When I heard about green infrastructure, the only installation my mind could point to was a green roof. Learning more about applications that help control stormwater, my knowledge of these structures had expanded. What is interesting about green infrastructure is that the design is obviously man-made, but the facilitation of the construct works in harmony with nature rather than against it. They often add an aesthetic appeal to an area while simultaneously benefitting the environment. The Gowanus Canal Watershed had added this type of infrastructure in October of this year, 2016. This construction is known as the Sponge Park and is located on Second Street on the west side of the Gowanus Canal. This green area is 1800 square feet and designed in such a way that it is able to capture, collect, and clean approximately one million gallons of storm water run off from the street. This essentially prevents overflow of the canal and sewers and ensures better water quality in the canal.

Green infrastructure installations usually entail large excavations which require a lot of monetary expenditures. The Sponge Park project was an approximate $1.5 million project. The plants chosen for the park work to filter the stromwater from contaminants allowing for access to a safe public waterfront. These contaminants include sulfur and volatile organic compounds. The way this system works is that storm water collects across the surface of the green park. It enters naturally filtrating bioswales with plants like the Honey Locust (Gleditsia) and Mulberry (Morus rubra). Next is a remediation wetland basin which has plants like the Hawthorn (Crataegus) and the Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrotis). These plants have vibrant colors and are suitable for average rainfall. However, if there is extremely heavy rainfall, water flows into shallow meadows, shallow marshes, and deep marsh planting zones. These plants can withstand 0-12” of standing water and include the Giant Miscanthus (Miscanthus Floridulus), Duckweed (Lemna minor), and the Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus serica). Finally, the excess filtered water flows into the canal. As a result, extra public space is offered as well as a safer environment to foster greater biodiversity.

Sources:

http://www.gowanuscanalconservancy.org/downloads/dlandstudio_GowanusCanal_SpongePark_9_24_08.pdf

Green infrastructure improves health of Gowanus Canal, beautifies neighborhood

Before Dr. Paul Mankiewicz had visited us in class, I had never thought I’d be introduced to an organization dedicated to bringing better harmony between human communities and the natural environment. Dr. Mankiewicz is the executive director of such an organization known as the Gaia Institute. As we all already know, most of our city’s soils have been continuously tired out and contaminated proving unfit for growing. This is usually man-made destruction on our environment. However, we have been discussing a lot about how storm water can become an issue. As a New York City resident, I am no stranger to seeing our sidewalks flooded so a storm water problem is evident. Even on Brooklyn College Campus, it is a dread to walk on rainy days when the ground is covered with yard long puddles that rather seem like small swimming pools. I have realized the Gaia Institute has a very important mission.

In pursuit of this new interest, I looked up more about he projects the Gaia Institute has been working on. One of the recent projects, beginning in 2002, involved the development of a storm water capture park called El Jardín del Paraíso in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. They restored a local community garden which had high lead contamination and enhanced it by allowing it to capture stormwater. They would accomplish this with a special layering of the soil which has two very important components: lead-binding chemicals and porous soil. The chemicals include phosphorous, iron, and manganese which also help increase root growth and encourage burrowing worms and insects. This in turn allows for a porous soil layer which holds the storm water from nearby rooftops and gray water from nearby buildings which would be collected in a manner which transfers them to the soil. As a result of this design, the Gaia Institute is able to promote ecological diversity and health in the urban city of Manhattan.

Source: http://www.thegaiainstitute.org/Gaia/El%20Jardin%20del%20Paraiso.html

Learning about aquaponics in class led to a heated debate about its application and benefit in an urban atmosphere. Many people in the class questioned who would spend the money on these indoor systems and even have the space to begin growing their own greens. Turning to GOOGLE, an urban agriculture search automatically introduced me to the words “vertical farming.” To my surprise, all the articles were fairly recent so this signaled to me that some of my classmates and I had been missing out. One article I had read discussed an indoor farm in Newark, New Jersey – so close to home!

The Jersey restaurant owner of Mompou, Steven Yglesias, began to use greens from AeroFarms. AeroFarms is a vertical farming company which began in 2014. Yglesias describes the greens to have a special and fresher “flavor profile.” This description alerted me because I realized that I seem to ignore or forget the fact that most of the groceries we get at the supermarket have been genetically modified or tampered. However, better taste and appearance was just the beginning. Studying the effects of varying fertilizer, light, and growing times is allowing growers to increase crop nutrient absorption rates. So, these crops are also better for us than their traditionally grown alternatives!

AeroFarms is able to harvest up to 30 times a year due to shorter growing times and grow 75 times more crops per square foot compared to traditional farming, while using 95% less water. Without soil or sunlight, LED lighted vertical gardens grow many leafy greens like kale, spinach, lettuces, and arugula. This system is producing crops in greater numbers more efficiently. Finding fresh food in your area may not be as difficult to find or as pricey as it used to be with an indoor farming system.

Experimentation is being conducted to produce tomatoes, cucumbers, spices, and berries. There is no telling how far these indoor farms can go, but their progress has proven to be advancing the agricultural world and giving our urban neighborhoods the chance to enjoy what once seemed like a rural luxury. I, for one, am impressed and all for indoor farming!

The article mentioned is cited below:

Gorce, Tammy La. “How Does This Garden Grow? To the Ceiling.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 July 2016. Web. 22 Sept. 2016.