established as a collaborative research project between the university of georgia and the university of the south, a suite of professors, undergraduates, and graduate students constructed these wetlands in 2016 to discover whether or not they could be a cost-effective way to remove pharmaceuticals from wastewater.

dug out of what was historically a barren garbage heap, this pond, and two more beside it, are continually filled and drained with wastewater from the sewanee utility district. sud, as it’s locally known, is a water treatment facility for franklin and marion counties in tennessee. a few meters away from these wetlands are three huge lagoons of wastewater. sud filters water through the lagoons one at a time, using bacteria, algae, and microorganisms to process waste, while the wetlands “polish off” this treated water using larger freshwater vegetation. once the water has taken its 75-day trip through all three lagoons, it’s sprayed across 62 acres of surrounding forest, a relatively common practice called “land application.” the sprayed water is up to epa standards, but the epa’s wastewater policy doesn’t address pharmaceutical pollution.

pharmaceuticals are a water quality concern globally: “if you live downstream from a city that’s discharging their treated wastewater effluent into a river, and you draw your municipal drinking water from that river, you are getting a cocktail of low concentrations of pharmaceutical compounds,” explains dr. deb mcgrath, a biology professor for sewanee and one of the heads of the constructed wetland project.

on top of the cumberland plateau and downstream from no one, pharmaceuticals haven’t been a major concern for the sud or sewanee residents until recently. in the past ten years alone, sewanee has experienced two fifty-year droughts that nearly dried up neighboring towns completely. weather patterns have become more variable as the effects of climate change intensify, and communities across the globe are shifting to a precedent of water scarcity with intermittent events of extreme flooding.

ben beavers, the director of the sud, is concerned by this. at a public panel on water research and business in sewanee, beavers said that the most important water-related issue he faces is having enough source water. trying not to sound too foreboding, he told the audience: “we may or may not have enough water in the future, so we are continually planning for that.”

for many, these wetlands are the solution: outside of atlanta, georgia, over 263 acres of wetlands polish off the pharmaceuticals found in clayton county’s treated wastewater, and recycle up to 17.4 million gallons of water a day for the city. during the second-worst drought in georgia history in 2007, clayton county was able to keep their raw reservoirs of water at 77% capacity, all because of their sustainable water cycle.

these wetlands are effective on large scales, but mcgrath and dr. ron carroll are concerned with the efficacy of these projects on a smaller scale; could they be implemented in small water treatment facilities, possibly saving rural areas from water scarcity in the future?

so far, the preliminary data suggests so. nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, as well as e. coli colonies, decrease substantially as they pass through the three wetlands, making the water quality well within tennessee’s standards for fish and aquatic life. since 2016, they’ve tracked over 30 pharmaceutical compounds, and mcgrath assured that “preliminary research, both at larger scales and even at our wetland, shows that wetland processes–and especially the combination of plants, bacteria, and light–are pretty effective at breaking down a lot of these.”

if their data suggests significant improvement in water quality, smaller water treatment centers across the united states and even globally can implement water recycling through constructed wetlands, without sacrificing over 60 acres of land.

“if we can show that wetland processes, liter for liter of water are more effective per unit of land, it’d be something municipalities would be very interested in adopting.”

although the research seems hopeful, dr. deborah mcgrath and uga environmental lawyer dr. laurie fowler are also dealing with the public face of the project. the public outreach campaign that surrounds the constructed wetlands ranges from an informational website to hosting field days for local adults, as well as high and elementary school students, inviting them to visit and learn about the wetlands.

sewanee’s water system is incredibly pure. most residents have the luxury of knowing exactly where their drinking water comes from, and many are within walking distance to at least one of the rain-fed reservoirs in town. with most of the local population aware of their drinking water’s uncorrupted history, there has been some resistance to the idea of willingly using wastewater as a drinking source.

mcgrath and fowler have been working to counteract that negativity by showing the public the intrinsic beauty that the wetlands can have; dressed with native freshwater vegetation, butterflies, a booming presence of amphibians and birds, the wetlands could be considered one of the most beautiful pockets of biodiversity on campus.

in order to create sustainable water systems for a likely water-scarce future, the public’s conceptual approach to wastewater needs to shift from disgust to at least begrudging acceptance. backed by research and the aesthetic of a healthy wetland, mcgrath hopes this project can achieve that.

