green infrastructure on industrial buildings: gowanus€¦ · green infrastructure on industrial...

Green Infrastructure on

Industrial Buildings: Gowanus

Nadine Kaplan

Development of Professional Competency

Masters Program in Urban Environmental

Systems Management,

Pratt Institute Programs for Sustainable Planning

and Development

Client: Gowanus Canal Conservancy

Spring 2013

Green Infrastructure on Industrial Buildings: Gowanus Nadine Kaplan - Spring 2013 MS in UESM, Pratt Institute PSPD

Acknowledgments

With gratitude to:

Alec Appelbaum and Jamie Stein, for your patience, time and guidance throughout the evolution

of this project;

Hans Hesselein, Richard Kampf, and Rebecca Rogers-Hawson of the Gowanus Canal

Conservancy for your inspiration, technical advisement and resources;

Bonnie Kaplan, David Kaplan and Beverly Quint for your boundless love and generosity; and

Chris Cartwright for your unyielding faith, strength and sense of humor.


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INTRODUCTION

This proposal examines two of the current challenges to Gowanus’ environmental systems and

how existing government policies have so far addressed them. From this analysis, an additional

intervention that would serve the needs of local stakeholders is identified. The final result is an

argument for why and how this intervention can be integrated into the existing policies.

The neighborhood of Gowanus (Gowanus) is located in western Brooklyn in the area

surrounding its namesake, the Gowanus Canal (the Canal). Gowanus is bound by Cobble Hill to

the west, Boerum Hill to the north, Park Slope to the east, and the Gowanus Expressway to the

south. The areas nearest to the Canal are predominantly comprised of industrial buildings, the

majority of which house light and medium industrial uses. In addition to the industrial businesses

whose employees rely on this area for their livelihood, non-industrial commercial enterprises and

residents are an important fixture of the Gowanus. In addition to the businesses and people that

comprise Gowanus, the Canal itself is at the core of the neighborhood’s identity.

Historically, the Canal provided

a vital source of transportation

for the industrial community.

Overtime, pollution from

various sources entered the

Canal and impacted its water

quality. Currently, discharges

from New York’s City’s


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Combined Sewer System, which conveys a mixture of stormwater and sanitary wastewater, are

the primary source of ongoing contamination to the Canal. Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)

are discharges that occur when the combined sewers are unable to handle the volume of

stormwater they receive.

One environmental challenge that Gowanus is facing is providing adequate support for its local

economy, including retention of its industrial identity (Parker “Pratt Capstone Inquiry”). The

Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA)

Program takes on this challenge. Another

issue Gowanus confronts is ongoing

pollution that enters the Canal via CSOs. The

New York City Green Infrastructure Plan (GI

Plan) was developed to tackle this issue.

Green walls are a type of green infrastructure

that could be installed on industrial buildings in Gowanus as part of other interventions

specifically tailored to the area. In addition to the existing work that the BOA and GI Plan have

put into these challenges, the addition of green walls would add flexibility to the implementation

of the BOA and GI Plan, thereby maximizing their benefits to Gowanus’ industrial, commercial

and residential stakeholders.


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ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

The Gowanus Canal has a long history of contamination from historic industrial practices. It is

part of the New York City waterways (less than 7% by area) that do not meet clean water act

standards (“NYC GI Plan” 13). The overflow of sanitary waste from combined sewers continues

to impact its water quality. The Canal sewershed consists of 1,759 Acres, 92% of which (1,613

acres) are served by a combined sewer system (“NYC GI Plan” 92). When stormwater flow from

rain or snow exceeds the capacity of wastewater treatment plants, the contents of the combined

sewer are diverted to CSOs. These outfalls discharge stormwater and wastewater (sanitary waste)

directly to the Canal. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which

is responsible for operating and maintaining all of New York City’s Sewers, estimates that 210

million gallons of CSO discharge to the Canal each year from eleven locations along the Canal

(“NYC GI Plan” 15). One such outfall, OH007, is located at 2nd Avenue and 5th Street. The

Canal is now on the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) National

Priorities List, with superfund cleanup scheduled for completion in 2020. The EPA’s plans to

remediate the Canal of historical contamination cannot be implemented until this ongoing source

of contamination is greatly reduced (“2011 Update” ii).

