Countway Community Garden

Longwood Medical Area, Fall 2016 Boston, MA

Inside Your Mission The Countway Community 4 Garden Redesign the Countway Community Garden on Specifics about the place & important background Harvard’s Longwood Medical Campus by addressing preexisting and future environmental Core Design Pillars 6 The significance of Health, and community challenges. Use your diverse Sustainability & Knowledge expertise to provide innovative, thoughtful, and Generation in this challenge fabulous solutions to this

Key Design Challenges 7 underutilized space. The goal Outlines a majority of key of the Re(Design) Innovation challenges the Countway Community Garden faces Challenge is to unite the Harvard schools in a common Appendices 13 effort of creating a usable, Additional information to help your design sustainable, urban garden.

BEHSC Built Environment & Health Student Consortium at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health 12

Re(Design) Innovation Challenge

If you look at history, innovation doesn't come just from giving people incentives; it comes from creating environments where their ideas can connect.

Steven Johnson

Here’s the Situation

In Spring of 2016, Harvard Medical Sustainability, Built Environment and School’s office of Campus Planning and Health Student Consortium at the Facilities initiated multiple projects to Harvard Chan School, Countway ensure accessibility throughout the Community Garden, Campus Security, campus. One of several projects and the Harvard Longwood Bicyclists. includes constructing an ADA These key stakeholders saw an accessibility ramp connecting Harvard opportunity in the CCG and felt it was Medical School to the Harvard T.H. Chan necessary to preserve this area as a School of Public Health Campus. The community space. Recognizing that location of this ramp will eventually result Harvard students and staff would be in the displacement of an existing using the space most, it became clear covered bicycle storage cage. The bike that their perspective and knowledge cage, one of six, is critical to the was essential to leveraging the full Longwood campus, which has more potential of the space. cyclists proportionally to Harvard’s Cambridge campus. As they began HMS Campus Planning has currently set thinking about potential locations for the no budget for this project but are deeply bike rack, the Countway Community interested in incorporating innovative Garden (CCG) became an area of insights from student designs into the discussion. The proposed relocation future of the space. resulted the engagement of diverse stakeholders including the Office for 2

Re(Design) Innovation Challenge

This is where you come in. In teams of 4-5 students, you are tasked with providing an innovative redesign of the CCG that promotes health, increases sustainability, and supports knowledge generation for the users of the garden. This is incredibly important as the Longwood Medical Area (LMA) and the greater city of Boston will be impacted by changes in sea level, the frequency and severity of precipitation, and extreme temperatures as a result of climate change over the next few decades. When thinking of how to improve and expand the Countway Community Garden, it will be imperative to plan for a The History of the changing climate in order to meet the Longwood Medical Area needs of the garden today and in the (LMA) is rooted in urban agriculture future. practices and tremendous The specific requirements for team advancements in medicine and health. submission are listed at the end of this Until the 1930s, cows lived on the campus case. They are also listed on the in order to provide uncontaminated milk Re(Design) Innovation Challenge for kids being treated at Children’s webpage. Hospital. In 1941, Arnold Arboretum and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy started a medicinal plant garden “We’re excited about the opportunities featuring over 380 different species of that the Re(Design) Innovation Challenge medicinal plants in order to promote provides the students and community of learning and research (1). Today, the the Longwood Medical Area. We look LMA hosts teaching hospitals, research forward to incorporating the student centers, Harvard’s medical, public voice and their innovative ideas into health, and dental school, as well as 2.6 future design changes of this space. million patients a year and more than Furthermore, we hope that this model can 110,000 staff and visitors each day. To be replicated in future campus space optimize the cramped 213-acre planning decisions. Good luck to all the neighborhood for health facilities, much teams!” of the historical green space has been sacrificed, being replaced with MICHAEL MCGOWAN, HMS INTERIM DEAN pavement and bricks. OF CAMPUS PLANNING & FACILITIES

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Re(Design) Innovation Challenge

