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LIDA ALJABARURBAN PLANNING

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

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ABOUT MEABOUT ME

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I am a community sustainability professional with experience spanning the urban - rural contexts, domestic and international. I am driven by an appreciation of the relationships between people, their environments and their state of health and well-being. Thus, I apply a holistic perspective to solving our complex sustainable development and climate adaptation challenges. In my work to date, I have helped to strategically preserve or improve over 15 acres of open space, informed the advancement of several land use, conservation, watershed management, and urban development policies, and engaged countless stakeholders in defining their community visions. The following pages of this book exhibit some of my recent works.

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ROSSLYN SECTOR PLAN

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PROJECT

LOCATION

POSITION

ROLE

The Rosslyn Sector Plan is a comprehensive planning document that establishes a vision for the urban district’s future as a dynamic, sustainable and world class urban community. Rosslyn is an urban village of Arlington, VA, located on the Potomac River and next to the nation’s capital. In the 1960’s, Rosslyn began to transition from a seedy red light district to a suburban center for commerce. The auto-centric paradigm of that time left Rosslyn scarred by rings of highways, brutalist architecture and an incoherent network of concrete plazas.

Arlington, VA

Associate Planner, Arlington County Government

Open Space and Sustainability ContentExisting Conditions AnalysesPolicy DevelopmentImplementation StrategyCommunity Engagement

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EXISTING CONDITIONS ANALYSES

I conducted existing conditions analyses of the open space and natural resource context in Rosslyn. I utilized Geographic Information Systems (GIS), field surveys and observations, and land records to better understand the community’s parks level of service, access to recreational facilities, tree canopy coverage, and hydrological conditions.

OPEN SPACE TYPOLOGY

Today, the Rosslyn core suffers from a case of POPOS (privately-owned open spaces) overdose, as well as underserving publicly-owned open spaces. I developed a typology of open spaces centered around functionality to guide the redevelopment of Rosslyn toward an open space network that is balanced with community needs.

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ILLUSTRATIVE PLAN & RECOMMENDATIONS

The Rosslyn Sector Plan illustrates the vision for Rosslyn on a range of place-making topics: land use, transportation, parks and open space, building heights and form and sustainability. The goal of the Plan is to make Rosslyn a place for people, commerce and nature by connecting to the ground plane and the river, while capitalizing on the district’s fortunate position adjacent to Washington’s monumental core. Transformational elements of the plan include a pedestrian corridor and esplanade connecting a network of open spaces, retail and the river, an enhanced multi-modal transportation system and a dynamic skyline. The Plan provides a policy framework and implementation strategy for achieving that vision.

Rendering and graphic by Goody Clancy.

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ROSSLYN HIGHLANDSOPEN SPACES PLAN

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PROJECT

LOCATION

POSITION

ROLE

The Rosslyn Highlands Park Coordinated Open Spaces Plan establishes a program and unifying design elements for reconstruction of three related open spaces. Today, Rosslyn Highlands Park is a dated, but treasured public green space for residents of Rosslyn. The goal of the plan is to maximize quality and utility of open space on a constrained urban site. This project was preceded by a small area plan, which established a framework for mixed-use development and public-private partnership to occur on the two blocks. Conceptual in nature, this park master plan is guiding the design and construction of the park.

Arlington, VA

Associate Planner, Arlington County Government

Project ManagementContract ManagementVisioning & Community EngagementImplementation Strategy

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Rosslyn Highlands Park is a complex effort coordinated among four property owners and three distinct funding and construction timelines. As project manager, I led a team of inter-agency staff, design consultants, and private partners through planning and early implementation. I handled all scheduling, budgeting and contract management.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Due to political controversy over the preceding small area plan, neighbors of Rosslyn Highlands Park were skeptical of the project. I developed and implemented a community engagement and public outreach strategy in the planning process that yielded high turnout and public support for the final master plan.