Another environmental issue Gowanus faces is the prevalence of potentially contaminated

industrial sites on land, which pose a challenge to economic development in the area (“Gowanus

BOA”). Industrial, commercial and residential uses continue to exist in close proximity and each

is an important part of the economic and cultural identity of the neighborhood. Historically, the

Gowanus Canal provided strategic access to businesses reliant on water-borne transportation.

However, very few of the businesses located along the Canal today are water-dependent (United


4

States Environmental Protection Agency, 2). There are still many light industrial businesses in

the Gowanus neighborhood, generally clustered close to the Canal itself. Therefore, in addition

to residential and commercial stakeholders, industrial businesses in Gowanus will be an

important part of the neighborhood’s future (Kampf, Interview).

The Gowanus Canal Conservancy (GCC) is a non-profit whose goals center on the revitalization

of the Gowanus Canal and the surrounding neighborhood with land-use, environmental and

sustainability initiatives. They and other community organizations in the Gowanus Area, are

working to balance the needs of families, businesses, property owners, and the environment in

the diverse community they serve (Kampf Interview). Their ongoing projects include community

composting, a lecture series addressing ecological issues, and participation in urban planning

initiatives.

EXISTING POLICY FRAMEWORK

The City of New York has developed a multi-pronged approach to addressing CSOs. Their

Green Infrastructure Plan has a few main goals; one “critical goal of the green infrastructure

component is to manage

runoff from 10% of

impervious surfaces in

combined sewer watersheds

through detention and

infiltration source controls” (“NYC GI Plan” 1). Source controls are structural interventions that

prevent or delay stormwater runoff from entering the stormwater or

Item % Reduction in CSOs Reduction of CSOs by

Volume (mgy)

High level Sewer Separation 5%

Sewer Maintenance

Sewer Maintenance

Interceptor Maintenance

Green Infrastructure 11% 32.00

Total 16%

Total Reduction in CSOs 45% From 377MG to 207MG


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combined sewer system (“2011 Update” ii). Source controls can include “grey” strategies such as

stormwater detention tanks; however, vegetated source controls, or “green infrastructure” are the

predominant technologies that have been chosen for widespread implementation (“NYC GI

Plan” 3). Due to the Canal’s water quality issues, the Gowanus watershed is one of the City’s

priority locations for reducing stormwater runoff that contributes to CSO discharges. Meeting the

10% goal in the Gowanus combined sewer watershed would reduce CSOs to the Gowanus by

11%, or 32 million gallons per year (mgy).

The Office of Green Infrastructure (OGI) was setup by the DEP to oversee implementation of the

GI Plan on City-owned property including the Right-of-Way (ROW). The OGI is also

responsible for distributing grant money for source controls projects proposed on private

property or the sidewalks that adjoin private property. In 2011, the OGI made $3.8 million in

grants (out of a possible $4 million) for projects on private property and the adjoining sidewalks

(“Gowanus Canal CSOs” 52). Each project must manage a minimum of 1-inch of stormwater

runoff from the “contributing impervious area”. The Office of Green Infrastructure included this

requirement to encourage cost-effective projects, since 90% of storms in NYC produce less than

1.2 inches of rain (“2013 Grant Workshops”, 14).

In the application, the Office of Green Infrastructure asks the applicant to describe the co-

benefits of the proposed project. This includes reduction of energy-use in the building,

ecological improvements, recreation, and other quality of life, health and environmental benefits.

