Following a series of devastating flood events culminating with Hurricane Harvey in 2017, a unique partnership between the Houston Public Works Department and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) sought to implement new mitigation strategies within the city’s parklands to better manage flooding and stormwater. With a goal of maximizing Houston parks’ environmental, economic and social benefits while increasing resiliency in the post-Harvey environment, M2L Associates worked closely with Quiddity Engineers on a project to study five Houston parks and explore proven, innovative strategies that combine park amenities with stormwater detention methods.

The five parks studied were Hackberry Park, Boone Park, Cambridge Village Park, EP Hill Park and Edgewood Park, while strategies considered were based on an earlier Quiddity Engineers project to produce the City of Houston Guidebook on Parkland for Multi-Use. The M2L drainage study confirmed that open spaces in the five Houston’s parklands could provide recreational features and wildlife habitats while simultaneously holding storm runoff and ultimately protecting the community from increasing flood risks. With the new study data in hand supporting the best balance of implementation strategies, M2L experts thus far have worked closely with HPARD teams to implement recommendations at two of the parks — Edgewood and Cambridge Village.

Green stormwater infrastructure strategies — designed to mimic rainfall behaviors but reduce stormwater flows to sewer systems and downstream conveyance systems — were featured in both park renovations. From permeable pavers to reforestation and constructed stormwater wetlands to careful specification of park amenities, these green stormwater infrastructure innovations will be game-changers for smart cities and planners seeking to improve resiliency along the Gulf Coast.