(Kansas City, Mo.) – The Middle Blue River Basin Green Solutions Pilot Project and the Swope Campus Parking Lot and Sustainable Stormwater Improvements Project have been selected for inclusion in the 2016 Landscape Architecture Foundation Case Study Investigation (CSI) program.
CSI is a research collaboration that matches student-faculty research teams with industry leaders. Together, they will develop methods to quantify environmental, economic, and social benefits of high-performing landscape projects. The Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) funded teams will also produce Case Study Briefs for the foundation’s Landscape Performance Series.
“We are excited to participate in this program and share what we learn from these sustainability projects,” said KC Water Director Terry Leeds. “This is an excellent opportunity to participate in valuable research working with organizations to better realize the benefits of green infrastructure.”
BNIM Architects submitted the two KC Water projects for this prestigious program. They were selected based on the quality of the projects, availability of information to document performance, staff commitment to the CSI process, and the availability of a qualified Research Fellow. KC Water will be working with Howard Hahn of Kansas State University to document the performance of the site.
CSI research teams are led by LAF Research Fellows. They are select faculty members who provide the knowledge base for preparing case studies, the expertise in quantifying landscape benefits, and the academic rigor needed to support designers, policy-makers, and advocates who are making the case for sustainable landscape solutions.
The 2016 CSI Program will run February through August.
The Middle Blue River Basin Green Solutions Pilot Project is the first green infrastructure project for KC Water’s Overflow Control Program. Through significant investment and public outreach, Kansas City has strived to meet the requirements of the Consent Decree with the implementation of this large-scale green infrastructure project, one of the first in the nation. The purpose of the project was to test a wide range of infrastructure solutions and streetscape improvements for reducing combined sewer overflows in a 100-acre area of the Middle Blue River Basin.
The Swope Campus Parking Lot and Sustainable Stormwater Improvements Project created new, sustainable parking areas and rain gardens at KC Water’s 4800 E. 63rd Street headquarters. They are designed to catch infiltrate, and slowly release up to a 10-year rain event, which is roughly equivalent to 5 inches of rain within a 24-hour time period. A portion of this project was undertaken in connection with the settlement of an enforcement action on behalf of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information, please contact Brooke Givens, Media Relations Coordinator, at brooke.givens@kcmo.org or 816.513.0284.
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KC Water maintains and operates water treatment and distribution systems, stormwater management systems, and wastewater collection and treatment systems for residential and business customers in Kansas City and for wholesale customers in the Kansas City area. KC Water is primarily funded by fees charged to customers based on their use or impacts on the three utility systems.
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