Changing Perspectives

By: Candace Amberg, Sr. Landscape Architect, WSB

Navigating recreational engagement efforts in a post-pandemic landscape.

The importance of parks and trails has become much more fundamental to our communities’ wellbeing since COVID-19 hit and stay at home orders were issued throughout the country. As an escape, many of us have explored parks, trails and green spaces near our homes more than ever before. How will this moment in time affect the value we place on these spaces? How will this change the way we design moving forward? How are perspectives shifting and what is the next recreational trend? While there are still many unknowns, as planners and designers we have a unique opportunity to better understand how we can create recreational opportunities while still accounting for safety measures through creative design.

A quick glance at the news or social media has the ability to instantly highlight differences in opinions, and I feel many of the issues that seem to drive us apart are based on a lack of understanding of the varying perspectives behind them. As I am writing this article from my home office, I gaze out my window and see the colorful crabapples blossoms against a lush green landscape that is now exploding with life, something I have anxiously awaited all winter. Others may see this as a full-blown attack of pollen ready to aggravate their allergies and altering their ability to breathe or taste for the next few weeks. Same event, different experience and therefore, different perspective.

I also see a neighborhood that, much like the trees coming out of dormancy, is full of life and activity. I see families playing with their kids out on the street, I see more bikes on the roads than vehicles, and I see people flocking to the open spaces to get some piece of normalcy back into their daily routine, as well as for stress relief and a respite from home schooling. How is this changing the perspectives towards our parks, trails and open spaces?

I grew up on a farm in North Dakota and had ample open space all to myself. I didn’t fully understand the value of this space until I moved to Minneapolis. Here, I found dense populations with shared outdoor spaces, but I also found an abundance of renowned public parks, trails and scenic settings like I had never seen before – and trees! Have I mentioned we don’t have many trees in North Dakota?

I discovered that these thriving spaces were the direct result of devoted leaders who worked endlessly to develop high quality parks and trails, expanded recreational programs for diverse populations, built successful community centers, and preserved the natural resources that are fundamental to our Minnesota character. We can attribute many of the quality spaces we have today to their visionary work. Places to socialize, play, exercise, take in a walk, or just sit and watch the world go by.

Our collective group of designers and planners see this “time-out” as an opportunity to reach out to our community members and let them know that not only are we are here for them, but that we can work together to improve their quality of life. Now is the time to be the visionary leaders for the next generations and in order to do so, we must better understand the changing perspectives of the community through meaningful engagement.

While COVID-19 has made our engagement efforts slightly more challenging, we are starting with a great toolbox of methods to keep communication efforts strong. These methods will become even more important as we continue to navigate the challenges brought on by COVID-19.

A few examples include:

Interactive Project Maps: Interactive maps, such as Social Pinpoint, are not only convenient and easy to use, they also gather very detailed and relevant information that, in some instances, have aided our design process much more significantly than other engagement methods.
Story Maps: ArcGIS and ESRI Story Maps provide a visually appealing method to catch a user’s attention while portraying useful information, including tours, maps, and visual displays.
Social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook are a few examples of social media platforms that are being heavily used to reach audiences. They are a great tool to highlight awareness, bolster engagement, and gather quick ideas.
Videos: Anyone with a teen understands the TikTok and YouTube phenomenon. We have found success developing project videos as well as promoting them through social media spending to reach a broader, more targeted audience.
Virtual Meetings: Virtual meetings and presentations provide a great method to interact with task force groups, commissions, councils, etc., and can also reach a more flexible audience who can engage when and where it’s convenient for them.
Engagement Events: With a significant increase in park users during almost all days and times of the week, in-person engagement events that follow social distancing recommendations remain a valuable opportunity.

Let’s keep moving forward and take this moment to reach out to the community members, understand their perspectives and work with them to create tomorrow’s next successful project.

Candace is a registered Professional Landscape Architect in the states of Minnesota, North Dakota and Texas. She has been directly involved in a variety of landscape architectural projects related to parks, trails, system planning, streetscaping, natural resource management, and community engagement since 1996.

[email protected] | 763.231.4848

This article originally appeared in the Summer issue of Minnesota Recreation & Parks Magazine, https://issuu.com/designertp/docs/mrpa_summer_2020_issue_web.

