The city of San Jose and designers from the University of California, Davis have completed a community-led design process to raise awareness about the connections between the kitchen, sewers, and the environment.
Faith Kearns reports on a new method for informing the public about the effects of FOG waste (the fats, oils, and greases that people can flush down sinks and toilets that lead to troubles in the sewer and beyond).
Public art might be one of the last things people associate with sewer and wastewater infrastructure, but that's the approach chosen by Claire Napawan, a landscape architect and urban designer in the Department of Human Ecology at UC Davis, and Brett Snyder, an architect and graphic designer in the Department of Design at UC Davis.
The duo worked with the city of San Jose, "as part of a unique collaboration between the city's environmental service and transportation departments, as well as its Public Art Program." Kearns details the approach to the ideas and approach behind the community engagement process before revealing the product of the project: a "suite of materials that connected household kitchen waste with sewer infrastructure."
The materials included flashcards that provide reminders of the kinds of kitchen waste that contribute to the FOG problem, marked manhole covers on city streets, and related graphics on wastewater trucks. Together, the trio of bright green and integrated graphics served as a reminder of the connection between individual kitchens, city infrastructure, and the larger ecosystem of the San Francisco Bay Area.
The hope is that the lessons gained in the community engagement process, as well as the final design product, could provide an example for other municipalities.
FULL STORY: Making the invisible visible: Connecting home water use & city infrastructure through participatory design
Baltimore Sewer Backup Assistance Programs Stall
Two programs aimed at helping residents safely clean up overflows caused by aging pipes are in limbo due to a dispute between the city and the EPA.
House Bill Would Invest Up to $750 Million in Wastewater Recycling Projects
HR 4099, which recently passed a House subcommittee, would create a new pool of money for 17 western states to use for new wastewater recycling capacity.
How Cities Are Using Wastewater to Test for COVID-19
Some scientists and city officials are moving ahead with a different way to track the virus’s spread: wastewater testing.
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Washington State Plans Ambitious ‘Cycle Highway’ Network
The state is directing funding to close gaps in its existing bike network and make long-distance trips more accessible.
Homeowners Blame PG&E for Delays in ADU Permits
The utility says it has dramatically reduced its backlog, but applicants say they still face months-long delays for approvals for new electrical work.
Rethinking Wildfire Defense: How a Landscape Approach Can Protect Neighborhoods
Post-fire analysis of the Eaton Fire reveals that a landscape approach — including fire-resistant vegetation, home hardening, and strategic planning — can help reduce wildfire risk, challenging assumptions that trees and plants are primary fire hazards.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Caltrans
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland