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Green Community Connections Project
In July 2007, the Green Infrastructure Center (GIC) began a statewide field test of green infrastructure planning in Virginia. The goal of the project is to develop and test practical methods for conserving green assets such as forests, rivers, wildlife areas, historic landscape features and recreational opportunities. Field tests are spread across Virginia to represent the state’s distinct ecoregions – coastal, piedmont, valley and ridge -- as well as diversity of community types from rural, to urban to suburban.
Green infrastructure includes the forests, streams, groundwater recharge areas, wildlife habitats, recreational trails and cultural assets that communities depend upon for clear air, clean water and healthful and vibrant communities. Through a series of demonstration projects and a new methods handbook and workshops, the GIC will show how Virginia localities can conserve these assets using a community-based green infrastructure planning process. The GIC will apply new mapping technologies and models and match them to local goals for land planning so that development is channeled to the most appropriate locations and occurs in patterns that maximize public benefits, such as clean air, water and recreation values.
The first project began in summer 2007 in rural Madison County in the central Piedmont region of Virginia. Funding is provided by the Virginia Department of Forestry and an anonymous foundation. University of Virginia graduate students conducted initial project research.
Madison County was selected as the first field test project because it contains more than 170 intact habitat cores based on the Virginia Conservation Lands Needs Assessment as well as working farms and forests that the community wishes to protect. This project will seek to demonstrate how early planning can identify assets such as high value forests, before they fragmented and not viable for timber or wildlife uses.
In summer 2008, the GIC launched the Richmond Regional Project, with funds from the Virginia Environmental Endowment and the Robins Foundation to pilot a regional and local approach to green infrastructure mapping. The project entails a regional map for the Richmond and Crater Planning Districts (20 localities) and a detailed green infrastructure plan for New Kent County Virginia that entails asset maps, risk assessment and recommended policies to protect green assets. New Kent County was selected for a local pilot because it has significant natural resources, with 75 percent of its land base undeveloped. The county’s proximity to the growing metro Richmond region puts these resources at risk from sprawl-patterned development.
The Capital Region Land Conservancy is a key partner in this effort. This project will demonstrate how a land trust can use a green infrastructure approach to target the most appropriate lands for conservation.
Also in summer 2008, the GIC launched the Lynchburg, Virginia field test to demonstrate how green infrastructure principles can be applied to an urban setting. This test is based on a successful effort led by GIC staff in Charlottesville in 2006-2007. Funds from this field test are also provided by the Virginia Department of Forestry and the Urban and Community Forestry Program.
Graduate students from the University of Virginia will assist in mapping forest canopy and demonstrate how protecting and increasing canopy can help to mitigate climate change and reduce urban heat island effect (warming from excessive paved areas). They also will develop an urban stream buffer program and a matrix to rank lands for conservation so they may be acquired for park lands or used to meet recreational or economic needs. They will also look at trails as green infrastructure for urban pedestrian commuters.
Future field test projects will be selected within Virginia to test other green infrastructure planning principles. The Virginia Coast, Valley and Southern areas of Virginia are currently under consideration for 2009 field tests. Field tests are funded through grants and donations and support must be raised before any field tests are planned. If you would like to suggest a field test project, please contact the center.
These field test projects will be used to generate new methods for green infrastructure planning that will be available for use by communities, planners, developers, conservation groups, and citizens who want to protect and/or restore their community’s green assets. While these initial field test projects are being conducted in Virginia, projects in other states will be included in the future as the center expands its focus. To donate to this project, please send a donation to GIC marked “Connected Communities Field Tests.”
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Water and Community Health
In May 2007 and 2008, GIC Director Karen Firehock travelled to the Venda Region of northern South Africa (S.A.) with faculty and students from the University of Virginia to learn about and plan for a project to evaluate problems related to water infrastructure and community health. According to health workers in the Venda Region, in some areas up to 30% of people are living with HIV aids. Lack of access to fresh and safe water can have dire consequences for those who have HIV. Water-borne diseases cause diarrhea that leaves its sufferers dehydrated, malnourished, and more prone to infections. In addition, diarrhea may prevent the absorption of patients' life-saving anti-HIV medications so they die sooner.
Studies have shown that lack of access to clean water is one of the top problems faced by local family caregivers for people living with HIV. The caregivers are often not able to keep patients clean and hydrated because of water scarcity. Time spent fetching water that is miles away can reduce time available for patient care or for seeking jobs.
The water and community health project was developed to address the critical problem caused by the lack of access to clean water across the globe. Two thirds of water interventions fail within the first five years, often because the community is not engaged in designing and maintaining the water system. In contrast, this project will model how community values and ideas can be incorporated while building local capacity so villagers can maintain these systems and take charge of their community’s health.
GIC director Karen Firehock co-facilitated a workshop in May 2008 with faculty and community residents from the U.S. and S.A. to develop a shared research agenda and project plans. Staff and students met with five villages to learn of their concerns and challenges in providing safe drinking water. Next steps are to formalize the village selection and work with an interdisciplinary team to assess community awareness, knowledge, threats and existing water infrastructure in terms of access, health, and safety. Team members will then work to develop and implement solutions to identified problems.
The outcome of this three-year process will be a model for a community based water planning to create safe, abundant and affordable water systems. Results from this multi-year project will be reviewed and shared with other regions and countries interested in implementing community-based approaches to water infrastructure protection. To donate to this project please send a donation to GIC marked “South Africa Water Project.”
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