Evapotranspiration Covers for Landfills

In Evaluation of Urban Soils for Green Infrastructure or Urban Agriculture, you'll learn ...

• The definition and benefits of green infrastructure
• What it means to recondition urban soils and why it is an important step in the revitalization of urban neighborhoods
• Typical characteristics of urban soils
• Recommendations for how urban soils can be rehabilitated or reconditioned to support green infrastructure or urban agriculture

Overview

Credit: 3 PDH

Length: 33 pages

Many urban areas are experiencing a significant increase in the number of vacant properties and a corresponding underutilization of substantial tracts of land. As part of efforts to revitalize these areas, communities are looking at “green” reuses of vacant properties, including parks, green infrastructure, and urban agriculture. The poor condition of the soils on these properties, however, can often be a significant impediment to green infrastructure and urban agriculture uses. The soils are often severely compacted, lack sufficient organic matter, and can contain large amounts of construction debris, making them unsuitable as a growing medium.

Reconditioning of urban soils is intended to adjust drainage characteristics, improve soil structure, add organic matter, and mitigate compaction. Reconditioning methods for improving poor quality soils will vary depending on soil conditions and the intended use of the site.

The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of (1) typical conditions of urban soils and (2) recommendations for how such soils can be rehabilitated or reconditioned to support green infrastructure or urban agriculture. The target audience is civil or environmental engineers who perform project work related to environmental sustainability.