Utilizing street runoff to grow and enhance life within the street…
Before harvesting water in Tucson, Arizona. White line in street marks boundary of water-harvesting chicane or pull out yet to be constructed. Photo: Brad LancasterConstruction of water-harvesting chicane or pull out in Dunbar/Spring Neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona. Asphalt has been removed, basin excavated, new concrete curb installed. By narrowing the street in this manner, cars drive slower and the chicanes protect cars parked along the street curb. Photo: Brad LancasterAfter installation and planting of water-harvesting chicane. Basin is full of water in a summer storm, reducing downstream flooding, while providing free irrigation water. Photo: Brad LancasterHarvesting edible cholla flower buds from cholla cactus growing in the water-harvesting, traffic-calming chicane. Its all part of our native food plant forestry, replacing asphalt with a native orchard freely irrigated with harvested street runoff. Photo: Brad LancasterNative bee pollinating the cholla flower of the cholla cactus growing in the water-harvesting chicane. These native bees often sleep in the flowers which close up a night like a tucked in blanket. Closed flower bud below the open one is a good example of what stage one harvests the flower buds (always leaving plenty for the wildlife and/or other harvesters. Photo: Brad LancasterCholla cactus flower bud pico de gallo salsa. Buds harvested from our in-street water-harvesting chicane or pull out. Photo: Brad LancasterWater-harvesting, traffic-calming chicanes bordering speed hump (reduces materials for, and cost of speed hump). Shade trees within chicanes and street-side water-harvesting basins. Illustration by Joe MarshallBefore harvesting water in neighborhood intersection, Tucson, Arizona. Photo: Brad LancasterAfter removing asphalt and installing curb for traffic circle in Dunbar/Spring neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona. Direct rainfall captured in storm. Would have been even better to have excavated even more of a basin to increase capacity for the harvest of more water and sponge-like, fertile organic matter generated from plants yet to be planted. Photo: Brad LancasterNeighbors planting the traffic circle and staining the concrete curb a more earthy color with ferrous sulphate. Photo: Brad Lancaster Neighbors harvesting native foods grown within the water-harvesting, traffic-calming traffic circle. Weather vane of Gambel’s quail atop crossroad sign (made by neighborhood artists) within circle invites others to plant such native, food-bearing vegetation. Studies have found that by utilizing such plants in at least 20% of private and public landscapes we can grow the habitat to support such native birds. Photo: Brad LancasterTraffic circle in convex intersection (center of road is higher than sides of road). Raised curb (and sunken, mulched basin within) retains rainfall that would otherwise run off. Curb cuts let in runoff flowing along the high crown or ridge of road. Note: the construction of this circle reduced the paved area of the intersection by 26%! Photo: Brad LancasterSunken water-harvesting traffic circle and planting island within a cul-de-sac. Street-side plantings also harvest street runoff to freely irrigate street trees. Illustration: Joe MarshallSnow shows us unused paved areas that can be depaved, and brought back to life with in-street plantings of stormwater, trees, and understory plantings in Philadelphia. Credit: Jon Geeting from his blogged essay “What Snow Tells Us About Creating Better Public Spaces.” Harvesting street runoff within planted median freely irrigates young native food-producing mesquite trees irrigated by harvested street runoff. Civano neighborhood, Tucson, Arizona. Arrow denotes water flow. Photo: Brad LancasterWater-harvesting, vegetated chicanes or buildouts with flush curbs. Used where road is crowned or raised in the center and drains runoff to street-side curb. Flush curb allows runoff to infiltrate soil of planting area, while surplus runoff continues down the street. These chicanes calm traffic by forcing it to meander. The Garden District neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona. Photo: Brad LancasterWater-harvesting pull-out or chicane at the People’s Co-op in Portland, Oregon. It narrows street, reducing street area pedestrians must cross, while protecting cars parallel parked along the curb. Stormwater inlet is where the guy is sitting in the chair in the foreground.
Photo: Brad LancasterMeandering plantings in water-harvesting chicane spotlight the meandering flow of stormwater that passes through them. Note how curb is raised beside sidewalk to keep people out of rain garden, while the curb is notched to let sidewalk runoff flow into the basin. Portland, Oregon. Photo: Brad LancasterWater-harvesting chicane or pull-out in Portland, Oregon. Stormwater inlet is in the foreground. Photo: Brad LancasterStormwater inlet to this water-harvesting chicane or build out is on left side of photo. Overflow outlet in lower right corner is raised slightly to increase basin capacity on this sloped street. Portland, Oregon. Photo: Brad LancasterPermeable pavement (red porous pavers) along residential street in Portland, Oregon infiltrates stormwater before surplus drains into stormdrain in lower right corner. Installation slows traffic by narrowing feel of street. Photo: Brad LancasterStormwater is harvested/infiltrated in pores between red pavers before surplus drains away via stormdrain in lower left corner. Photo: Brad Lancaster