The Countway Community How the CCG Came to Be Garden The CCG began in 2010 as Founded in 2011 by a group of library staff, the CCG is a every great idea begins—as a collectively maintained community garden located conversation amongst friends. alongside Countway Library in a sunken patio space, A “Salad Club” had formed at colloquially known as the “The Countway Moat.” The space the Countway Library, where is bordered by the library building on the northwest side and colleagues brought in fresh by inclining 8ft cement walls on the remaining sides. The SE produce to share during their and SW walls are topped with wire fences. The floor of the lunch break. This appreciation “moat” is paved with pale bricks. There is no soil beneath the for fresh veggies sparked the bricks; instead the floor of the “moat” sits atop the roof of question--wouldn’t the ideal be to grow food right here at the subbasement of the library, specifically the Center for the library? There were the History of Medicine’s rare book stacks. In this respect, the opportunities for lots of CCG is really a rooftop garden, despite the fact that it is at partnerships because Harvard ground level. Medical School, Harvard T.H.

Chan School of Public Health, The garden is primarily accessible through a wide, L-shaped and the MCPHS were located alleyway between the Countway Library and Brigham and so close to the library. Women’s Hospital. In 2001, this alleyway was blocked off

with a metal fence and locked. After the initiation of the Initial meetings amongst Garden, the fence’s padlock was changed to a keypad volunteers were informal, but and the code was given to the garden volunteers. In quickly began to include key addition to the alleyway entrance, there are two other stakeholders, such as facilities, access points to space: a stone staircase that leads from the security staff, and even the floor of the “moat” to the Countway Parking lot on Harvard Community Garden. Huntington Ave, and a locked gate on the SW end of the A formal proposal was crafted; space that leads to the rest of campus. organizers pitched a space they were interested in—an The CCG is the only garden affiliated with a Harvard library unused, under utilized, locked and it maintains connections to Massachusetts College of patio space near the library. Pharmacology and Health Sciences (MCPHS) and the The proposal included how the Boston Natural Areas Network/Trustees of the Reservation. garden would be laid out, the The Garden is maintained by a group of roughly 20 governance, funding volunteers including staff, faculty, and students from Harvard requirements, and benefits to Medical School, the Harvard Chan School, and Harvard the community/opportunities School of Dental Medicine. The current garden is comprised for education and use. In of 17, wooden raised beds of various sizes and depths. general they found there to be Gardeners privately grow their own vegetables, herbs, and a lot of support for the project flowers. Spaces managed communally include, one large and thus, CCG came to be. medicinal herb bed and two smaller strawberry bed, as well as small pots containing tomatoes, mint, chamomile, and

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(Continued)

basil. In the past, plants, tools, and soil were decades, the garden will experience either donated, bought for a reduced rate, temperatures that are higher than it has or were reused materials (i.e. old experienced in the past. bookshelves from the library. The space also features a metal pergola (8x10ft), a plastic As the effects of climate change continue, tool shed (5x5ft), a compost bin, and three the Northeast United States will experience round metal tables with chairs and increased heavy rainfall events. Since 1958, umbrellas. there has been a 70% increase in the how much rain the Northeast United States receives during a single heavy precipitation Why is this Case event, and this is projected to continue to Important? increase in the future [1]. This means that although the greater Boston area may Though the Re(Design) Challenge lasts just receive fewer precipitation events, those one month, your concept submissions may that will occur may bring more rain in a have long lasting impacts on future users of shorter period of time, leading to increased the CCG and Harvard’s Longwood flooding potential [2]. Campus. Given this, designs should not only account for previous and current These issues are just a couple of examples of environmental and social conditions but the environmental change that will impact also the dynamic and complex future the Garden. Due to these realities, in your realities. proposals it is essential to consider three core pillars: Health, Sustainability and As we look toward the near future, average Knowledge Generation. These elements summer and spring temperatures are have the ability to protect and promote the expected to increase upwards of 2 degrees wellbeing of the social and environmental Fahrenheit, with winter temperatures quality of CCG by reducing daily and long- increasing 2.5 - 4 degrees Fahrenheit by term stressors. 2040 [2]. Although changes in winter

temperatures may not at first seem like a problem for a community garden, warmer winters increase the amount of precipitation that falls as rain instead of snow [2], leading to a greater potential of flooding of low- lying places like the Countway Community Garden. Additionally, it is expected that there will be 12-29 more days with temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit in Boston by mid-century [2]. Given that the Countway Community Garden is not well shaded, and therefore directly exposed to incoming solar radiation, over the next few