The Office of Green Infrastructure also evaluates the proposed project for its benefits to the local

community and stakeholders. They ask how the local institutions or groups will be involved in


6

the design, construction and/or stewardship of the project. The possible educational, economic

and stewardship opportunities provided by the proposed project are included in this section, as

well as in the co-benefits section (“2013 Grant Workshops” 6).

Additional elements of a project that are given weight in the Grant Application include:

Existing sources of funding;

Design elements that can be replicated;

Support from the community;

Provision of community education and engagement;

Provision of a plan for monitoring the performance of the system;

Implementation within a short time frame;

Support toward economic development and job provision.

In Gowanus, a grant for $580,000 went to the Gowanus Canal Conservancy for their “6th

Street

Green Corridor” Project, which proposes a series of curbside bioswales ranging in size from 400

to 1,200 square feet, along

6th Street. The swales were

anticipated to capture 40%

of stormwater runoff from

approximately an acre of

impervious surfaces in the Right-of-Way (“Water Quality Improvements” 20). This is equivalent

to capturing one inch of rainfall from approximately half an acre. The Green Infrastructure Plan

predicts that source controls will need to have a collective drainage area of about 208 acres in the

Area needed to collect 1-inch from 10% of

Impervious surface area Acres

% of Drainage Area

1,387.00 100.00

Public ROW 64.00 7.21

Public On-Site 72.00 8.11

Private On-Site 72.00 8.11

Total 208.05 15.00


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Gowanus sewershed to accomplish the 10% goal.

The Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) is an economic development tool that coordinates

existing land-use proposals with recommendations from the community. The BOA addresses

development in areas where potentially contaminating land-uses may create an impediment to

development of such land. Its goal is to improve infrastructure and provide a locally created

development plan to balance the needs of the communities various stakeholders. (“Gowanus

BOA”). The BOA process is also designed to include funding from the New York State

Department of State to facilitate implementation of the plan.

As part of the BOA process, groups are invited to

provide comments with their vision for the

neighborhood. The GCC has submitted comments,

which include their plans to revitalize the salt lot at

2nd

Avenue and 5th

Street. The salt lot is an

undeveloped Canal-front property that is owned by

the New York City Department of Sanitation. The

City uses it to store salt for roadway de-icing. They

also allow the GCC to use the lot for community

composting. The GCC’s stewardship of the property

has also included other projects, such as tree

planting, to clean up and beautify the property for the

entire community. A central component of the


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GCC’s vision for developing a sustainable Gowanus is the continued evolution of the salt lot site.

Their long-term plans call for an expansion of their composting program, environmental

education, increased public access and provision of open space amenities (Kampf, Interview).

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

Implementation of the GI Plan has been most visible in the Right-of-Way where the OGI has

installed vegetated bioswales. Bioswales have been designed, tested and monitored as the

preferred method of stormwater detention (2011 Update, 17). These source controls are specially

engineered plantings that are designed to capture rainwater from a much larger footprint than the

area they actually occupy; therefore their performance is impressive for their size (McLaughlin

21). During the design phase, the storage capacity of a bioswale is estimated based on the void

space (pore space) of the medium. For example, soil was assigned an estimated void ratio of

20%, and crushed glass and gravel 35%, by the OGI (“2011 Update” 27). However, the Update

to the Green Infrastructure Plan explains “Performance of each system is specific to its design,

the size of the contributing drainage area, and surrounding site conditions such as height of the

water table and surrounding soils and geology”. (“2011 Update” 28).

There are significant challenges to constructing large numbers of bioswales to satisfy stormwater

capture requirements. Currently, there are restrictions on the placement of bioswales in relation

to curb edges, buildings, lot lines, groundwater (water table), bedrock, and utility lines. In

Gowanus, driveway placement and the associated truck traffic are a factor limiting placement

options for street side stormwater infrastructure. In addition, bioswales installed by OGI must be

completely flat (0% slope), cannot be placed less than 200 feet down gradient from areas where


9

the slopes are above 20%, and, the average of the slope of the bioswale’s drainage area should be

less than 15% (“Guidelines for Design” 124). However, the city has recently developed more

cost-effective, practical methods of moving water mains and, to a lesser extent, gas mains to

facilitate bioswale placement (Torgersen Interview). In some cases, gas mains can be left in

place and encased in concrete underneath the bioswale (“Guidelines for Design” 42).

