Southwest & Buzzard Point Flood Resilience Strategy Washington, DC
Services Provided
Planning
Urban Design
Sustainable Design
People Involved
Joe Chambers
Alexandra Lemke
Erin Schregardus
Awards
2024 Potomac ASLA Merit Award in Analysis, Planning, and Urban Design
A neighborhood-scale study re-imagines flood mitigation tactics, preparing Washington, DC’s Southwest Quadrant for future climate resilience
The Southwest & Buzzard Point Flood Resilience Strategy takes action to protect Washington, DC’s most vulnerable communities from extreme climate change induced interior flooding events. This ground breaking project—one of the first worldwide and the first in Washington, DC—gives form, at a neighborhood scale, to the stormwater infrastructure cities will need in the future.
Taking an innovative approach to stormwater management, MKSK re-designed an existing network of overland parks and green spaces to convey volumes of up to five times those of current storms. MKSK supported the planning effort by identifying street and public Right of Way typologies which double as landscape features for community gathering, play, and passive use. These spaces provide the full suite of green infrastructure benefits, including carbon sequestration, increased habitat value, improved air quality, and enhanced aesthetic value. Throughout the project’s 16-month timeline, MKSK assisted in presenting concepts to public agencies, stakeholders and the wider Southwest community.
