inPLACE Design Principals, Dustin and Haris, participated in the annual urban bike ride hosted by AIA Baltimore’s COTE|R (Committee on the Environment and Resiliency) in partnership with Blue Water Baltimore. This year’s ride was called Watercycle and visited sites in Baltimore that demonstrate creative storm water management projects. The projects showcase ways neighborhoods promote healthy streams and a healthy harbor through design. The ride was about 8 miles and began and ended at the Monument City Brewing Company in Highlandtown. The ride was well attended, and it was a beautiful sunny day for a bike ride.
“The ride focused on projects that are helping create a healthy harbor”
Site visited included:
Conkling Street Garden A community driven urban garden.
Library Square An urban park with 3 bioretention facilities (1,300 sq. ft of bio retention) which treats 0.56 impervious surface and .084 total acres of storm water. The park also contains 9.845 sq. ft of pervious pavers replacing impervious surface, and 4 new trees and 500 new plants.
Amazing Grace Lutheran Church The church parking lot includes a 646 sq. ft rain garden, 9,644 sq. ft of impervious area treated, a pollinator garden, and the removal of a road.
The inner harbor’s floating wetlands are 2,000 sq. ft of islands in the harbor made from upcycled plastic bottles. Planted with native species the islands provide habitat for marine life and help clean the water.
Mr. Trash Wheel – A trash collector located where the Jones Falls Waterway enters the harbor. Mr. Trash Wheel has collected 1,518,620 lbs. of trash since 2014.
Gallery Church Patterson Park – The church installed 257 sq. ft of downspout planters, 310 sq. ft of impervious surface was removed, and 0.14 acres of impervious area is treated.
Sponsors of the ride this year included Hatch Exhibits, Highrock Studios, Design Be Art, and the Highlandtown Community Association. Dustin is co-chair of AIA Baltimore’s COTE|R (Committee on the Environment and Resiliency).
inPLACE Design is an architecture, planning, and design firm with the experience and capabilities to create extraordinary, engaging, and inspiring placemaking in cities, towns and suburbs both nationally and internationally. We are dedicated to design excellence and innovative design strategies that are environmentally responsible and sustainable.