Under the existing GI program, green roofs are the primary on site use of vegetated source

controls. A standard green roof design includes sedum and other native plants (2011 Update, 41).

Large, low, nearly flat roofs are ideal for green roof installation. Green roofs are also considered

a good choice in locations where buildings are close together (“lot-line to lot-line”) because they

do not require any additional land area, which is at a premium in New York City, both above and

belowground. As such, green roofs are well suited to installation on industrial buildings in

Gowanus (“Guidelines for Design” 85). Green roofs retain water through evapotranspiration and

detain water, which slows drainage rate to reduce peak runoff. Green roofs in New York City

have been shown to capture 60-70% of runoff from roof areas. They are relatively easy to install

and extend the life of the roof by protecting it from UV radiation (“Guidelines for Design” 69).

Green roof performance, like bioswale placement, is greatly dependent on a nearly flat surface.

The DEP advises that an optimal roof slope for green roof performance is .5% to 2%, 2% or

more will provide “limited” storage, and that roofs which slope 5% or more should be avoided

altogether for green roof installation (“Guidelines for Design” 69). In addition, green roof

placement on smaller roofs is not as cost effective as placement on larger roofs, and may not

provide the desired level of stormwater control. Buildings not originally built with high loading


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capacities could require structural reinforcement to bear the weight of a green roof.

Green walls are vertical green infrastructure that can be installed on their own or in combination

with a green roof. A green façade including a wire frame and substrate similar to that in a green

roof could be bolted to exterior walls without damaging the building or requiring a great deal of

sidewalk space. Both green roofs and green wall systems moderate temperature and reduce

heating and cooling costs for building occupants. The vegetation in green roofs and green walls

provides air filtration and enhanced habitat (Bohemen, Faaij and Otele 8). They can also improve

water quality by filtering runoff (Stav 19). Pore space in soil medium and evapotranspiration

rates are routinely considered as part of green wall performance. Evapotranspiration rates in

particular are commonly used in these calculations, because they help quantify the urban cooling

benefits of the walls (Stav 13).

Over the last few years, more interest has been given to the potential effect of green walls on

stormwater. However, more monitoring and performance data would provide a stronger

argument for their installation (Stav 15). Many researchers acknowledge that green walls could

undoubtedly provide some effect on the speed and quantity of stormwater runoff from buildings.

The government of Victoria, British Columbia states; “the use of living walls for stormwater

retention and cleansing seems to be mostly theoretical at this point although the potential is good.

In addition, some designers and writers are thinking about, and experimenting with, how to use

vertical gardens for greywater treatment” (“Capital Region District”).


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A report written for the government of South Australia, explored the benefits and feasibility of

installing green walls or green facades locally. Although the climate in Australia is significantly

different from the northeastern United States the literature the Australian team reviewed included

studies from all over the world, e.g. Japan, Canada, and various European countries. The report

went so far as to claim that green walls could retain or detain up to 20% of stormwater. However,

no source was provided to verify this claim (Hopkins et al. 65).

Green roofs provide ecological and stormwater control benefits, but they are not visible at street-

level. Although green walls only provide modest stormwater capture benefits, they can provide a

second level of control when installed together with a green roof and have a much greater impact

on public perception and enjoyment than something out

of sight. Green Factor in Seattle is an example of a

municipal program that implemented sustainability

requirements on new developments within a small area

of Seattle with an emphasis on landscape design and

ecological function. The program recognizes the

stormwater related benefits of green walls and gives

them a high rating because of their public visibility.

