Watts Branch Resiliency Master Plan

Abstract

Urban areas are major concentrations of culture, acting as centers of trade, industry, innova - tion, and daily living. Since the industrial revolution, cities have continuously developed and further concen - trated human capital. Urban areas face a multitude of challenges, from efficient transportation to resource distribution to public safety and crime prevention. To - day, the number of people who reside in cities outnum - bers the number of people who reside outside of cities, and the proportion of the population that lives in urban areas is expected to increase to nearly 70% by 2050.

As this occurs, we must make sure our cities can effectively

day, the number of people who reside in cities outnumbers the number of people who reside outside of cities, and the proportion of the population that lives in urban areas is expected to increase to nearly 70% by 2050. As this occurs, we must make sure our cities can effectively provide residents with the resources and services they need not just to live but to thrive. Meanwhile, climate change threatens the health and safety of all our living spaces, especially in cities. In the near future, our cities will not only have to accommodate more people, they will also have to adapt and respond to the effects of climate change in order to maintain conditions that are safe, healthy, and liveable. The effects of climate change are far-reaching. They include increased precipitation and other extreme weather events—which result in a heightened risk of flooding and the endangerment of lives and property—and the increased fragility of ecosystems and biodiversity as they also attempt to adapt to changing living conditions. Urban environments are especially vulnerable due to large amounts of impervious surfaces, which prevent rain water infiltration and absorb heat, and limited space for ecosystems that can help mitigate these effects. This project is located in the watershed of the Watts Branch, a tributary of the Anacostia River, and spans parts of both Prince George’s County, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. It crosses densely populated urban neighborhoods, some of which are home to socially and economically vulnerable populations. Some of its residents are low-income families or live in affordable housing communities. Washington, D.C. and the State of Maryland have both experienced catastrophic flooding events in the last several years, largely driven by precipitation. Flooding in the Federal Triangle has threatened not just homes and businesses but also irreplaceable national historical documents and artifacts. Similarly, catastrophic and fatal flash flooding suffered in Ellicott City, MD, in 2018, disrupted that city’s leading industry, tourism.2 These events are devastating—as they will occur more frequently as climate change continues to have greater impacts, it is thus essential to ensure that this community is protected against these impacts. One way to address multiple challenges within an urban environment is through planning and designing urban spaces to manage stormwater, provide recreation opportunities, increase biodiversity, and reduce local surface temperatures. A multifaceted process incorporates demographic information, local habitat and biodiversity considerations, and hydrology and terrain analysis to create an urban design that functions better for its residents. These designs prioritize “blue-green” infrastructure in conjunction with traditional “gray” infrastructure. Ramboll, a Danish engineering and design consulting firm, consulting for District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE), and in collaboration with the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), assembled the first phases of a community resiliency masterplan for the Watts Branch catchment in 2019. Ramboll has conducted a variety of similar projects across the world. Most prominent is a flagship project in Copenhagen, Denmark, in which Ramboll created a resiliency plan to protect the city from flooding caused by significant precipitation events. Similar projects have been conducted in New York City and Singapore. Elements from these projects are used to inform this project. Continuing Ramboll’s work, we identified further areas of concern and analyzed the social and ecological dynamics of the space. With those results, we identified opportunities to improve the site and created a watershed-level masterplan focused on prioritizing areas of concern. We then designed three conceptual “pilot projects” in representative areas of the watershed to highlight the possible infrastructure solutions that could be implemented throughout the watershed. Our infrastructure solutions and pilot projects are sensitive to the ecology of Watts Branch, respectful of its culture and history, and aesthetically responsive to the needs of the space. As urban ecosystems like that of Watts Branch present a unique intersection of ecological and social needs, it is especially important that we deliberately design such spaces to be responsive to this variety of needs for both their current and future populations.