ARCH 1250 SEC 9578 PROFESSOR KING ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

Group Six: Environment & Sustainability 2 GROUP MEMBERS STEPHANIE VICTOR MARLENN LUIZA

Group Six: Environment & Sustainability 3 Brooklyn Bridge Park Images: Park appearance up to date

Group Six: Environment & Sustainability 4 Team Objectives  To create, through the use of sustainable methods, a positive environment through out the Downtown Brooklyn area, with specific focus on areas that relate directly with the prospectively of Brooklyn Bridge Park SUSTAINABILITY: to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  To create a sustainable and ecological environment in the once predominantly industrial Brooklyn area, with a focus on already present environmental assets and liabilities ECOLOGY: the totality or pattern of relations between organisms and their environment

Group Six: Environment & Sustainability 5 Team Objectives As a team we will focus on three major elements of Downtown Brooklyn: a park, both a pedestrian and a bicycle path to the waterfront and a grouping of a recreational and an industrial waterfront. We believe these three elements are general examples of environmental issues in the area. By proposing sustainable solutions to bettering these distinctive situations we hope to develop a larger plan for a future, greater scale sustainable development of areas surround the entire Brooklyn waterfront.

Group Six: Environment & Sustainability 6 Proposal Outline  Investigation of a concrete park: Columbus Park  Eco-friendly circulation routes: Brooklyn Bridge/ Manhattan Bridge

Group Six: Environment & Sustainability 7 Columbus Park

Group Six: Environment & Sustainability 8 Assets and Liabilities  Concrete Slab through out majority of park  Excess rainwater runoff due to lake of proper water capturing system  Excess municipal dependence on water by local government buildings  Lake of variety in park vegetation  Non paved areas gathered in large clusters  Large open park provides escape for local residents and employees  Present trees provide protection from harsh summer sunlight  Plenty of room of development of new park projects

Group Six: Environment & Sustainability 9 Goals  Rainwater Capture: Reduce runoff from rainfall into sewage systems by increasing water capture and infiltration through the removal of excess concrete pavement.  Used water recycling: Creation of natural and artificial water storage and filtration systems.  Reuse to reduce unnecessary water waste: Connection of recycled water to near by municipal buildings

Group Six: Environment & Sustainability 10 Rainwater Capture ｷ Open planted depressions: this design is made to temporarily hold rainwater from simply sliding into sewage drains. Water will slowly reduce through evaporation, soil absorption as well as plant transpiration. ｷ Constructed wetlands: i.e. replacing central mechanical fountain with biological pond, reducing water waste as well as inducing natural infiltration and possible cleansing system. ｷ Repaving of unnecessary concrete slabs: reduce area of concrete slab by surrounding outskirts of park with gravel walkways. Forcing runoff water from pavement to infiltrate gravel before reaching street gutters. ｷ Underground cisterns: rainwater-capturing cisterns located under new gravel pavement to detain overly saturated ground water from infiltration.

Group Six: Environment & Sustainability 11 Used Water Recycling and Reuse ｷ Variation in current vegetation: addition of water filtering plants in plant depressions such as: Arrowhead, Pickerelweed, Bulrush Cattails and Calla Lily will allow for natural water filtering bacteria to prosper. ｷ The Living Machine: by creating a full functioning living machine around the Brooklyn Court House and Brooklyn’s Borough Hall building Columbus Park can produce enough cleansed water to operate sustainable irrigation for it’s surrounding plant life as well as provide reusable water for it’s restrooms. ｷ Rain Gardens: Creation of rainwater between current trees can hold water and naturally filter it back into the ground hydrating local trees within plots. This will also reduce the rush of a large storm. ｷ Connecting stored and filtered water to municipal building uses: placing connecting pipes from living machines and biological ponds to Borough Hall and Brooklyn Court House will reduce the buildings’ dependency on city water refinement plants as well as lower energy costs. The buildings will have water needs met by their proper courtyard.

Group Six: Environment & Sustainability 12 Eco-Friendly Circulations In order to reduce the necessity for energy wasting transportation to Brooklyn Bridge Park we propose restructuring what we consider to be two major routes to reach the park through the use of sustainable transportation: bicycles and walking. We chose to focus on the main routes from Manhattan into Brooklyn through the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridge due to our wants of bring New York tourists into the up and coming neighborhood. Our proposal is to create a safe, comfortable bike ride from the end of the Manhattan Bridge on the Brooklyn side into the farthest north section of Park. We will also like to propose a pedestrian friendly walk from Brooklyn Bridge to the park entering near Pier 1. By creating these path ways we hope to bust the future economy of Brooklyn through tourism while still maintain a sustainable environment of recreational enjoyment.

Group Six: Environment & Sustainability 13 Assets and Liabilities  Narrow streets give a more intimate feel  Developing area with many new bars and restaurants  Close to Manhattan, only across the the Bridge ( biking distance)  Streets intermix and cause confusion  Signage is not up to date and confusing  Loud industry related noises due to large trucks and subway on Manhattan Bridge  Routes to and from Bridges can be very hectic

Group Six: Environment & Sustainability 14 Goals  Bicycle Routes: Make a simpler route leading to the Brooklyn Bridge Park.  Pedestrian Routes: Create a simple route leading to the water front and through out the Park.

Group Six: Environment & Sustainability 15 Routes to the Park

Group Six: Environment & Sustainability 16 Bicycle/Pedes Routes

Group Six: Environment & Sustainability 17 NEXT STEPS…  Bicycle & Pedestrian routes: figure out the routes that are used frequently and what ways we can add signs along these routes to help get the to the park.  Also, find environmentally sound ways to make routes more comfortable by reducing noise levels and vehicular traffic intersection.  Columbus Park: Develop detailed design for application of sustainable elements to park.  Also, investigate local plants and materials which could be incorporated into design.