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Re(Design) Innovation Challenge

Core Design Pillars 1 Knowledge Generation Since its creation, the Countway Community Garden has endeavored to support the missions of the three Harvard Longwood Schools and the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine. Decisions around the choice of plants to cultivate - medicinal herbs, vegetables, flowers - and developing a space for community gathering and contemplation. Developing further alignment with the research and teaching mission of Harvard University will not only strengthen the community’s ability to connect to the space, but will enhance the interest in investing into the space. In accordance with this, successful (re)designs will present a space that can be used as a learning environment, with an emphasis on flexible, versatile, and user-defined spaces. Designs should propose a garden space with the potential for teaching, studying, collaboration, and/or research.

2 Sustainability In alignment with the University’s holistic Sustainability Plan, there are a variety of thematic areas to consider regarding proposing a sustainable redesign. The Plan includes five areas: Energy and Emissions; Campus Operations; Nature and Ecosystems; Culture and Learning and; Health and Wellbeing.

Each of these areas have applications to the CCG and will be considered in the evaluation of proposals. Particular consideration will be given to proposals that allow the CCG to transform into a living laboratory on campus. This also ties into the pillar, Knowledge Generation, as it expands the opportunity to build on the knowledge of the community and campus environment. Additional information on sustainability is provided in the Appendix.

3 Health Health as defined by the World Health Organization is “ a state of complete physical, mental and social well- being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. Participating in urban agriculture has been shown to promote these aspects through nutritional improvement [3], weight control [4] and social engagement [5].This is essential for the Longwood Medical community, which is comprised of hard working students, medical professionals, and staff. Their busy schedules result in high levels of stress, potential for poor sleep quality, less healthy food choices, and depression.

Growing and harvesting crops in urban gardens has been shown to increase healthy eating habits by encouraging consumption of the fruit and vegetable produce[6]. The fruits and vegetables grown from a single, 100 ft2 plot can provide a household with its vitamin, mineral, and iron requirements[7]. Urban settings that have limited access to grocery stores and fresh produce, termed ‘food deserts,’ have the most to benefit from urban community gardens. Local produce from urban farms available in close proximity to these needy areas provide residents with significantly fresher, less processed sources of nutrition[8]. Encouraging the availability of fresh foods does not necessarily require large plots of land. Food production can be achieved through rooftop gardens, raised beds, green-walls, and greenhouses. Additionally, gardening serves as a form of aerobic exercise that helps promote flexibility, endurance, and strength. These benefits are just a few of many. In your design, please think of novel ways to promote health in this environment. Please feel free to bring in specific research or draw inspiration from other “healthy places”.

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Key Design Challenges Optimized Use of Garden Space applications than the number of plots available and this has increased the accountability and sense of ownership of plots. Building the opportunity to grow both plant production and community participation are critical considerations.

