Resilient Infrastructure

CEDaR’s integrated approach to resilient infrastructure emphasizes linked problems in management of urban heat, flooding, connectivity, water quality and water supply.  We work with national and local partners, including the Trust for Public Lands, city of Denver and Cool, Connected Westwood.

Projects include the following:

Neighborhood Planning Studios. Sponsored two neighborhood green infrastructure planning studios, in the Park Hill and Westwood neighborhoods of Denver;

  • 2015 Green Infrastructure Park Hill Praxis Studio (Muller and Kahn)
  • 2016 Green Infrastructure Westwood Praxis Studio (Kahn and Tabatabaie)

Partners: Greater Park Hill Association, Place Matters, City of Denver, Trust for Public Lands, Westwood Unidos, LiveWell Westwood and others.

Infrastructure Models. CEDaR supports two dissertations and two funded research projects related to spatial assessment and modeling of green infrastructure. These projects involve high resolution measurement and evaluation of green infrastructure patterns.

  • Community Flood Measurement (Pasternack, Saucedo, Sancar) – survey and community-based evaluation of location and effect of surface flooding.
  • Assessing Contaminant Loading from Run-Off (Harden, Muller, Silverstein, Walman, Burnham, Walman) – model of contaminant loading.
  • Phenology and Urban Development (Wessman, Heris, Muller) – effect of seasonality on landscape pattern.
  • Neighborhood Shade Planning (Tabatabaie Dissertation)
  • Microclimate Simulation (Heris Dissertation)

Partners: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE); City of Denver. Participants. Undergraduate Interns - Merritt Burnham, Oscar Saucedo, Chase Walman, Zoe Pasternack, ; Associates - Ben Harden, Zoe Pasternack, Oscar Saucedo; PhD Students - Mehdi Heris and Sara Tabatabaie; Faculty - Louise Chawla, David Kahn, Jill Litt, Brian Muller, Fahriye Sancar, Joann Silverstein and Carol Wessman.

Other resilient infrastructure projects:

  • 16th Avenue Tree Lawn Rain Garden
  • Assessment of Raingarden Performance – Colorado Front Range
  • Assessing Opportunities for Tree Planting - Denver Public Schools
  • Denver Community Heat Survey
  • Denver Green Roofs Ordinance Assessment
  • Green Infrastructure Decision Tool/Forecast Model
  • Park Hill - Demonstration Library Rain Garden
  • Park Hill - Demonstration Parking Lot Rain Garden
  • Park Hill - Roof Water Quality Run-Off Evaluation
  • Park Hill -  Shade Audit Methods Project
  • Planning for the Emerald Ash Borer – the Boulder Experience
  • Spatial Analysis for Southeast Boulder Neighborhood Planning Process
  • Westwood - Analysis of On-Street Pollutants
  • Westwood Walkability Study