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Sustainable Design
Light Rail in Indiana, Part II
Diagram of Indiana as an steam and interurban light rail center, 1907
Indiana’s interurban electric light rail system experienced peak ridership in the mid-1920s with over 50 million passengers per year. The state’s population was just 3 million at that time, equaling about 16 trips per capita per year. Interurban service in Indiana was almost entirely shut down during the 10 years between 1930 and 1940, with only the South Shore line remaining in service after 1940. This comprehensive system of electric transit was replaced by much slower travel in private automobiles over roads which required ever-larger sums of public money to build and maintain. In his 1961 book The City in History, the prescient historian Lewis Mumford noted:
Light Rail in Indiana, Part I
Indiana's interurban light rail lines, 1910 (IHS)
Across the state, one finds fragments and ruins of what was the most comprehensive statewide interurban electric light rail transit system ever built in the United States. Every city in Indiana with a population over 5,000 except for Bloomington, Madison and Evansville was connected by the interurban system (Evansville was connected to a regional network).
Fostering Sustainability Through Playgrounds: The Outdoor Classroom
When I was a kid, recess was a key part to my day. It gave my friends and me a chance to relax our mental activities and focus on physical ones. Despite the season, we looked forward to the fresh air and freedom of roaming around our school’s playground.
The playground at Buffalo Public School 90 unites learning and play in an educational environment in a way that I would have loved. The playground is designed with the school’s curriculum in mind, creating outdoor classrooms for students studying science, geography/geology, music, language arts, math and physical education. It’s truly the best of both worlds – at least in my mind.
Prairie - So Cool, But Takes Patience!
A one year old prairie at Mulberry Fields Park in Zionsville, Indiana.
It probably doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone that lawns composed of cool season grasses take more resources and time to maintain than areas planted with native forbs (flowers) and grasses. Consider a ten acre park planted in turf. At an average maintenance cost of $500 per acre, that’s $5,000/year. Over ten years, that’s $50,000. By contrast, meadows and prairies - once established - require only yearly mowing in the early spring. Better yet, if the prairies can be burned by trained and qualified personnel, the ground can be re-charged with beneficial nutrients and burning will do an even better job of keeping invasive plants at bay. It’s also just cool to see a prairie on fire.
Holy Sprouts, Batman! ‘or’ Greening it up at the IBPF
Check out my latest post! Kallari Center Blog
Still coming to you at the low, low price of one click!
-Heather
All for one click of a button…
Hello, world. I am posting a quick note to direct you to my other blog…see up there in the right corner – “Kallari Center Blog”? – you should click that! (well, not before you read the rest of this post)
With one click you will be reading exciting updates on the adventures of a talented group of people who are collaborating to save the rainforest, to provide scrumptious chocolate to the world, and to give the Ecuadorian Kichwa people a source of pride in their culture and talents. But wait, that’s not all I will give you for the click of a button…I will also be posting on sustainable design practices in developing countries and how we might be able to bring those into our own hyperdeveloped country. Once you’re there check out the older posts by clicking on the “pull me” tab, where you will be delighted by stories of chocolate making, escaping the Ecuadorian rooster, and sword fighting. Not a bad deal for just a single click of the mouse. (ok, now click on that link)
Indiana’s Largest Rain Garden
Approximately half of the storm water from downtown Bloomington, Indiana, passes through Miller Showers Park before making its way to Cascades Creek. For years, the water from this 180-acre urban watershed was conveyed through the Park via a narrow, badly eroded channel. The channel was for the most part a straight shot from a large culvert at the south end to another culvert at the north end of the nine-acre site. During larger storm events, the channel was almost immediately overrun. Water flooded the bottom of the park (primarily cultivated lawn) and received very little quality treatment before gushing into Cascades Creek full of non-point source pollutants.
Rain Gardens To The Rescue – Part II
Portland advanced the rain garden concept a number of times in different ways. One of the most intriguing applications is the Glencoe Elementary School Rain Garden. The need arose due to frequent flooding in homes near the school caused by overloaded sewers. At just 1900 square feet in size, the rain garden receives runoff from a 34,000 square foot residential area watershed. Flow volumes measured over 9 months prior to the construction of the rain garden indicated that sewers received 2,418 cubic feet per inch of rain. Volumes measured after construction showed that only 156 cubic feet per inch of rain entered the storm sewer system – a total runoff reduction of 94%.
Nice Move
On the subject of embodied energy and the useful life of a building, here is one very unique example:
In 1929, the Indiana Bell Telephone Company (now a part of AT&T) purchased the Central Union Telephone Company Building (1906-07) at the southwest corner of Meridian and New York Streets in Indianapolis. The building, overlooking University Park, was 118 feet tall, with eight floors and a roof garden on top of the elevator penthouse. Originally the company planned to demolish the Central Union Telephone Building, but architect Kurt Vonnegut, Sr. (father of the famed novelist) determined that the building could be moved to obtain its full life of service.
Sustainable vs. Green, a brief overview
Today we hear a lot about “sustainability” and “green” alternatives, both from the media and in business. I think it is important to differentiate between these two distinct but related terms, so that we don’t confuse ourselves and others.
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