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Collection by Heather Corcoran

An Inside Look at How Public Spaces Can Be Redesigned for Resiliency

What if there were a way to build public spaces to proactively prevent damage from natural disasters while making communities safer and happier? That's exactly the thought behind resilient design, a movement that focuses on creative solutions that promise to make day-to-day life better for us all.

As natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy have shown the vulnerability of our cities, architects and designers are increasingly looking to build with resiliency in mind. Learn more about resilient design at Dwell on Design Los Angeles with the panel Building for Resiliency, featuring Adrian Benepe of The Trust for Public Land and Randy Fiser of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), who will discuss the ways smart design can tackle one of the biggest issues of our time. Along with the ways that urban planning can strengthen an area’s ability to sustain climate challenges, Benepe and Fiser will look at the ways green infrastructure and thoughtful design can benefit cities—and their residents—in general.

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Efforts like the Trust for Public Land's Avalon Green Alley Network can transform neighborhoods by increasing park space, encouraging walking and playing, reducing crime and strengthening communities by providing safe shared public spaces. In addition, these types of green spaces—planted with draught-resistant native species—can help cool neighborhoods, save water, and reduce the need for water treatment, while replacing what was previously an unsafe eyesore.
Efforts like the Trust for Public Land's Avalon Green Alley Network can transform neighborhoods by increasing park space, encouraging walking and playing, reducing crime and strengthening communities by providing safe shared public spaces. In addition, these types of green spaces—planted with draught-resistant native species—can help cool neighborhoods, save water, and reduce the need for water treatment, while replacing what was previously an unsafe eyesore.
The asphalt at this school playground in Brooklyn caused stormwater to drain into the Gowanus Canal, putting pressure on the city's sewer system, and adding contaminated runoff to an already polluted waterway. It also made a drab addition to the cityscape.
The asphalt at this school playground in Brooklyn caused stormwater to drain into the Gowanus Canal, putting pressure on the city's sewer system, and adding contaminated runoff to an already polluted waterway. It also made a drab addition to the cityscape.
By replacing asphalt, the new playground manages nearly half a million gallons of stormwater annually, improving the health of local waterways. At various public school sites in New York City, green infrastructure components proposed by The Trust for Public Land have included small green roofs on storage sheds, rain gardens, rain catchment systems, and artificial turf fields with a gravel base that allow stormwater to pass through and be absorbed into the ground. With such improvements, green infrastructure components can capture at least the first inch of stormwater that falls on the playgrounds each time it rains.
By replacing asphalt, the new playground manages nearly half a million gallons of stormwater annually, improving the health of local waterways. At various public school sites in New York City, green infrastructure components proposed by The Trust for Public Land have included small green roofs on storage sheds, rain gardens, rain catchment systems, and artificial turf fields with a gravel base that allow stormwater to pass through and be absorbed into the ground. With such improvements, green infrastructure components can capture at least the first inch of stormwater that falls on the playgrounds each time it rains.
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