Bikes Harvard’s Longwood Campus has a higher proportion of bicycle-commuters than Harvard’s Cambridge Campus. There are over 850 bicycle parking spaces throughout the campus in both covered and protected The CCG has steadily developed since bicycle cages and uncovered bike racks. 2011, both in its organization and physical Protected parking areas are accessible to structure. The Garden has become an outlet commuters with bikes registered with for staff, students and faculty to get dirty Harvard University Police Department and and grow food in a shared space. The are accessed using identification cards. managers have begun facing the Members of Harvard-affiliated hospitals in welcomed challenge of having more the Longwood Medical Area can also volunteers than they know what to do with. access the bike cages, which have In 2016, they reorganized CCG’s structure contributed to an increased usage and from a communally run garden to lower availability of spaces. “sponsored” plots. They received more

Entrance to CCG

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(Key Design Challenges Continued)

As referenced in “Here’s the Situation,” one of the campus’ bike racks will need to be moved. If the existing bike cage were to be relocated in the garden it would be beneficial to place it in away that protects the garden, is conveniently located, and disturbs the garden users the least. The current location of the bike rack hides the main entrance of the garden, so a strategic move could promote a healthy connection between bikers and CCG users.

Pests Pests that have plagued the garden include cabbage butterflies, aphids, various birds, rabbits and squirrels. In the recent year, rabbits have been a particular challenge recently as they have repeatedly and members of the community to enjoy their build burrows in the larger raised lunch or hold meetings in the space. There is a beds. While rats have never reason the CCG is referred to as a “hidden caused problems in the garden, gem” though. There’s value to both increasing there has always been an effort community participation and retaining the made to not attract them to the special setting of an urban oasis. Each year area. It is for this reason, that all the CCG hosts a Harvest Festival with composting efforts made in the speakers, treats, and tea (grown in the garden garden have been in raised and and prepared by volunteers). It also hosts enclosed composting bins. meetings and other private events upon Safety & Inclusivity request.

The garden has always struggled with a desire Finding a balance between ensuring the to share the space with the community and a safety of the various assets: human, bikes, desire to keep the plants safe from theft. This garden, etc., and opening the space to the has resulted in a single password-protected community is a prime interest. gate on the western side that discourages use from the larger LMA and Mission Hill Community. All sides of the garden are gated off. The area currently has an ADA accessibility elevator that will be removed following the construction of a second ADA ramp from the Huntington Ave. entrance next to Countway Library to the Countway Plaza. Tables have been set up in CCG for volunteers

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(Key Design Challenges Continued)

exposures and consequences.

Heat The garden space becomes very hot in the summer months as the sunlight reflects off the pale bricks and the cement walls surrounding the space. On sunny days the garden can be around 5 degrees higher than the rest of campus. This was particularly challenging this year as Boston only received 3.92 inches of rain during the summer and had more than two weeks where the temperature reached more than 90°F, making it one of the hottest and driest summers Boston has faced. Access to water Currently, CCG gardeners must use a hose Noise that spans the distance of two buildings, Traffic and two large generators in the CCG which comes from a spigot on the far side area create ongoing noise disturbance. In the of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital area closest to the generators the noise read building. Two hundred-foot hoses weave as high as 93 decibels with only one generator their way between the buildings to reach running. Ways to create barriers between the garden. While this has effectively noise and the garden space would promote brought water down to the garden space, it the comfort and enjoyment of CCG users. is not an ideal situation because the hose is Current CCG managers feel placing the bike always vulnerable to damage and theft. In rack near the generators could be a possible the past, water was carried out in large solution. buckets--filled at the bathroom sink, then rolled out on a library cart.

Material Selection Whether considering how to address pests, the construction materials used, or influence from external factors creating a healthy environment is vital to this space. Being aware of harmful chemicals and substances is important for reducing unintended 9 7

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(Key Design Challenges Continued)

Really a “Rooftop” Garden As mentioned, the CCG sits atop the roof of the subbasement of the library, specifically the Center for the History of Medicine’s rare book stacks. In this respect, the CCG is really a rooftop garden, despite the fact that it is at ground level, as shown in the image below. Ensuring the resiliency of the subterranean priceless assets is a critical consideration for any future remodeling of the space.

Sketch not to scale, purely illustrative Credit: Ben Tulman

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Your goal is to address these challenges in an innovative but realistic way.

