Green Infrastructure Digest

A couple of us at the office decided to make a roadtrip to St. Louis to see the new Citygarden, a three-acre sculpture park designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz that opened mid-summer. It was a pleasant surprise to see that the street cutting through the two blocks comprising the garden is a green street. The pedestrian bulbs on the south end have openings in the stone curbs to allow water to enter. Small strips of asphalt were also added at each opening along the curb to help divert additional water. The rain gardens are further expanded by incorporating small steel boardwalks along the sidewalk that allow water to move from the pedestrian bulbs to a larger landscape area on the opposite side of the walkway. The boardwalks draw attention to the rain garden as you pass over it. This green street was just one of the many exciting elements found in Citygarden. The park is an impressive addition to the city.