The Conway School of Landscape Design
Green Streets Guidebook The City of Holyoke Holyoke , Massachusetts
Holyoke ’ s aging combined sewer system discharges trillions of gallons of wastewater into the Connecticut River annually , threatening public health , degrading ecological systems , and subjecting the City to regulatory fines .
BSLA / MERIT AWARD
Student Work
Because Holyoke is already in the costly process of separating sewers , the Conservation Commission hired the Conway School to explore the potential for Green Streets ( GSs ) to simultaneously support Holyoke ’ s current urban renewal process and meet the City ’ s wastewater management goals in a cost-effective , ecologically-sensitive way .
The Guidebook intends to introduce city planners and policy-makers to GSs , advocate for their implementation , and serve as a preliminary set of design guidelines to transform Holyoke ’ s streets into more ecologically , socially , and economically positive spaces . Based on three guiding principles – green infrastructure , complete streets , and placemaking — the Guidebook includes a Toolbox ; nine designed templates ; a site-specific application ; an exploration of relative costs and benefits ; and recommended next steps .
140 BSLA