“Green roofs, vegetated walls, and porous paving were

given higher factors to reflect their multiple benefits…Bonus points were also given to landscape

features visible to the public” (Stenning 66).


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RECOMMENDATIONS

In addition to street side bioswales and green roofs, green walls would significantly increase the

area and visibility of vegetation that can be installed in the Gowanus area. In addition to the

environmental and habitat benefits they share with green roofs, green walls provide visibility.

Unlike green roofs, they don’t require a building’s structure to bear any significant additional

load. Unlike bioswales, which rely on the availability of increasingly scare underground space,

green walls can go out of the way and create environmental opportunity from exterior wall space

that otherwise stays unused.

If green wall systems were used in

addition to the green infrastructure

already in use in NYC, we would have

greater flexibility to use the industrial

space for stormwater retention.

Buildings that have driveways placed

close together can’t accommodate a

bioswale in front, but a green wall can

be added and its slim profile wouldn’t take up more sidewalk space than the existing yellow

bollards. The fence next door, which obviously can’t add a green roof, can still include a cable or

trellis green wall system.

Green wall/green roof combination systems should be included in proposals for green

infrastructure. Grant money would otherwise only include green roofs. Green walls can be used


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to supplement water collection by the green roof and could increase several other performance

indicators while vastly increasing the short and long-term community benefits from the plan.

Green infrastructure can provide multiple benefits as part of the Gowanus BOA plan.

Industrial land use along 2nd

Avenue in Gowanus provides opportunities as well as challenges to

incorporating Right-of-Way and on-site green infrastructure. The BOA Plan can have more

holistic criteria and should borrow from the GI Plan for its GI component. Carefully chosen

green infrastructure can provide simultaneous benefits to residential, commercial and industrial

neighbors. Giving more weight to multi-benefit green infrastructure will create a more pleasant

place to live and work while improving the environment and encouraging neighborhood

development.

WORKS CITED

Van Bohemen, H. D., Fraaij and Otele, M. “Ecological Engineering, Green Roofs and the

Greening of Vertical Walls of Buildings in Urban Areas”. Ecocity World Summit 2008

Proceedings. Via ebookbrowse.com

Friends of Community Board 6, Inc. “Gowanus BOA Nomination Study Frequently Asked

Questions”. September 2012.

http://www.fbcb6.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/BOA_Web_FAQ_ch_edits_UPDATED

9-18.26295147.pdf (April 30, 2013)

“Gowanus BOA”. Friends of Community Board 6, Inc. 2011. http://fbcb6.org/gowanus_boa

(April 30, 2013)

Hesselein, Hans “Re: Pratt Capstone Inquiry – Green infrastructure Outreach” email to Nadine

Kaplan. January 31, 2013.

Hopkins, Graeme, et al. (2010) Feasibility Study: Living Wall System for Multi-Storey Buildings

in the Adelaide Climate. Prepared for the Government of South Australia. June 2010.

http://www.sa.gov.au/upload/franchise/Water,%20energy%20and%20environment/climate_c

hange/documents/BIF/Green_Wall_Full_Report.pdf (April 30, 2013).

Kampf, Richard, Personal Interview, February 5, 2013.

Kampf, Richard. “Re: Pratt Capstone Inquiry – Green infrastructure Outreach” email to Nadine

Kaplan. February 13, 2013.

“Living Walls, Rainwater Management, Capital Region District”. October 12, 2007. Capital

Region District Parks and Environmental Services, Victoria, British Columbia.

http://www.crd.bc.ca/watersheds/lid/walls.htm (April 30, 2013).

McLaughlin, John, “NYC Bioswales Pilot Project Improves Stormwater Management”. Clear

Waters, Summer 2012, pp. 20-23. http://nywea.org/clearwaters/12-2-summer/7.pdf (April 30,

2013).

New York City Department of Environmental Protection. “Gowanus Canal CSOs”. Power Point.

