Webinar: Using trees and soils in urban stormwater management

Listen to a presentation by James Urban, FASLA, on the topic of using trees and soil in urban stormwater management.

**The webinar is recorded in full, however, due to service disruptions from GoToWebinar, we did experience some technical difficulties throughout the presentation.**

**Correction from Jim: During the storm water webinar, there was one error in the presentation that needs correction. I showed an image of check dams in a bio-retention bed and discussed the importance of check dams to control water head above the soil in a sloped site. I noted that the check dams in the image were made of gravel which I said made them ineffective. I do see gravel check dams used in projects and they are ineffective. But the check dams in the image I showed were actually constructed with a clay soil core that is covered in gravel to reduce erosion of the core and apparently these work quite well. Kevin Perry, the designer of the project I showed, contacted me to point out the error. My apologies to Kevin and viewers of the webinar for the mistake, and a sincere thank you to Kevin for pointing out the error.**

The treatment and storage of urban stormwater is a hot topic in the design professions and increasingly drives large scale design issues. Trees are often seen as a critical part of the design and concept, but the details of bringing together trees, urban soils, and highly controlled water flows requires training and experience that is not typically included in landscape architecture courses. Even civil engineering, a profession that specializes in taking water away from sites as fast as possible, does not always offer adequate training in how to use soil and plants to slow water and filter contaminants.

This session will look at the most frequent mistakes we are making in bringing together storm water with trees in dense urban areas. We will explore a set of "first principles" that must be incorporated before the aesthetic part of the design can be developed. These principles will fundamentally alter the aesthetic of the site and will provide a new framework for designers who are seeking to have form truly follow function.

http://www.jamesurban.net

• Category

  • Education

• License

  • Standard YouTube License