To be clear, proposals will be accepted at all scales of redesign. Materials can be reused and reorganized with minimal overhaul of the core structures. Conversely, the space can be entirely reimagined in ways that would require significant structural disruption. The latter would entail substantially more capital investment and would likely call for external dedicated funding. When possible, consider how the University’s research and teaching mission would be enhanced – this will strengthen the implementation of proposals of this scale.

Specific Requirements for Proposal Submissions (submitted by October 14) Re Design ü Five-minute presentation pitch (this can be a ( ) PowerPoint presentation with narration, Innovation edited video, etc) ü One Page Vision Document of your design to Challenge accompany your video ü A visualization of your redesign (From napkin drawings to 3D renderings) ü Optional: 1-3 Page support document of any content you think will assist in decision making ü If you are one of the top three teams selected, at least one member of your team must be available to present at the final presentation on November 10 from 6-8pm ü Complete a Self/Team-evaluation

Final projects will be judged on originality and their promotion of education, community engagement, diverse accessibility, and health. Top three teams will present in the final presentations on November 10th.

Re(Design) Innovation Challenge

Appendices APPENDIX 1 Area of Intervention

APPENDIX 2 Sustainability Background

APPENDIX 3 Sustainability Tools – Life Cycle Assessment

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Appendix 1: Area of Intervention Adapted from 1964 Site Plan of Countway Library and Surrounding Courtyards – Credit: Kuang Zheng

Appendix 2: Sustainability Background

Harvard’s Sustainability Plan, the University’s roadmap for building and operating a healthier, more sustainable campus community, opens with a Foreword by President Drew Gilpin Faust that reverberates in the vision and structure of the Re(Design) Innovation Challenge. “We must continue to generate new ideas and spur exciting innovations by collaborating across disciplines as we develop solutions to pressing global challenges… Harvard must also be committed to modeling an institutional pathway to a more sustainable campus. Our goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is the University’s most ambitious effort to date, but our students, faculty, and staff have also harnessed their creativity to build a healthier campus in which to learn, work, and live. Harvard’s commitment to sustainability has united individuals across our Schools around common goals and a strong vision for a more vibrant community.”

Creating a sustainable campus strengthens Harvard’s core research and teaching mission, and it acknowledges that the challenges before us are complex and interconnected, demanding an ever-developing approach to sustainability. 13 2

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(Appendix 2 Continued)

Professors William Clark, of Harvard Kennedy School, Jack Spengler, of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, co-Chairs of the Sustainability Plan’s Faculty Advisory Committee, write that when organizations consider their possible paths towards sustainable development, they should focus on implications for the well-being of individual people aggregated within and across generations.

Appendix 3: Sustainability Tool – Life Cycle Assessment

The environmental and health impacts of a product go beyond its immediate use. A product also includes its embodied impacts - the pollution, health and environmental impacts associated with the upstream and downstream processes involved in its manufacture, transportation, and disposal after use. If we want to consider healthier, more sustainable building as we are doing by redesigning the Countway Garden, we should also consider these up-and-downstream impacts of what materials go into that redesign.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology measures these impacts, and can give a more holistic view of the total impacts of a given product through its entire life cycle, starting from raw material extraction to disposal. Considering the life cycle impacts can lead to more informed and healthier decisions when looking at multiple ways to solve a problem, or when choosing a product. Something may have a smaller footprint during its use, but it may have very large footprint due to upstream manufacturing processes. Some of these may negate the use phase benefits, and make the product less appealing compared to others. LCA can also uncover impacts that may otherwise go unconsidered.

An example would be comparing disposable to washable diapers - while disposal diapers will lead to a considerable waste stream, washable diapers have a large impact from the use and heating of water to clean them. LCA takes a holistic view, and examines all impacts a product has through its entire life cycle, and can make comparisons between competing goods easier to make and better informed.

If you would like a life cycle impact assessment performed on some aspect of your design, please fill out the google form on the competition website. Email Cathryn Buonocore ([email protected]) to let her know that you have completed the form. Cathryn can’t guarantee she will have the time to do every LCA requested, but the more detail you provide the more easily and quickly I’ll be able to turn requests around. This is primarily intended to help you make a more informed choice when you have multiple ways to achieve the same goal, and would like to compare the downstream impacts of them.

