In our continuing discussion, we need to focus on the goals of a sustainable site plan in terms that everyone will understand and appreciate. Often times, designers (myself included) become so entrenched and zealous about their overall concept that we tend to spew large amounts of jargon, which usually results in the general public simply "tuning us out".
If we simplify the aims of a sustainable site plan, we discover that designers are charged with the task of developing site plans that meet their client's development needs while ensuring that these four essential requirements are met;
- the site's soils are preserved or developed in a manner that does not degrade either the fertility of the existing soils or increase the potential for soil erosion;
- the proposed project does not contaminate the overall water supply, which includes both surface sources and sub-surface sources;
- the proposed project ensures that air will be able to flow through the site in an unobstructed manner and that as much existing vegetation is preserved as possible in order to reduce air pollution;
- the proposed project provides for enhanced human well being, enhanced cultural diversity and enhances the natural and social environment.
Provided that these elements are met and/or preserved, then we can truly label a site plan sustainable and equitable for a proposed development or project.
(Note: the word development can be used to describe any project which changes the use of a site; many people simply equate the concept of development with residential neighborhood construction, however it applies to commercial projects, industrial projects, parks and recreation projects and so on.)
Let us examine each requirement on its own merits and keep the discussion jargon-free.
...the site's soils are preserved or developed in a manner that does not degrade either the fertility of the existing soils or increase the potential for soil erosion...
Most of us would consider this requirement as common sense, but as we all know what is right and responsible is rarely considered common sense among Hyper-Capitalists (oops, jargon-alert!!).
Consider this; if you wanted to build a house and someone explained to you that there is a 99.9% chance that your house will collapse in less than a year because of erosion, would you build the house?
Or that the spot were you are planting a vegetable garden was once a toxic waste dump and there is a 99.9% chance that the vegetables you grow will give your family terminal illnesses in less that one year, would you plant that garden?
Common sense would say that you would try to avoid these types of situations. Alas, such is not the case for a multitude of developments in this country.
Simply stated, if you pass by a new development project and there happens to be a ridiculously large pile of dirt on one part of the site, this tells you that the soils conditions on that site are not suited for development!!!
Soils on a site exist in a form similar to a layer cake; throughout history these layers have been built-up through a variety of environmental processes. These layers all serve a specific purpose, but are composed of different materials due to past uses of the site, the types of vegetation that have lived on the site and where the site is located in the overall geography of the area (e.g. on the coast, at the base of a mountain, etc...).
When a development must alter the make-up of the soils, or strip off the chocolate layer of the cake and add an asparagus layer, this alters the ability of the soils to perform functions that have been occurring on the site for thousands of years. And as we surmise from our chocolate-asparagus layer cake, they don't exactly mesh.
At this point, you are undoubtedly asking yourself, Why do we develop on sites with unsuitable soils?
The answer to that question is found in the real estate industry's favorite mantra, location, location, location.
Believe it or not, developers and Hyper-Capitalists are more than willing to risk the safety of the people who will be using the development in addition to risking the safety of their neighbors in an effort to make some money.
The impact that each individual development has on the soils is varied and often site-specific, which helps illustrate the dire need for the development of sustainable site planning practices. Whether a proposed project threatens to increase the likelihood of causing a landslide or polluting a local stream because the soils have been drastically altered; landscape architects are equipped with the knowledge and skills to address these issues.
As we move through our exploration of each of these points, we will once again discover that everything is connected to everything else.
“The nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself.” - Franklin Delano Roosevelt
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