“people think a lot about the glass of water that they drink, but they don’t think anything about where their water goes after they’ve used it. it’s a huge link to sustainable water use. these wetlands are as much an educational and outreach facility as they are a research facility.”

prior to the joseon dynasty around 600-years-ago, the cheonggyecheon ran naturally through seoul, known then as the city of hanyang. under king taejong, seoul became korea’s capital, and, and shortly after, taejong decided to dredge the stream to help regulate flooding. this decision transformed the stream’s natural, winding form drastically, and the cheonggyecheon became a managed, urban channel. over the centuries, slums developed along its banks, and it became a major conduit of sewage out of the city. from the late 1950s to the 1970s, the stream was gradually buried beneath concrete and highways with the cheonggye expressway eventually running most of its length. for decades following, the cheonggyechon lay beneath the ground, dried-up, and largely forgotten.

the cheonggyecheon was not the only green space in seoul that was converted to accommodate urban development during the mid-1900s. in the wake of the decades-long japanese occupation and the ravages of the korean war, 1960s south korea refocused its energy on the future and successfully ushered in an era of economic growth. yet to facilitate this rapid development, many of seoul’s already limited parks and natural spaces were built upon to accommodate the needs of its booming industrialization. by the 1980s, however, this trending loss of allocated parks and natural landscapes began to change. the 1988 seoul summer olympics kick-started beautification efforts in the metropolitan area, and the drive to create more accessible green space in seoul gained momentum throughout the 1990s – 2000s.

breakthrough designs in land reclamation soon followed. by the time the city had completed the cheonggyecheon restoration in 2005, a variety of other green spaces had already opened. in 2002, world cup park transformed the surface of a 15-year-old landfill containing 92 million tons of garbage, a project that took a total of seven years to complete – six years to stabilize the waste and one to build the park itself. that same year, the city unveiled seonyudo park located in the han river, the site of a former filtration plant converted into a water purification park. in 2005, seoul forest opened providing an eco-forest, wetlands, and a center for nature field study.

the cheonggyecheon stream restoration started in the early 2000s, when seoul’s then-mayor, lee myung-bak, and urban planners began advocating to unearth the cheonggyecheon, long buried beneath the cheonggye expressway. the expressway was in a state of decline; the area around it known for its noise and pollution. thus the city faced the decision of whether or not to invest in repairs or tear it down. lee offered yet another possibility – remove the expressway to resurrect the stream beneath it.  the proposition was a risky one.  in 2003, around 180,000 vehicles used the cheonggye expressway daily, and ramifications in terms of traffic and displaced shops could be substantial. however, if implemented successfully, the project would be a keystone of seoul’s dedication to urban renewal and reintroduce natural scenery into one of the city’s most heavily developed areas.

the project pressed forward. no design to this magnitude had been attempted in the city before. seoahn total landscape created the design, yet its success relied heavily on the support of seoul’s citizens to see the venture to fruition. its construction was not easy and took a total of two years and three months to build. civil engineers orchestrated the first phrase of the project’s construction, and landscape architects managed the final two phrases, overseeing teams of civil engineers, bridge designers, and lighting designers. not only was the project enormously expensive, costing around $900 million dollars, but also hundreds of thousands of tons of water needed to be pumped into the city to revive the stream. there were rampant concerns in regards to safety and gentrification, and over 4,200 meetings were held to pacify alarmed business owners. all in all, it was a massive undertaking to construct, but, after the completion of the project in 2005, many have lauded the cheonggyecheon stream restoration as a resounding success.

it is important to mention, however, that an endeavor of this magnitude and complexity is rarely without flaws. since water is only naturally present in the cheonggyecheon during the summer’s rainy season, consistent pumping of water from the han and other sources is required to keep the stream filled year-round.  key accessibility measures, such as elevators, were not installed on-site until public demands necessitated them, highlighting the importance of designing for all user groups from the onset of a project.

