USING THE GEODESIGN PROCESS TO COMMUNICATE THE BENEFITS OF BIOSWALES IN URBAN STORMWATER
The Master’s thesis seeks to investigate the impact of using bioswales as part of the streetscape in post industrial neighbourhoods of Hamilton, Ontario and to communicate those benefits in a clear, informative and engaging manner through the use of interactive online technology. The current storm water infrastructure is aging, and with increasing storm frequency and intensity, unable to manage water runoff. The City of Hamilton, along with many cities in North America, is looking for ways of managing water on site before it enters storm sewers. Landscape architects in collaboration with other planning and design professionals create infrastructure that can slow down, clean and absorb surface runoff. GIS technology has the power to bring together many levels of information to analyze areas of impervious surface along with precipitation and infiltration rates. This information can be quantified, and various scenarios created to show the effects of altering variables. The resulting map with its many layers can be imported into an interactive online model such as ESRI CityEngine to visualize the data in 3D; a powerful means of communication for all stakeholder.
The methodology and results will also be presented in fall of 2017 to the City of Hamilton and at the ESRI Canada Conference.
Adele Pierre, Master’s candidate, University of Guelph Grant $1,500
UPDATES:
17.05.03_ Using the Geodesign Process to Communicate the Benefits of Bioswales in Urban Stormwater. Adele Pierre, has completed her thesis and it can be viewed at http://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/