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PARK MASTER PLAN

The plan aims to unify the three distinct sites by embracing instinctive circulation paths of users considering the optimal placement of active programs. Key amenities are a multi-use court, play areas and passive seating areas under trees. The park amenities are complemented by exterior Wilson School facilities in the out-of-school hours. Green space and trees are maximized on the triangular pockets of greenery. These green pockets are sloped and terraced to amplify soil depth and volume necessary for tree plantings. The plan optimizes a critical mass of space for the use and enjoyment of the community, aimed at becoming a lively new urban park with recreational and leisurely elements.

Rendering and graphic by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG).

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FOUR MILE RUNRESTORATIONACTION PLAN

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PROJECT

LOCATION

POSITION

ROLE

Charged to find a path to restoration for the challenged Four Mile Run headwaters, my graduate planning studio devised an actionable strategy for the City of Falls Church to restore and celebrate the stream, expand public green space and catalyze mixed use development. Four Mile Run is a tributary of the Potomac River that runs from Falls Church at its headwaters and through Arlington and Alexandria. Restoration will enhance aquatic and near-stream habitat downstream.

Falls Church, VA

Graduate Student, Virginia Tech Urban & Regional Planning Studio

Report Layout & Graphics DesignGIS MappingEnvironmental AnalysisLand Use & Economic AnalysisImplementation Strategy

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F o u r M i l eR u n

Falls Church

Arlington

Districtof

Columbia

Alexandria

Fairfax

Area of Study

Po

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ac

Riv

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Potomac River

WATERSHED & ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS

Through field studies, historical investigations, GIS mapping and analysis of secondary water quality data, we found that the stream has been altered over time to accommodate high flows and urban infrastructure. There are areas of stagnant water, overtaking invasive species, and poor water quality due to point- and nonpoint-source pollution.

ECONOMIC & LAND USE ANALYSIS

Existing land uses surrounding the stream are polluting and underperforming relevant to the land value. Through analysis of the area’s zoning, property ownership and land use patterns, as well as interviews with city officials, we concluded that redevelopment of the adjacent sites is feasible with city-assisted land consolidation.

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FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION

The plan outlines steps the City of Falls Church should take to accomplish stream restoration in concert with redevelopment of the area, making use of a variety of implementation tools in an over-arching public-private partnership: assess stream conditions, position parcels for redevelopment through establishment of TDR and consolidation of a viable development site, create a vision for restoration and redevelopment with the community, negotiate private investment with developers, develop a plan for restoration and public open spaces, and identify funding sources, such as grants and capital funds, to leverage private investment in completing stream activities.

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RESTORATION ACTION PLAN

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IMPACT ASSESSMENT &

WATER INVESTIGATION

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PROJECT

LOCATION

POSITION

ROLE

Verón is a growing peri-urban community outside the Punta Cana tourism district. Residents, primarily seasonal tourism workers, are exposed to numerous environmental health risks and lack adequate access to clean water, health care, infrastructure and other services. I participated in two projects in a series of interdisciplinary investigations: the (1) Impact Assessment outlined the baseline conditions and analyzed leverage points for change in a systems-based framework, that led to the (2) Focus Investigation on Water, in which the operations of a community-managed water system were assessed for scalability.

Verón-Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Graduate Student, Virginia Tech International Development Studio

Data Collection & AnalysisGIS MappingSpanish InterpretationReport Layout & Graphics Design

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IMPACT ASSESSMENT METHOD

The system under investigation was conceived as having three different areas of impacts: (1) environment (built + natural), (2) health, and (3) social. Methods utilized include a stakeholder evaluation, two community-facilitated surveys, key informant interviews and observational surveys of the built environment.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT FINDINGS

We developed transformative opportunities that engage across themes of water, urban growth, civic engagement, technology and health and nutrition. In particular, the success of one community-managed water system was highlighted for study to be replicated or scaled to improve access to safe water to more households across Verón.

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WATER INVESTIGATION METHOD

To study the community-led water resource management system in the barrio of Samaritano Segundo, we conducted household level surveys, key informant interviews and focus group interviews. The data was analyzed within a SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results) framework.

