PLUS GreeN: Reconciling Urban Streams and Greenways through Placemaking

Abstract

Design and planning regarding urban streams are mostly viewed through the lens of ecological restoration the federal and state agencies. Cities and counties, undertaking the greenway and green network planning exercises mostly consider the urban streams as a sub-context, to be dealt with at a later stage or by different agencies. The middle ground between the urban streams, and urban greenways, thus often remains un-tended, and shows up as fragmented urban mosaic.  Placemaking is often discussed in design and planning of architecture and landscape of urban built environment, to create a pause or interest or a place of rest for people. This paper considers placemaking as a landscape design approach to address the middle ground and reconcile the two ecologies of urban streams and greenways. A focused case research of an urban stream in northeast Baltimore is undertaken based on classic method of site-context analyses, federal, state, and local guides on stream restoration are considered and opportunities of bridging the connection are envisioned through conceptual design resolutions, underscored by the agenda of placemaking. As further research, the disconnect between various natural resources such as urban streams and urban greenways should be addressed through policies.