The Top Ten Benefits of a Park System Master Plan

By Jason Amberg, Director of Landscape Architecture, WSB

Communities can better plan for their future by developing a system-wide comprehensive park, trail, and recreation master plan. Public engagement, intentional planning, and aligning needs with recreation trends are challenges communities may face when planning future park systems. Acknowledging these challenges is crucial for creating a successful park system plan that meets the needs of its users.

1. Establishes a long-range vision

Establishing a long-range plan helps ensure that resources are used effectively, and priorities are based on the greatest community benefit. Aligning the vision of a community to the system plan helps meet the needs of the public and establishes a clear plan of action.

2. Prioritization and budgeting for Comprehensive Improvement Plans (CIP)

Priorities are established through a park system planning process. From high-level budgets to determining a proposed timeline for implementation, developing priorities provides a better perspective of what is possible. As populations grow, the park system should develop and grow as well. Communities can make a strong impact when aligning their priorities and investments across the system.

3. Filling gaps and reducing redundancy

When preparing a system plan, analyzing the distribution of parks and bike/pedestrian connectivity is essential to gain a better understanding of existing gaps and overlaps. Changes can then be better implemented to serve residents that may be lacking proper access to recreation and reduces overlap where similar recreation opportunities exist. Analyzing the distribution and connectivity of parkland in a system develops opportunities for active and passive park options that can include unique playgrounds, courts, plazas, sports fields, picnic areas, overlooks, etc.

4. Community support

There are many ways to engage stakeholders, both in-person and virtually. Open houses, community events and online engagement methods create opportunities for public involvement. Not only does public engagement generate community support for funding, but it also provides relevant perspectives from the broader community to ensure the system plan accounts for diverse users, improves transparency and builds trust. Increased public engagement is leads to increased future community support. of community members.

5. Potential for and promotion of partnerships

System plans also identify private and public partnership opportunities. These partnerships may include school districts and private educational facilities, fitness centers, associations, townships, watershed districts, state agencies, and other municipalities. This collaborative effort helps communities build and deepen existing or new relationships.

6. Grant application tools

Many grant funding applications require a public engagement process and an adopted plan. From trails to park development, the system plan shares a clear vision and budget estimates that are based on public input. As public engagement becomes increasingly important, organizations are looking for park planners who connect with community members through a variety of methods. The system plan provides the necessary background information, community perspective, priorities, budgets, and exhibits necessary for grant funding applications.

7. Opportunities for future development

System plans may recommend communities set aside open space and preserve land to accommodate population and spatial growth of the area. Census data, demographics and regional trends all help determine the amount and type of land needed in the future. The system plan is meant to help cities work with developers as growth occurs to ensure future recreation needs are met.

8. Establish a plan for the park amenity life cycle

Park systems in many communities were established using a ‘cookie-cutter’ approach to park development. This occurred over a short period of time when development was booming through park dedication dollars. While recreation needs may have been met for several years, this approach led to many parks looking nearly identical. It also created the need for simultaneous rehabilitation requirements as many parks reach the end of their lifecycle at the same time. Establishing a strategy for completing upgrades that allow park spaces to be unique and complementary to one another will reduce the future likelihood that several parks require a full replacement simultaneously. This also allows cities to budget for replacement costs not funded by park dedication dollars.

9. Aligning investment with needs

Proactive consideration of recreation trends reduces the need for further investment in downward trending park features. Current and projected recreational trends should be considered before investing into rehabilitating existing park amenities. As demographics continue to evolve, the needs for park and recreation program offerings will change.

10. Physical and Mental Health Benefits

Parks, trails and natural open spaces provide residents with both physical and mental health benefits. Whether it is a walk on a trail, connecting with nature, playing outdoor sports, or interacting with play equipment, data indicates that recreation improves health, interaction with others, and enhances community pride.

Jason is the Director of Landscape Architecture at WSB with more than 25 years of experience in public space planning and design. From small-scale neighborhood park improvements to comprehensive park and trail system plans, Jason has worked with park boards, municipalities, governing agencies and community residents.

Jason Amberg | [email protected] | 763.231.4841

This article originally appeared in the Greater MN Parks & Trails April Newsletter.

Hyatt House-Civic on First Groundbreaking

Community leaders and local residents gathered in downtown Rochester yesterday to break ground on the Hyatt House-Civic on First project. Referred to as the “new gateway to the city”, the $46 million project features a 172-room extended stay hotel.

Formerly the home of the beloved community watering hole, American Legion Post 92, the Hyatt House has a large footprint to fill. The over 30-year-old downtown establishment bid a bittersweet farewell to Civic Center Drive and its loyal patrons, but remained optimistic for future development efforts. The Hyatt House hotel is expected to connect the Rochester community and Mayo Clinic campus and spur economic development growth in the area.