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(Appendix 3 Continued)

Life Cycle Assessment Questions to Consider: 1. What kind of material(s) are you using? Be as specific as possible - I.E., if it’s metal, what kind of metal? If wood, is it soft or hard wood? What kind of plastic are you planning to use? 2. How much of the material in question are you using? Please use mass or volume units whenever possible. 3. What is the intended lifespan of the product/material in question? 4. What are other potential alternatives?

Answer these questions using the Google form on the competition website. This is a great opportunity to ensure that your design is truly sustainable!

List of materials for potential life cycle assessment:

• Soil • Toolshed (wood) • Concrete • Pest control - netting, mesh • Metals (steel, aluminum, etc.) netting, chicken wire • Carbon sequestration • Hose (rubber) (plants/grass) • Hose reel (plastic) • Pavement • Beehives (metal, wood, etc.) • Plastic of various types • Bike racks/cages (metal - steel or • Wood aluminum) • Fertilizers • Shellac (water proofing material • Pesticides that goes under raised garden • Other construction materials bed) • Lighting (LED, CFL, • Plastic sheet incandescent) + lighting • Garden cloth (i.e.cotton) infrastructure • Neem oil • Solar panels • Safer soap • Security cameras • Bricks • Water • Mortar/plaster/the stuff that goes • Rainwater collection (barrel) around bricks • More composting infrastructure • Terra cotta for pots (plastic containers) • Umbrellas

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References

[1] Climate Impacts in the Northeast | Climate Change | US EPA "Climate Impacts In The Northeast | Climate Change | US EPA". Www3.epa.gov. N. p., 2016. Web. 8 Aug. 2016.

[2] 3 Projected Climate Change by Geographic Region - Climate Effects - Publications - Adaptation - Transportation Climate Change - Environment - FHWA " 3 Projected Climate Change By Geographic Region - Climate Effects - Publications - Adaptation - Transportation Climate Change - Environment - FHWA". Fhwa.dot.gov. N. p., 2016. Web. 8 Aug. 2016.

[3] Bostonredevelopmentauthority.org. N. p., 2016. Web. 8 Aug. 2016.

[4]Litt JS, Soobader M-J, Turbin MS, Hale JW, Buchenau M, Marshall JA. (2011). The influence of social involvement, neighborhood aesthetics, and community garden participation on fruit and vegetable consumption. Am J Public Health, 101(8):1466-1473.

[5] Zick CD, Smith KR, Kowaleski-Jones L, Uno C, Merrill BJ. (2013). Harvesting More Than Vegetables: The Potential Weight Control Benefits Of Community Gardening. Am J Public Health, 1110-1115.

[6] Alaimo K, Reischl TM, Allen JO. (2010). Community gardening, neighborhood meetings, and social capital. J Community Psychol, 38(4):497-514

[7] Heim, S., Stang, K., & Ireland, M. 2009. A garden pilot project enhances fruit and vegetable consumption among children. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 109, 1220-1226.

[8] Patel, I.C. 1996. Rutgers urban gardening: A case study in urban agriculture. Journal of Agricultural and Food Information 3(3): 35–46.

[9] Lea, E. 2005. “Food, Health, the Environment and Consumers’ Dietary Choices,” Nutrition and Dietetics, Vol. 62, pp. 21-25.

Content Assembled By Funding Provided By

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Harvard Medical School Campus Planning Erika Sita Eitland Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Skylar Klager Office for Sustainability Augusta Williams EcoOpportunity Jie Yin Harvard Chan Student Association Kuang “Frank” Zheng Cathyrn Buonocore Faculty Advisors Dr. Joseph Allen Harvard Office for Sustainability Dr. Jack Spengler Adam Meier

Countway Community Garden Julia Bald 16 Heather Mumford