Infrastructure and the Providence River

This historic image shows the river when it was 70% paved over, before the mid-1980s when the River Relocation Project began. Watch the video to see how the river looks now.

#PVD has done a lot to re-purpose old infrastructure. The Providence River in downtown was once covered by a multi-lane road and is now a beautiful asset for the community. #Waterfire has become a major tourist destination and revenue generator for the city. Providence is a supporter of #parkingday which brings pop-up parks into downtown in the Fall each year. We also have a state-wide network of bike trails, many of which are old railways. What infrastructure repurposing project should Providence focus on next? Underpass parks along the 6-10 corridor? More parks in the I-195 redevelopment? Watch the video, created by Nicholas Lin, to see the Providence River as it is today. The video starts where the old I-195 ramp was and travels up river, before turning back to where it started. 

#PARK(ing) Day Highlights

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our PARK(ing) Day installation on Friday!  We had a blast talking to the community about climate change, the role of landscape architects in resiliency planning, and how we can make positive changes for the future. For those of you who missed it, here are the highlights from the day:

We talked to passers-by about current sea level rise projections and what that means for Providence and Rhode Island. In turn they shared their thoughts and ideas with us on index cards and added them to our wall of hope throughout the day, creating a colorful mosaic. Some of our younger participants added to our chalk art of Rhode Island on the ground. Sailing flags spelling out H-O-P-E hung below the banners on the sidewalk.  We used inundation-tolerant plant species to catch people's attention and make an attractive and informative display. The signage shows maps of sea level projections in Providence for 2050 and 2100 and talks about the causes, effects, and solutions to the problems coastal cities like Providence are facing.

COMING UP:

DesignWeek by DESIGNxRI September 14 - 25

As one of the local design talents being spotlighted this year, our very own Taber Caton will be giving a lecture and tour of Roger Williams Park Botanical Center. Searle Design Group completed the Master Plan for the center in 2010 to implement sustainable updates to the exterior grounds of New England's largest indoor garden.

This event is taking place THIS THURSDAY September 22 at noon at Roger Williams Park, 1000 Elmwood Avenue in Providence, RI and is SOLD OUT as of today. Click here to learn more.

Progress in the Fight Against #climatechange @PARK(ing)DayPVD! #sealevelrise #oceanstate #renewableenergy #sustainablepower

Climate Change is not all doom and gloom - while we still have a long way to go to return the Earth's climate to a sustainable condition, there are some positive developments. One of our greatest successes to date is the increased feasibility and implementation of renewable energy sources. 

Rhode Island is a leader in renewable wind energy. The Block Island Wind Farm is the nation's first offshore wind farm. The project is small, consisting of five turbines capable of powering about 17,000 homes, but symbolic.  You can read more about it here: http://nyti.ms/2bbYh97

In 2000, 9.4% of the United States' generated power came from renewable sources (solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, and biomass). By 2013 this percentage increased to 13.1%. The biggest game changer among these has been the increased use of wind power.  In 2006, Rhode Island had the ability to produce 1 Megawatt of wind power. We can now produce 9.  While we can't reverse the environmental degradation that has already occurred, changes like this are a small step in the right direction and lay an important foundation for policy decisions based on sustainable growth.

THIS FRIDAY September 16, 2016 come eat, drink, and play with us as we reflect on the past and look toward the future to celebrate PARK(ing) Day 2016!  We'll be at 201 Westminster Street from 8am-5pm! Take a walk around the city and check out all the amazing pop-up parks brought to you by your favorite local designers and artists - including the debut of RISD's brand new student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects at 63 Washington Street.  

If you want to learn more about the history of the fight against climate change, check out this interactive timeline of the progress made created by the United Nation's Framework Convention on Climate Change:  unfccc.int/timeline