Urban Greenway and Coastal Restoration Plan

Challenge

In March 2024, PT Partners was approved by EPA for technical assistance to develop a plan for addressing climate adaptation and resiliency to in an environmental justice residential neighborhood in coastal Connecticut. PT Partners advocated for residents in PT Barnum Apartments, a public housing apartment complex, which is surrounded with industrial properties, I-95, public schools, the City’s wastewater treatment plant and commercial marinas all accessed by Bostwick Avenue. The Climate Resilience Consulting team of ONE Architecture, GZA, Climate Adaptation Partners, and Sam Schwartz Traffic Engineering began a 22-week planning and technical assistance program. PT Partners, with partners Groundwork Bridgeport, Trust for Public Land, United Way and City of Bridgeport, collaborated with the technical assistance team and the residents of PT Barnum Apartments to envision an equitable and resilient greenway project. This project needed to be feasible and completed within three years for up to $20 million per the strict EPA grant requirements. PT Partners also needed to apply for the EPA Community Change Equitable Resilience Grant prior to November 21, 2024.

Solution

Needs from the residents included a Bostwick Avenue Greenway, shoreline restoration, green infrastructure to reduce stormwater runoff, alternative transport connectivity improvements, improved public footpaths and bike lanes and safer pedestrian and bike paths. Climate Adaptation Partners managed the technical assistance team, outreach efforts and the design charette. One Architecture provided landscape architectural designs and all renderings for the greenway, park improvements and i-95 underpass lighting and mural. GZA provided engineering analysis and opinion of probable costs for park restoration, stormwater drainage, sidewalk improvements, surface coatings to reduce heat island effects, temperature, particulate and flood monitoring and coastal restoration in the vicinity of the Captain’s Cove Marina. Sam Schwartz Traffic Engineering provided concept designs and estimated costs for traffic calming concept designs, shaded bus stop kiosks and raised crosswalks.

Benefit

The charette with the community residents and stakeholders culminated in consensus on project design priorities of coastal access, vegetative buffers, shade trees, a pollinator garden, rain gardens, cool and permeable paving, and community art. The grant application was submitted early to EPA by Groundwork Bridgeport and PT Partners.