Part innovative urban design solution, part historic and simple design solution, the city of Baltimore's trash-collecting water wheel has been an unmitigated success at mitigating the trash in the Jones Fall River.
"Before May 2014, Baltimore was just one city whose harbor was cluttered with trash and debris caused by runoff from the Jones Falls River. Originally, the city collected the trash using crab nets – costing them a lot of time without making much of an impact," explains Mark LeChevallier. That is, until John Kellett designed a water wheel "which would collect trash that flowed from the mouth of the Jones Falls River using power from storm runoff."
"Now the water wheel has collected over 40 tons of trash from the Baltimore harbor since it began turning in May. Talk about taking out the trash!"
For LeChevallier, the Jones Fall River's water wheel is a model to emulated in other cities: "The success that the water wheel has brought to Baltimore, I hope, is a sign of more exciting things to come in the world of environmental innovation and design. I believe these results have the ability to create positive change in not only water pollution cleanup, but also other city issues."
For those interested in more details about the creation of the water wheel, see coverage by Julia Botero for NPR.
FULL STORY: A Water Wheel In Baltimore Keeps The Harbor Moving
A Clever Way to End Cigarette Litter
Chicago smokers will soon be able to vote on matters of pop culture importance with their butts.
The Litterati Impact: Cleaning the Planet One Instagram at a Time
#litterati. That's the hashtag. See a piece of litter, post it on Instagram, then throw the trash away. Simple.
NYC Removes Trash Bins in Subway to Curtail Litter
Greenwich Village and Queens subway stations have had their trash bins removed for the past two weeks. This counterintuitive plan was initiated 3 months ago by officials due to an "epidemic of unsightliness and malodor," writes Michael Grynbaum.
Seattle Legalizes Co-Living
A new state law requires all Washington cities to allow co-living facilities in areas zoned for multifamily housing.
Central Florida’s SunRail Plans Major Expansion
The expanded train line will connect more destinations to the international airport and other important destinations.
Las Vegas Golf Course to Become Over 1,000 Units of Affordable Housing
The project is part of an initiative to build affordable housing on shuttered golf courses.
Plugging the Gap: Taxpayers Shoulder the Burden of Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells
Taxpayers, federal agencies, and tribal governments are working to address Arizona's orphaned oil and gas wells, which pose environmental and health risks, while advocates call for greater accountability from oil and gas companies.
Future Floods in Focus: Using AI and Physics to Visualize Disaster Risks
MIT researchers have developed a groundbreaking AI-powered tool that integrates physics-based models to generate realistic satellite images of future flooding, offering communities a powerful way to visualize and prepare for disasters.
Milwaukee Interstate Removal Would Create Space for Thousands of New Housing Units
A proposal to replace the elevated Interstate 794 with a boulevard could create over a billion dollars in new development along the corridor.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Los Alamos County
City of Culver City
Skagit Transit
American Planning Association, Sustainable Communities Division
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport
Rockdale County Board of Commissioners