REVERSIBLE URBANISM: Baltimore Case study


"AWASH" is a test-run of Reversible Urbanism. It is a proposal to put into practice the principles and ideas of REVURB, and is being developed as a pilot project within the city of Baltimore.















 


Here is the abstract for a talk I'll be giving at the CELA conference at the end of March:


REVERSIBLE URBANISM: A STRATEGY TO BRING ABOUT SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL WELL BEING IN BALTIMORE
“For these communities, the past does not need to be prologue. These places can be hubs of advanced manufacturing. They can be transit-oriented centers for living and work. They can be clean and green, diverse and inclusive.” (Katz, 2010)
Reversible Urbanism is a strategic approach to urbanism that attempts to solve social and environmental problems simultaneously by leveraging funding for environmental mitigation to address social problems.
 In his quote, Katz refers to Chicago; Baltimore offers similar potential for revitalization.
Southwest Baltimore, the vast section of Baltimore that provides the backdrop for Homicide and The Wire, lies within a watershed where storm waters carry sewage overflow, toxins from brownfields and pavement runoff directly into the Chesapeake Bay, a nationally protected estuary. The City of Baltimore is under pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency to comply with regulations regarding storm water flow into the Chesapeake. Baltimore’s decaying, combined sewer system intensifies flooding problems that will worsen as sea levels rise in the face of global warming. Baltimore must invest in its storm water management; it has no choice.
This pressure provides an extraordinary opportunity to apply the approaches of Reversible Urbanism to Baltimore’s urgent environmental problems and entrenched poverty.
Our paper outlines the evolution of Baltimore’s shadow side, and lays out a plan to bring the city into compliance with environmental regulations while addressing urban issues with landscape solutions that promote social equity and economic growth. Brownfields and vacant lots become productive landscapes that mitigate flooding and provide public space for recreation and opportunities for new business.
Our design presents a strategy for involving stakeholders and building a framework for new landscapes, businesses and housing. Baltimore is poised to redefine itself based on its strengths: location; a transportation infrastructure; and a creative class. Reversible Urbanism provides a map to guide this transformation.


  Katz, B., (2010). Delivering the Next American Economy: From Macro Vision to Metro             Action Global Metro Summit/Chicago, Illinois December 8, 2010, http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2010/1117_states_next_economy.aspx