A Plan for Future Green Infrastructure

While a myriad of senior design projects are being completed and implemented this semester, one particular project focused on improving green infrastructure is coming to a close.

“The project aims to provide a master plan for future campus development of green spaces and green infrastructure,” Elliot Gordon, a member on the team working on the project, said. “We’ve been working closely with Campus Planning and Construction in order to lay out both long term and short term projects.”

“Green infrastructure is basically anyway in which water handling is improved,” said Gordon. One example is the permeable paver stones on the pedestrian plaza that help water flow on campus. Conversely, green spaces are areas that serve either a recreational purpose or an aesthetic one, such as Kafadar Commons.

Mr. Gordon stated “Green infrastructure isn’t always something you can see, as it may be underground. Currently campus has a bit of a water problem and our project seeks to lay out a plan as to how to better address the way campus deals with water.”

Recently, the team sent out a survey to see what the student population thinks of green infrastructure on campus.

“We received a spectrum of responses from across the campus, but overall the response was very good and well thought-out,” said Gordon. “Graduates, undergraduates, and faculty all responded to our survey.”

While the survey provided some interesting end-user data, its main purpose was to determine if the group had adequately described and addressed the issue.

“Mostly the survey was about checking to see if we missed anything,” Mr. Gordon said. “We wanted to ensure we had addressed everything before we finish the project. The feedback put an emphasis on creating more green spaces around the campus.”

After this semester, there are plans to have future senior design teams actually help to implement the ideas that Mr. Gordon and his team have developed this semester.

“Starting in areas that have nothing, we’d like to help the school become an environmental leader,” Gordon explained. “We focused on large ideas for the design experience, although even small changes can make an impact on water management.”