April 2017 - Parks & Recreation - 48

E V A N S P A R K W AY

Ensuring the Design and Management
of High-Performance Parks
By Danielle D. Pieranunzi

he Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES) is the most comprehensive program in
the United States for developing sustainable landscapes. SITES offers a systematic, comprehensive rating system designed to define sustainable sites, measure
their performance and elevate the value of landscapes.
Administered by Green Business Certification Inc., and existing as a complement
to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED building certification, SITES is based on
the understanding that land is a crucial component of the built environment and
can be planned, designed, developed and maintained to protect and enhance the
benefits we derive from healthy, functioning landscapes.
SITES helps create ecologically resilient communities and benefits the environment, property owners, and local and regional communities and economies. The
SITES v2 Rating System, released in 2014, is a culmination of years of research and
development, including feedback during a pilot phase that resulted in 47 certified
pilot projects across the United States. Today, parks represent the largest typology
of registered SITES projects. Parks are a key element in the built environment, providing benefits that include reducing the urban heat island effect, cleaning the air,
managing stormwater and improving human health and well-being. SITES v2 helps
ensure that these essential ecosystem services are at the forefront of decision-making. Professionals can also earn a related SITES AP credential, demonstrating their
knowledge of sustainable land design and development.
Danielle D. Pieranunzi is the Director of Sustainability Initiatives for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower
Center at The University of Texas at Austin (dpieranunzi@wildflower.org).

A new pedestrian bridge
allows a view of the restored
stream's floodplain.

Parks & Recreation

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internal stakeholders as well as community residents on the value of implementing these techniques. " This project
helped build a whole process of changing a mindset for both the staff and the
public about parks being a part of the
solution rather than just the status quo, "
says Frank.
Community Engagement
Important to Park Redesign
A nearby neighbor of Evans Parkway
Park, Mike Smith, who is a member of
the Friends of Sligo Creek and a parent
of a 13-month-old child, says he has really
liked the restoration of the natural stream
that is a feature of the green stormwater
management improvements in the park.
" It is really interesting to see how the
natural stream soaks up the stormwater
and spreads it out. There is always more
water in the natural stream than in the
concrete-lined channel, and there are tree
frogs calling and mallard ducks now. " He
looks forward to sharing the wildlife with
his child, and he says that the whole process has been educational and a great way
to introduce people in the community to
the benefits of stormwater control by natural methods.
Mike Fox, another nearby resident of
the community, has two children ages 10
and 13 who have grown up in the park.
" There used to be a concrete-lined ditch
that ran through the park, and portions
of the park were overgrown and full of
invasive plant species, " he shares. Fox
valued the broad community involvement and says there were many opinions
on what kind of recreation amenities
should be placed in the park and what
kind of play equipment should be installed. He also says that there are many
advocates for nature-based play in the
community, and he, personally, would
like to see more opportunities for this.
He believes that the parks department
should go beyond just putting a bridge
over the new natural stream, which was
one of the new features of the retrofit,

April 2017 - Parks & Recreation

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