Sustainable Planning and Development

February 19, 2016

How do we go from where we are to where we want to be?

Planning Approaches to Sustainability

• Community Character– Fix it first– Mixed land uses– Housing and neighborhoods

• Transportation Choices– Complete streets– Bicycle and pedestrian paths– Shared parking

Planning Approaches to Sustainability

• Community Resiliency– Evaluating your assets– Protecting people & places– Structural Solutions

• Policy in Practice– Development review– Public participation– Quality control

• Growing Green– Green streets– Conserve & preserve– Stormwater management

Specific Examples

• Coastal Smart Growth Toolbox• Brownfields• Green Infrastructure• Resilient Marinas• Living Shorelines

Coastal Smart Growth Toolbox

• Developed for the MS Department of Marine Resources

• 4 Phases to the project– CMP Management Plan– GIS Model– Smart Growth Toolbox– Sustainable Demonstration Project Planning

• http://smartgrowth.dmr.ms.gov/

Brownfields

• Typically funded through EPA Grants– Assessment– Cleanup– Revolving Loans– Others

• Most easily described as “Land Recycling”• Great opportunity to advance in-fill

development or reuse of idle/abandoned properties

• Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act defines Brownfields as “real property, the expansion, redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.”

In Other Words…

• A Brownfield is simply a piece of property that is not realizing its full potential due to real or perceived environmental contamination issues.

• The Brownfields program is designed to address these issues to allow for property redevelopment, economic development and job creation.

Green Infrastructure

• Green Infrastructure uses natural processes to improve water quality and manage water quantity by restoring the hydrologic function of the urban landscape, managing stormwater at its source, and reducing the need for additional gray infrastructure in many instances.

Source - EPA

Green Infrastructure Examples

Construction and Post-Construction

Existing Conditions

Construction and Post-Construction

Resilient Marinas

• Funded by the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA)• Added to and enhanced the existing Clean

Marinas Program to create the Clean and Resilient Marinas Program

• What is resiliency in planning terms?

What Does Resilient Mean?

“Resilience is the capacity of human and natural/physical systems to adapt to and recover from change.”

Gulf of Mexico Alliance Coastal Community Resiliency Team

Where will the Program Apply?

Living Shorelines

• Funded through the MS Department of Marine Resources

• Alternative methods to coastal shoreline stabilization using natural systems as opposed to sea walls, bulkheads, etc.

• Development of a living shorelines guidance manual for property owners

Protect and Preserve Mississippi’s Natural Shorelines in Conjunction with Shoreline Stabilization Practices

LIVING OR SOFT SHORELINE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

• Clean or Dredge Fill• Re-grading & Re-vegetating• Planting Upland Vegetation• Planting Wetland Vegetation• Anchoring Natural Fiber Logs with Vegetation• Natural Fiber Matting with Vegetation• Geotextile Tubes filled with Clean Dredge Fill• Living Breakwaters• Oyster Reefs or Use of Oyster Balls

LIVING OR SOFT SHORELINES

• Marsh Grass Plantings- Native plants introduced at the shoreline to minimize erosion.

Coir Log- Anchored natural fiber log with marsh grass planting

Natural Fiber Matting & Logs- Stabilize slope and allow for regrowth of vegetation

LIVING OR SOFT SHORELINES

Geotextile Tubes - Tubes filled with sediment, placed underwater or on beach to stabilize shore and wetlands

Oyster Reef – Natural reefs and oyster balls introduced to dissipate wave energy

Living Breakwaters- Rock, oyster shell timber etc. seeded with oyster spat and planted with vegetation

Tools for Choosing the Right Management Strategy

#1 Identify Your Shoreline Type• Natural or Hardened Shoreline• Slope• Erosion Rates• Wave Energy • Water Depth• Offshore Ground Surface• Salinity• Fetch• Longshore Sediment Transport

#2 Prioritize Management Goals• Erosion Prevention • Water Quality Improvement• Fish Production• Habitat Diversity• Recreational Benefits

LIVING SHORELINE: KEEGAN BAYOU INLET

Shoreline Type: Mouth of Bayou Project Length: approx. 125 feet Boat Wake Exposure: Moderate Problem Addressed:

Degraded habitat, erosion, aesthetics of abandoned bridge

Strategy Chosen: Marsh Planting

Before

After

Questions/Comments

Jay C. Estes, AICPSenior Principal PlannerChief Operating Officer

Allen Engineering and Science, Inc.jestes@allenes.com

601-583-2182