioia Kuss ’99 topics. Together, we are taking seriously used her skills as David Bird International the responsibility of shaping the future of Service Fellow to identify valuable our school, of our communities, and of the Directors Bruce, Dave, and Ken and fragile natural resources (p. 8). In ecological design field. Join us! BRUCE STEDMAN DAVE NORDSTROM KEN BYRNE Executive Director Finance Director Academic Director 2 The Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning + Design Perspectives Report from a Recent Conway Graduate Conway Meets Copenhagen BY WILLA CAUGHEY ’14, MLA Walking out of the examination room after design. My thesis, The Phoenix Garden, presenting my master’s thesis in September presents a vision for an evidence-based 2016, I was greeted by a warm cohort of therapeutic garden for incarcerated friends popping champagne and placing youth in San Mateo County, California. plant trophies in my hands. That day was Designed for a largely Latino, socioeco- full of celebration, giving way to a period of nomically disadvantaged population with reflection and gratitude—for my time at the a disproportionate share of psychiatric University of Copenhagen, where I received disorders, the garden uses naturalistic a master of landscape architecture, and for spaces