Identifier

etd-0604102-113054

Degree

Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

Department

Landscape Architecture

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Undeveloped lands are inherently capable of handling the precipitation rates and severe storm events of a given area. As our communities continue to grow and expand, the stormwater management capabilities of an area’s natural systems will be impacted. Without thoughtful intervention, existing natural systems will be overwhelmed to the point of dysfunction, an unfortunate circumstance that has been the case in some of this country’s more urbanized areas. The main objective of this thesis is to demonstrate the process of applying an integrated greenway stormwater management system as an alternative approach to managing the present and future stormwater needs of a developing coastal community. Research gathered from this investigation is applied to the coastal community of Bay County, Florida in the form of a case study. A greenway system for Bay County is defined as the preservation of existing and connected undeveloped areas, particularly wetlands, shorelines, and natural drainage ways, in order to conserve and protect the natural systems that are inherently capable of handling normal stormwater occurrences. Structural, nonstructural, and natural engineering stormwater best management practices are recommended as supplements to the capabilities of the greenway system’s preserved areas. These best management practices are alternative approaches to the conventional concrete and steel method of stormwater management. An important outcome of this study is the development of a three-step process for creating an integrated greenway stormwater management system. The first step is the preservation of natural systems and their inherent stormwater management capabilities. The second step is the application of appropriate greenway planning and stormwater management techniques to assist impacted or overburdened natural systems. The third step is the development of a stormwater utility as a means of implementing an integrated greenway stormwater management system on a comprehensive scale. An integrated approach to stormwater management that incorporates the principles of greenway planning supplemented with stormwater best management practices will enable an given area’s remaining natural systems to function more efficiently, thereby reducing a community’s long-term costs associated with the construction and maintenance of stormwater infrastructure.

Date

2002

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Bruce G. Sharky

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.368

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