April 18, 2012.

http://www.brooklyncb6.org/_attachments/0%2E12314504%5F2012%2D04%2D18%20DEP

%20Gowanus%20CSOs%2Epdf (April 30, 2013).

New York City Department of Environmental Protection. “Gowanus Canal Water Quality

Improvements – Community Advisory Group”. Power Point. PS 58, The Carroll School,

Brooklyn, NY. September 27 2011.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/superfund/gc_cag_presentation_09272011.pdf (April 30,

2013).

New York City Department of Environmental Protection. “Green Infrastructure Grant Program:

2013 Grant Workshops Presentation”. Power Point. Brooklyn Heights Public Library,

Brooklyn, NY. December 5, 2012.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/green_infrastructure/2013-green-infrastructure-grant-

program-grant-workshop.pdf (April 30, 2013).

New York City Department of Environmental Protection. New York City Green Infrastructure

Plan. September 2010.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/stormwater/nyc_green_infrastructure_plan.shtml (April

30, 2013).

New York City Department of Environmental Protection. New York City Green Infrastructure

Plan: 2011 Preliminary Pilot Monitoring Results: Update Supplement. June 2012.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/green_infrastructure/gi_annual_report_update_supplement

_2012.pdf (April 30, 2013).

New York City Department of Environmental Protection Office of Green Infrastructure.

Standards for Green Infrastructure. CAD Drawings. August 3, 2012.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/ddc/downloads/pdf/pub_intra_std/_EP/120914-

FINAL%202012_bioswales-standard-designs.pdf (April 30, 2013).

New York City Department of Environmental Protection and New York City Department of

Buildings. Guidelines for the Design and Construction of Stormwater Management Systems.

July 2012.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/green_infrastructure/stormwater_guidelines_2012_final.pd

f (April 30, 2013).

Parker, Andrea “Re: Pratt Capstone Inquiry – Green infrastructure Outreach” email to Nadine

Kaplan. March 15, 2013.

Stav, Yael (2008). Living Walls and Their Potential Contribution to Sustainable Urbanism in

Brisbane. Confirmation of Candidature Report. Queensland University of Technology.

http://www.academia.edu/1326234/Living_Walls_and_Their_Potential_Contribution_to_Sus

tainable_Urbanism_in_Brisbane (April 30, 2013).

Stenning, Elizabeth (2008). An Assessment of the Seattle Green Factor: Increasing and

Improving the Quality of Urban Green Infrastructure. University of Washington.

http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cms/groups/pan/@pan/@permits/documents/web_informational/

dpdp020382.pdf (April 30, 2013).

Torgersen, Catherine, Personal Interview, March 22, 2013.

United States Environmental Protection Agency. Superfund Proposed Plan: Gowanus Canal

Superfund Site Kings County, New York. December 2012.

epa.gov/region2/superfund/npl/gowanus/pdf/gowanus_prap.pdf (April 30, 2013).

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

Design Trust for Public Space and New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. High

Performance Landscape Guidelines: 21st Century Parks for New York City. 2010.

http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/sustainable_parks/design_guidelines.pdf (April 30,

2013).

Loh, Susan and Stav, Yael (2008) “Green a city grow a wall”. Proceedings of the Subtropical

Cities 2008 Conference: From Fault Lines to Sight-lines: Subtropical Urbanism in 20-20.

September 3-6, 2008. State Library of Queens land, Brisbane, Queensland.

http://eprints.qut.edu.au/28173/ (April 30, 2013).

New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Environmental Planning and

Assessment, Office of Ecological Services. 6th Street Green Corridor – DEP Pilot Project

90% Design Development Drawings. November 2012. Email from Hans Hesselein to Nadine

Kaplan. February 20 2013.

Steinfeld, Carol “The Walls Are Alive, For Privacy, Quiet and Insulation, Consider a Living

Wall”. October 25, 2007. http://www.carol-steinfeld.com/greenwalls.html (April 30, 2013).

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