Our Land Development team assisted EKN Development Group, PEG Companies, and HKS as the Planning and Entitlements Lead. We completed the planning and entitlement process, civil engineering, geotechnical, survey, and landscape architecture work. Completion for the Hyatt House project is anticipated for summer 2020.

Parks, Open Space, and Trail System Planning

by Candace Amberg
Feb. 6, 2015

Quality of life in any community is dependent on that community’s character, physical environment, and personal living space. These can all be improved when a community includes parks, natural open spaces, trails, and recreational opportunities.
The most successful approach to developing a park system plan – or any comprehensive planning project – is through a robust public engagement process. This will achieve the best understanding of constituent needs, resulting in local confidence that planning decisions align with and are relevant to the interests of the population being served. It is particularly important to engage the public when considering a referendum. The graphic below illustrations how a public engagement process can avoid wasted resources or community dissatisfaction.

Modern park system planning should be based on the specific needs of the community and citizens that the parks will serve. The process of developing and maintaining public space is costly and time intensive, and should be conducted through a thorough and transparent needs assessment and public process. This routinely involves hosting several input and review meetings with a wide variety of individuals, committees and stakeholders. Digital communications, social media, and other survey techniques may be effective ways to reach the right audiences.

The goal is ultimately to ensure that the findings and recommendations are a synthesis of the input from the residents, elected officials, city staff, and other community members. Following is a partial list of considerations that are typically explored when considering long-term improvements to a community’s park system.

• History of the system
• Previous planning studies and reports
• Demographics
• Recreation trends
• System-wide property and facility assessment
• Public input/needs and desires of the community
• Active/programmed recreation, as well as passive uses
• Community image, tourism, and economic development
• Trail network – internal and external connections
• Natural resource management
• Budget
• Safety and accessibility
• Flexibility of spaces to create a variety of experiences
• Operations and maintenance

Sustainable Design

By Steven Foss
Feb. 6, 2015

Our environment – natural and built – is a complex network of components, creating unique and dynamic landscapes. Sustainable design focuses on maintaining and improving environments through a collaborative approach, considering how they fit within the greater ecosystem, and employing devices that are environmentally conscious and friendly. Sustainable design strategies typically include reducing carbon footprints; improving energy efficiency; and enhancing or protecting natural habitats while still providing economic, environmental, and social benefits.

Environmental benefits of sustainable design

The major goal of sustainable design is to preserve and improve our environment while reducing our carbon footprint and minimizing the use of natural resources. When sustainable design solutions are incorporated through project development, communities and the environment benefit through one or more of the following scenarios:

Protecting/conserving the ecosystem
Improved air and water quality
Reduced volumes of waste
Conserving natural resources

Social benefits of sustainable design

Implementation of sustainable design not only provides environmental benefits to our communities, but also improves our quality of life, health, and well-being. Improving the environment and integrating sustainable practices can have the following results on individuals and communities:

Improved active and passive spaces for social interaction and circulation
Improved emotional function
Reduced stress
Improved work effectiveness
Stronger sense of belonging and connection to the environment

Economic benefits of sustainable design

Incorporating sustainable design, through integrated design processes and innovative use of sustainable materials and equipment, can also generate economic benefits such as:

Reduced infrastructure needs
Lower annual costs for energy, water, and maintenance/repair
Reduced “heat island” effect
Improved ability to attract new employees/residents
Reduced time and cost for project permitting
Improved use of former sites (such as brownfields)
Reduced construction costs through reuse of construction materials
Increased property values

Summary

Sustainable design transforms conventional thinking about our landscape, infrastructure and buildings. It presents significant opportunities to improve our quality of life through environmental, social and economic benefits.

The following is a list of materials and tactics that can be incorporated into sustainable design practices:

Preserving existing tree cover and biodiversity
Vegetated swales/rain gardens
Dry and wet ponds
Green roofs
Underground storage and permeable pavement
Enhanced tree plantings (Silva Cells)
Infiltration devices
Alternative energy (wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric)
Conversion of mowed/maintained turf to low-maintenance native grasses
Stormwater capture and reuse for irrigation
Use of recycled construction materials

Envision: The Age of Sustainable Infrastructure is Here

By Brandon Movall
Aug 1, 2016

With the state of America’s infrastructure declining due to climate change and limited funding, today’s engineers and scientists must adopt creative and sustainable solutions. In 2011, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), and the American Public Works Association (APWA) came together to revolutionize the way engineers plan, design and build. The result was Envision, a holistic rating system for sustainable infrastructure.

