Matt Sledge profiles the work of a landscape architect who has designed an attractive and innovative system for keeping contaminants out of one of New York's most polluted waterways.
In New York, and cities across the country with combined sewage overflow systems, the aftermath of a severe rain event is a toxic sludge of untreated wastewater entering the city's rivers and harbors. As these events become more common and intense, due to global warming, cities are searching for innovative ways to prevent such overflows, without having to construct entirely new systems of stormwater piping.
Currently being implemented along the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, Sponge Park, is the product of landscape architect Susannah Drake and is seen as "part of a larger effort underway in New York to use "green infrastructure" instead of costly pipes and tunnels hidden underground to catch storm runoff. City officials are hopeful they can save some $2.4 billion over 20 years, while also sprucing up the city's open spaces, with the new approach to sewage."
Sledge profiles Drake's innovative design and assesses the potential for New York to replicate the program elsewhere.
"If New York City can mass produce bioswales and other green infrastructure quickly enough, it may be able to save billions on what [New York City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Carter] Strickland calls 'tanks and tunnels,' which in turn lead to extremely expensive sewage treatment plants."
FULL STORY: Gowanus Canal To Feature 'Sponge Park' Green Infrastructure

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

New Trail Project Enhances Safety and Access to Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge
Jefferson County is improving safe access to Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge with new trails, a bridge, and signage, as part of the Rocky Mountain Greenway project, ensuring environmental safety and educating visitors about the site’s history.

Wisconsin Awarded $12 Million for Brownfield Redevelopment Amid Broader EPA Budget Cuts
The EPA provided the funding to Wisconsin for brownfield cleanups in cities like Milwaukee and Racine, even as broader agency budget cuts under the Trump administration raise concerns about future environmental protection capacity.

Indianapolis Advances Plans to Expand and Connect Citywide Greenway Network
Indianapolis is developing a new Greenways Strategic Implementation Plan to expand, connect, and modernize its trail system, aiming for over 250 miles of greenways that support sustainability, mobility, and community well-being.
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