Hannah Stambaugh (IAC 2012-13) is the recipient of this year's Marcia Rosenthall Fellowship. She will be writing a series of blog posts documenting her time interning at the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District.
I have one month left of my fellowship at the Golden Triangle. After a steep learning curve and lots of research, I have progressed to the “recommendations” section of my report on green infrastructure in the BID. Formulating recommendations is challenging because there are so many factors and constraints to consider, but I trust the research that I’ve done over the past two months. I’m enjoying this phase of my project because I can be creative and apply what I’ve learned to the space around me. I’ve been spending a lot of time walking around the neighborhood, taking pictures, and conceptualizing how public space can be greener.
The scope of my report has evolved since my last blog post. The following is an excerpt from my executive summary:
"The Golden Triangle Business Improvement District is committed to increasing its environmental sustainability. The BID is actively exploring new green infrastructure (GI) applications. The purpose of this report is to audit our current green assets, to create a system for assessing the feasibility of new projects and for evaluating the environmental, social, and financial impacts of projects, and to present a series of recommendations to reduce imperviousness through GI in the public realm. [...] Moving forward there will be opportunities to redesign public space in Washington, D.C.’s central business district. This report will help ensure that green infrastructure is a key element in all public space."
Since my last post, I’ve had the opportunity to sit down with members of the D.C. Department of Transportation, the Department of the Environment and the Office of Planning. The input of planning experts has been very valuable. I’m grateful for the connections the BID has with various departments and stakeholders in D.C. In addition to learning about green infrastructure, I’m learning about city operations and it’s very cool to be able to take part in the process.
My supervisor recently informed me about the DC Sustainability Awards, a recognition program by DDOE and the Mayor’s office for sustainability initiatives. In about three weeks, I’ll be submitting my report for consideration.
I’m finding that my experiences here are transforming the way that I view urban spaces. When I leave the office and walk out of the neighborhood in the evening, I walk through campus to catch the Vex. I’m noticing aspects of campus that I’ve never paid particular attention to before. For example, while I used to only notice the hippo statue sitting on the corner of 21st and I, I’m now paying attention to the large green space that the statue sits on and considering the stormwater that is captured. This is a beautiful transformation of a large corner that could be simple concrete. The other day, I went down to the Southwest Waterfront, and I was incredibly impressed by the beautiful green infrastructure that I saw. Overall, I’m conceptualizing urban space in a new way. I’m seeing this beautiful city through a sustainability lens. Even in D.C.’s built out downtown, there is a lot of potential for green design. I’m so grateful for this experience because I’m learning about a subject that I have never studied, and there is value in any experience that broadens one's conceptual lens.