in spite of these critiques, the results of the cheonggyecheon stream restoration are nothing short of staggering. detailed in a case study published by the landscape architecture foundation (laf) landscape performance series, the amount of biodiversity has improved dramatically. from 2003 to 2008 alone, there was a 639% increase in area’s flora and fauna, cited in the study as follows: “overall biodiversity of plant species increasing from 62 to 308, fish species from 4 to 25, bird species from 6 to 36, aquatic invertebrate species from 5 to 53, insect species from 15 to 192, mammals from 2 to 4, and amphibians from 4 to 8.” the stream offers protection in the instance of a 200-year flood and reconnects the cheonggyecheon to the han river and jungraechon stream. pollution levels have dropped – an accomplishment of particular merit due to fact that prior to the redesign, area residents in this part of seoul were twice as likely to contract respiratory disease compared to the rest of the city. temperatures due to urban heat island effect have dropped, and notable social and economic benefits are readily apparent. the cheonggyecheon draws in around 64,000 visitors daily, and the influx of tourists to the area contribute to seoul’s economy. frequent events are hosted along the stream, a popular example being the annual lantern festival celebrating korean culture and heritage.

the cheonggyecheon stream restoration project and seoul’s other reclaimed landscapes play a valuable role in promoting environmental and social health in the south korean capital. the construction of the cheonggyecheon in particular demonstrates to seoul’s citizens and the rest of the world the limitless benefits that come from dedication to creating urban green space. there is an increasing recognition of the landscape architecture field, and i firmly believe that this discipline stands at the forefront of this reformed relationship between urban environments and natural spaces. with monumental precedents such as the cheonggyecheon already successfully implemented, it is exciting to see what the future will bring to revitalized cities around the world.

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sources:

“back to a future seoul: cheonggyecheon restoration project.” seoul metropolitan government, 2005.

“cheonggyecheon stream restoration project.” landscape performance series, landscape architecture foundation.

lah, t.j. “the huge success of the cheonggyecheon restoration project: what’s left?” citizen participation: innovative and alternative modes for engaging citizens: cases from the united states and south korea. rutgers, the state university of new jersey, 2011 (97-117).

the walk to my high school, in another part of brooklyn, was not as stressful. i heard birds chirping. i dodged kids as they rode their scooters to school, their parents not too far behind. business men ignored me. i could pick up a banana and coconut water at a local corner store. i preferred this area more than my own. but in high school i didn’t exactly know why. some things were obvious like the lack of sanitation or the immediate access to healthier food. yet, why didn’t my neighborhood, in the heart of brooklyn, have the same access and treatment as the one i attended high school in?

when we think of environmental injustice we often think of places like flint, michigan or have scenes in our heads of communities who face an overwhelmingly huge proportion of environmental burdens. however, not all injustices are created equally. julian agyeman brings up a good point in his book, “introducing just sustainabilites: policy, planning, and practice”. in it he says, “from global to local, human inequality (the loss of human potential) is as detrimental to our future as the loss of environmental potential, and only a just sustainabilities approach to policy, planning, and practice has an analysis and theory of change with strategies to transform the way in which we treat each other and the planet”.

but what exactly is just sustainabilites? it covers 4 conditions that build sustainable communities. yet the approach to accomplishing each of them will look different for each community in question. the four conditions are 1) improving quality of life and well-being 2) meeting the needs of both present and future generations 3) justice and equity in terms of recognition, process, procedure, and outcome and 4) living within ecosystem limits.

after doing some research, my neighborhood isn’t defined as a traditionally, “environmental injustice” community. but there are some clear differences in quality of life. the epa’s office of environmental justice defines ej as: “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. it will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work”

the environmental wellbeing of a community goes beyond if members of the community face high levels of lead contamination or not. although these are important i urge normal citizens and especially people in power to think more critically. as emma coombes, andrew jones, melvyn hillsdon argue in their research, titled “the relationship of physical activity and overweight to objectively measured green space accessibility and use” the lack of green space in a community is not an injustice solely because individuals are removed from the natural environment but because this can increase an individual’s chances of obesity. further explaining that the environment, environmental hazards, and lack of green space that surround us affects our wellbeing overall. the shift of thinking to encompass the psychological and social effects of environmental hazards allows us to view communities sustainably and tackle the root of the issues in which they face.

