Document Type

Article

Abstract

On the University of Texas at Arlington campus, investing in green infrastructure is critical for managing stormwater and heat stress today and addressing the emerging challenges caused by a changing climate: shifting precipitation patterns, “cloudbursts” or flash floods, and more frequent and severe extreme heat events. In 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provided technical assistance to UTA as part of the tenth anniversary of the Campus RainWorks Challenge, a national design competition that advances green infrastructure design on college and university campuses across the country. This report builds on UTA’s extensive engagement with the competition and envisions the campus as a model for green infrastructure implementation on campuses nationwide. The report is intended for campus leadership and supports the advancement of campus planning, research, curriculum, and community development. UTA was one of the two institutions invited by EPA to participate in the technical assistance project because of their extensive past participation in the competition and demonstrated commitment to building a sustainable campus, including managing rainwater where it falls and mitigating heat hazards while enhancing the overall character of its growing campus. The goals of the technical assistance include highlighting the merits of past Campus RainWorks engagement and establishing a framework and priorities for green infrastructure integration into future campus planning and design. The project aims to strengthen communication between campus stakeholders and create new incentives to enable green infrastructure implementation. This report further advances a monthslong collaboration between EPA, UTA, and contractors that culminated in a green infrastructure design charrette. Participants, including faculty, students, staff, and government and private sector partners, identified challenges, opportunities, and strategies for implementing green infrastructure on campus. The event also featured an exhibit of recent student projects. The report includes an analysis of the campus’s physical and environmental conditions, documents the ideas that emerged from the charrette, and connects these to a strategic green infrastructure framework and toolkit that UTA could use to guide future investments and planning. The framework identifies both structural and non-structural opportunities for UTA. It leverages a systems-based understanding of watershed dynamics on campus and in the region, and can complement UTA campus cloudburst visioning and master planning efforts. Also included is a prioritization matrix that could inform future decision-making for the strategic siting for new green infrastructure investments on campus, integrating watershed location with ecological, economic, and community considerations. Together the ideas and strategies presented in this report aim to support UTA’s teaching and research goals, improve the environmental and social character of the campus, and further the university’s mission to advance knowledge and promote innovation.

Disciplines

Architecture | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration | Social and Behavioral Sciences | Urban, Community and Regional Planning | Urban Studies

Publication Date

7-1-2023

Language

English

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