Envision is a rating system to help project teams incorporate higher levels of sustainability at each step of a project, from assessing costs and benefits over the project lifecycle to evaluating environmental benefits and using outcome-based objectives. Envision considers social, environmental, and economic factors of projects (a process called the Triple Bottom Line), rather than only focusing on economic factors. Envision uses a scorecard of 60 credits divided into five categories that reflect all aspects of the Triple Bottom Line:

Quality of Life
Leadership
Resource Allocation
Natural World
Climate and Risk

By tallying the credits achieved throughout the project lifecycle, Envision is able to effectively rate proposed infrastructure options in a way that is easy to communicate to clients, consultants and owners.

While there are many sustainability rating systems out there, there are a few things that make Envision the best option:

Envision rates all types of civil infrastructure, such as transportation, water, energy, information, and landscape infrastructure.
Envision covers the entire life cycle of a project, from the first meeting of the project team to post-construction maintenance.
Envision is free to use. Anyone can sign up for an Envision account and have access to the guidance manual and scorecard. The only costs involved are if a project is registering for awards through Envision, or if you want to get special training and become an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP). These are optional and are not necessary to use the Envision system on a project.

In addition to individual users, many companies and public agencies across the United States have implemented Envision into their planning, design and construction processes. Benefits to a company or agency include discounted ENV SP certification rates, discounted project award registration rates, exclusive content from the founding organizations, and more. As part of our commitment to bettering ourselves, our clients, and our world, WSB is proud to be recently certified as an Envision qualified company.

To change the world, we must change our practices. Envision is one large step toward planning, designing and building a sustainable future. For more information about Envision in general, visit www.sustainableinfrastructure.org. For more information about Envision at WSB, please contact Katy Thompson, Brandon Movall, Stephanie Hatten, or Ann Wallenmeyer.

References:

“2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.” 2013 Report Card for Americas Infrastructure. ASCE, n.d. Web. 28 July 2016.

“Envision.” Institute For Sustainable Infrastructure. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 July 2016.

Integrated Design Approach

By Robert Slipka
Feb. 6, 2015

Integrated design brings together a diverse team of design professionals on one project. Projects benefit from this approach because a wider range of experts is contributing throughout the project as a team, rather than acting independently.

Early integration is crucial to reduce the potential for expensive conflicts as design progresses or implementation begins. The integrated design approach involves all parties, including design professionals, clients/owners, permitting agencies, and others. Involvement may also include cost analysis specialists, construction managers, and contractors.

No matter what that project type, an integrated approach helps ensure a holistic outcome rather than a culmination of interdependent elements. Below are two examples of what teams could look like.

Example 1

A site development project is led by a landscape architect or civil engineer with direct integration of specialists such as environmental scientists, ecological specialists, engineers, building architects, electrical engineers, irrigation designers, and the client (including their operations and maintenance staff).

Example 2

A roadway corridor project is led by a transportation engineer and/or a planner. The team for this type of project may integrate urban designers/landscape architects, engineers, environmental scientists, right-of-way specialists, and representatives from numerous government agencies.

Design charrettes and brainstorming sessions are often utilized heavily in the beginning phases of project planning and design. This helps the team identify key goals, strategies, and desired outcomes of the project while also establishing areas of conflict or design implications. Including a diverse range of professionals means a better likelihood of achieving creative solutions that might not be explored in a conventional, non-integrated approach. As the project develops into the construction documents phase, continued collaboration is required to ensure compatibility of spatial character, uses, spaces, materials, and other factors. This approach can also identify conflicts that might not otherwise be identified until late in design or into construction, avoiding unanticipated costs or redesign.

Although an integrated approach provides better results, it is important for consultants and clients to judge how extensively integration needs to occur based on costs and benefits. Some projects are smaller in scale or fee, which can make an elaborate integrated approach difficult to justify. Clients should also be aware that the term “one-stop shop,” often utilized to describe multi-disciplinary firms, does not necessarily mean that an integrated design approach is used for projects. If it is unclear or unproven, clients should ask the consultant to describe how the various team members will be integrated throughout the design process. The ultimate goal is to achieve higher quality projects with increased cost effectiveness to clients.