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works cited:

– environmental justice. (2017, february 22). retrieved march 02, 2017, from https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice

– agyeman, j. (2013). introducing just sustainabilities: policy, planning, and practice. london, uk: zed books.

cities’ importance in a sustainability context cannot be overestimated. around the world, metropolitan areas are emerging and expanding extremely rapidly — every day, there are approximately 200,000 people worldwide relocating to cities. this continuous trend of urbanization, one that has been consistent since the 1950s, means an additional 2.5 billion people (more than a third of our current global population) will be living in cities by 2050. the graph below, drawn from the un world urbanization prospects 2014 revision, illustrates this global trend.

how can we build smart cities?

without the proper guidance, incentives or regulation, city planners and municipalities, along with the business communities within them, can get away with employing unsustainable and detrimental development principles into their urban design mechanisms. many cities have fallen victim to this. atlanta’s 2.5 million residents, for instance, span over 25 times as much land and emit more than 10 times the transportation-related carbon emissions per capita as barcelona, a city of 2.8 million. barcelona’s success can be attributed to its vast concentration of various residential and business opportunities as well as its strong public transportation infrastructure, which incentivizes development within close proximities to the center of the city and discourages personal vehicle ownership.

for cities to properly accommodate an increasingly urban global population in an efficient manner, city planners and policy makers also must take into account the impacts of a warming climate on urban life. while in the near future — the timeframe in which it is imperative that we act — we cannot dramatically consolidate huge cities like atlanta, it is both necessary and economically optimal to rethink and improve their current infrastructure to ensure cities are able to withstand the effects of climate change. in order to do so, we must understand that cities and their components are part of a greater dynamic earth system, one that has been disrupted after years of irresponsible resource use and management. in understanding this, it is essential to recognize the holistic implications of urban design and development, with an emphasis on preemptively integrating climate mitigation strategies into urban design.

proper water management is key element

one such improvement is to integrate highly efficient rainwater storage and drainage systems along roadways, pavements, and green spaces in cities. just this past week, severe flooding devastated the east coast, and the economic repercussions are expected to be in the billions. as the global climate continues to warm, evidence suggests that the frequency and severity of intense storms are going to increase substantially. this is especially relevant to cities, as roughly three quarters of them, including some of the largest megacities in the world, are located on or very near coasts, where the impacts of extreme weather events, not to mention rising sea levels, will be most costly.

some urban developers and municipalities have already begun incorporating dynamic rainwater storage systems into their planning process in order to mitigate the impending effects of climate change. copenhagen, as discussed in its climate adaptation plan, has implemented many sustainable urban drainage systems (suds), which will significantly reduce the impacts of the projected increase in abundance and intensity of cloudbursts within the city. these systems retain rainwater locally by utilizing subsurface and roadside infiltration beds, permeable paving surfaces, and green roofs and spaces in order to minimize stress on sewage systems and wastewater plants.

(photo by darby mcglone)

smart water management models found today

skt kjelds quarter, a “climate adapted” neighborhood within copenhagen shown above, features large excavated green areas that are used for rainwater storage and contain highly absorptive plants. grated channels and permeable sidewalks surround the green space, as well as large rainwater storage tanks that are separate from the sewage system. the ground outside the space is also angled such that all rainwater is directed towards one of these retention systems in order to reduce the impact of flooding.

potsdamer platz, an urban district within berlin, is also tackling the issue of rainwater management and storage. following the fall of the berlin wall, the local municipality recognized the opportunity to reduce the impact of flooding by forcing the rapid influx of investors to sustainably manage 99% of the rainwater ​that falls on their property. sustainable management meant completely disconnecting from the previous combined sewage system and creating a more efficient and ecologically friendly rainwater capture, storage, and drainage system.

buildings within potsdamer platz are now lined with green roofs that capture more than 70% of incoming rainwater, cool and better insulate the buildings themselves, and send rainwater down pipes to reservoirs that greatly enhance the area’s biodiversity. the water in the reservoirs is then used to flush toilets, irrigate nearby green areas, and in some cases to supply buildings’ hot water or solar thermal systems, all of which saves the district approximately 20 million liters of water each year. among other feats, buildings within potsdamer platz utilize efficient ventilation, facade and passive cooling systems that, compared to conventional systems, cut primary energy consumption by half. there is also talk of using the algae and biomass that accumulate in the reservoirs to create biofuels.

systems like these aren’t the end-all solution for an urban sustainability transition, but they are tackling some of the most pressing issues facing cities today while preserving a valuable resource that is often overlooked. 

(image at top: potsdamer platz in berlin. / mijozi/wikimedia commons)