WATER INVESTIGATION FINDINGS

The water-for-fee system is successful because it is managed by a well organized civic board, there is a high level of trust in leadership and residents are active civic participants. With the establishment of strong civic structures and peer-to-peer relationships across Verón, this strategy could improve water access for a city unrecognized by its country.

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URBAN WATERSA MANIFESTO

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PROJECT

LOCATION

POSITION

ROLE

Our urban waterways and their ecosystems are in great peril. A history of industrialization, ongoing population growth and the ever-present impacts of global climate change have converged over time to physically, biologically and chemically alter America’s surface waters in ways that have left some unrecognizable. This independent inquiry investigates how the challenges of tomorrow’s urban watersheds can be met by providing protection from flood and strengthening the human connection to nature.

Cities of the United States

Graduate Student, Virginia Tech Infrastructure for Resilience (Course)

Project ManagementReport Layout & Graphics DesignGIS Mapping

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HISTORIC ANALYSIS

I reviewed the history of urban watersheds in the literature. Many human settlements were established at or near water, over time placing infrastructure and inhabitants at risk during flood events. Subsequently many urban streams and rivers were re-directed into engineered concrete channels or buried underground in tunnels altogether.

ISSUES ASSESSMENT

Contaminants from urban run-off and point pollution, infrastructural changes to in-stream and near-stream environments and restricted sunlight fundamentally alter aquatic conditions. Our alterations have created new ecosystems entirely. Additionally, people are further distanced from natural hydrological processes.

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Urban retreat for most vulnerable infrastructure. Restore and daylight waterways, with public access at strategic reaches.

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Create new, functional ecologies out of derelict infrastructure.

Use natural processes to manage stormwater and reduce urban runoff.

A WAY FORWARD

This issue as one that is bound by our cultural conceptions of “nature.” Consider a spectrum: on one end is a mode of designing to suppress and control nature; on the other end is an eco-centric view of “native” and “wild,” valuing large, wild landscapes. Somewhere in the middle are our cities, comprising an ever-growing share of the world’s land, resources and people. This place on the spectrum must work with natural systems, in a flexible and adaptive manner. This requires restoration in addition to conservation. It requires us to think about adapting derelict elements of our urban history, and designing them to contribute to the natural ecosystem; to be high-performing and functioning parts of our landscape.

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TREE CANOPY & HEALTH EQUITY

MAPPING ANALYSIS

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PROJECT

LOCATION

POSITION

ROLE

Green infrastructure, particularly trees, provide health benefits, such as reduction of the risk of respiratory illnesses through improved air quality. However, access to such ecosystem services often varies, suggesting a dimension of environmental justice not typically considered in urban forest management. This study sought to investigate, “What are the spatial relationships among tree canopy ecosystem services, socioeconomic status and respiratory health in Baltimore, MD?” It was presented at the 2015 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and awarded second place in the student poster presentation category.

Baltimore, MD

Graduate Student, Virginia Tech GIS Applications (Course)

Research & AnalysisGIS MappingReport Layout & Graphics DesignOral Presentation

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GIS MAPPING ANALYSIS

I integrated the following indicators in GIS: tree canopy coverage, median household income and death rate by Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease(CLRD) at the scale of the Community Statistical Area (CSA). To identify health equity dimensions of urban forest management per CSA, a formula was built to score each CSA based on the three criteria.

FINDINGS

Low tree canopy coverage, low median household income and high rates of death due to CLRD are generally correlated in the City of Baltimore. There is an exception to this correlation in the city center, at the “Inner Harbor,” where redevelopment and investment has occured in recent years.

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TAKEAWAYS

While the presence of trees and the ecosystem services that they provide are but one factor in improving public health, their role in creating healthy urban environments should not be discounted. The scope of urban forestry assessments should be broadened to include health equity conditions of the local population, and subsequent forestry targets, plans and practices should address these conditions. Utilization of the simple prioritization tool exhibited in this study will allow practitioners to identify priority zones for forest investment that also include the human dimension of public health.

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Thank you.