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Green Infrastructure Design Charrette Initiative for Harlem 07-22-15 | News

Green Infrastructure Design Charrette Initiative for Harlem

Green infrastructure often refers to grey water recycling, stormwater management and wind and solar installations, but it also includes greenways; restored/constructed wetlands; urban forests; rain gardens; bioswales; green roofs/walls; permeable and pervious paving systems and community gardens.
Photo: EPA

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC), the green roof and wall industry association and Canaan Baptist Church announce the launch of the Green Infrastructure Design Charrette Initiative for neighborhoods in Harlem as a legacy project of the 13th Annual CitiesAlive Green Roof and Wall Conference www.citiesalive.org in New York City, Oct. 5-8, 2015.

This project is building the business case for green infrastructure investment in Harlem by developing partnerships with local workforce and business development organizations.

The charette seeks to imagine what part of Harlem could look like with a "major green infrastructure makeover." New York City ranks 5th among North American cities for the green roofs installed, according to the annual Green Roof Industry survey released this May.

"We believe that sustainable green infrastructure can provide both economic opportunities and a better quality of life to our Harlem community," Deacon Russell of Canaan Baptist Church.

Over the past year GRHC has piloted the Green Infrastructure Design Charrette Initiative in London and Toronto. The charrette involves identifying several key neighborhoods of 4 to 10 blocks in need of green infrastructure investment, and then bringing together teams of volunteer design experts and community activists to reenvision them with green infrastructure. The second component involves subjecting the designs to a cost-benefit analysis, i.e., what it would cost to implement the design(s).

The charrette includes identifying the most suitable technology for as many as 100 affordable housing properties in Harlem. Those technologies include green roofs, green walls, urban farming, solar PV, solar thermal, and energy efficiency improvements.

"There are many unrealized opportunities to generate local employment through green infrastructure design, implementation and maintenance throughout New York and in Harlem in particular," said Steven Peck, GRP, founder and president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. "This is an important first step towards identifying new projects that can be implemented in the community."

The project partners are now fundraising to cover the cost of conducting background research, organizing participants, facilitating the charrette and preparing a final report. The development of the Green Infrastructure Design Charrette Initiative is priced between $50,000 and $150,000. The goal of the initiative is to provide the basis for the implementation of green infrastructure projects in an underserved community.