PAWTUCKET DOWNTOWN DESIGN PLAN FINAL ... - VHB.com

DESIGN Public Parking Management
development.
A goal of 50% pervious paving is recommended by LEED Neighborhood
Standards to reduce the heat island effect. This can be accomplished by using
a variety of paving types that both offer an attractive surface for pedestrians
and a durable surface for cars.
Design: adding trees and vegetation
With good landscape architecture practices, it is easy to increase areas of
sustainable, low maintenance plantings and decrease areas of parking. This
can be done through the addition of islands, mini-parks, “bump-ins” where
the public sidewalk pushes plantings into parking areas as a buffer between
moving cars on the public streets and parked cars in a public lot. It not only
adds green to reduce the heat island effect and help water management, but
makes the lot more amenable to and safer for pedestrians and encourages the
reprogramming of the space for other purposes.
Effectiveness Good for heat island reduction because it includes trees for
shade and vegetative areas, but parking areas have to be larger
to accommodate the same number of cars; Not ideal for water
run-off since the non-vegetative areas are impervious.
Applications High traffic areas
Durability High
Maintenance Increased from standard lot
Aesthetics Looks like a parking lot with some landscape decoration
Eco-paving: assembled units with large openings
A variety of products are available that allow grass to grow through unit
components so that a surface can be a combination of vegetation and ground
stabilization. Some of these units are made of traditional masonry materials
and other are made from recycled plastic components. The plastic cellular
units, often called “turf blocks” or “grass pavers,” distribute the weight of
traffic and prevent compression of the underlying soil and stabilize what
looks like a continuous field of grass. Masonry units can be more easily seen
and add to the overall aesthetic. Both exist as well proven systems that can
handle large forces, such as fire engines, and offer a smooth surface in winter.
Example products of this material type include: Grass-crete, Terrafirm Eco-grid,
BodPave Porous Grass Paving Grids, and EZ Roll Grass Pavers.
Effectiveness Best option for water-run off, Best option for heat reduction
Applications Low traffic areas
Durability Structure, high; plantings; medium
Maintenance Increased from a standard lot
Aesthetics High, Looks like a park
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Porous surfaces: surfaces with small openings
Traditional masonry units can be used with permeable joints for water to seep
through. Because it is masonry, it has little effect on heat absorption rates,
however, joints can be vegetated over time which has a minor effect. The
benefit for masonry is that is a more appealing material which encourages
the re-use of surface parking areas for other programs, such as cultural
events, farmer’s markets, and vending. Examples of this material type include:
Advanced Pavement Technology Aqua-Bric, Eco-Tek, Eurocobble, and Uni
PDDP DESIGN