Reimagining Dugway Brook through Community-Driven Solutions

The Dugway Brook stream restoration study set out to determine the feasibility of creating habitat and reducing flooding in the Glenville neighborhood of Cleveland. The study focused on creating conceptual designs for resilient stormwater infrastructure, using nature-based solutions that reflected the desires of the community. Engaging the Glenville community was a cornerstone of the feasibility study, as the focus area was Glenview Park, centrally located within the neighborhood and heavily trafficked by residents of all ages. Collaboration with residents and stakeholders was essential to understand the community's identity and needs. Engagement events intended to foster a sense of ownership by community members and ensured that solutions reflected their aspirations. The Glenville neighborhood is a historically disadvantaged area, and it is no secret that underserved communities bear the burden of insufficient and outdated infrastructure. The project aimed to use habitat creation and improved flood conditions to address the disproportionate impacts of stormwater issues on underserved communities. Equitable stormwater solutions proposed in the study included: - Nature-Based Approaches: The project incorporated nature-based solutions, such as stream restoration, wetland creation, and green infrastructure to manage stormwater in a sustainable and equitable manner, while promoting habitat creation in an urban area. - Inclusive Design: The project design reflects the input received from various community groups, ensuring that the final proposed plans meet the diverse needs of the residents and reflect the community's identity. - Accessibility: Enhancements to Glenview Park, such as improved walkways, seating, signage, and lighting, are designed to be accessible to residents of all ages, including those with disabilities. Two alternatives were studied to determine their feasibility technically (to create habitat and reduce stormwater flooding), financially, (can they be afforded and funded), and socially (meeting the community's needs). Proposed solutions were vetted to ensure that the proposed elements benefit the community, including: - Habitat Creation: The improvements will create new habitats for wildlife, enhancing biodiversity and ecological health. - Flood Risk Reduction: The project aims to reduce flood risk in the Glenville neighborhood, which has historically been impacted by flooding during wet weather events. - Enhanced Public Spaces: The improvements to Glenview Park will provide residents with a safer, more enjoyable, and more accessible public space. - Community Resilience: The project fosters a true sense of ownership and promotes community resilience. Purpose This presentation will share our approach to community engagement in a feasibility study, discussing strategies implemented, themes revealed, how solutions can reflect a community, and challenges and lessons learned throughout the process. Various engagement strategies were executed to promote partnership with the public: - Workshops and Dialogues: Workshops and dialogues were conducted with various community groups, including students, senior citizens, park users, and residents. Sessions were approached through a two-way lens: to educate residents about their local infrastructure and to hear their insights, concerns, and desires. Partnerships with local council people were leveraged to diversify the information sharing approach, utilizing newsletters, emails, and web pages. - Onsite Engagement: Project team members engaged directly with residents in Glenview Park to discuss the study and gather real-time feedback. These conversations were not pre-planned and were meant to foster more organic conversations with regular park users. - Public Meetings: Public meetings were held to present the proposed plans and gather additional feedback. These served as a forum for addressing concerns and discussing the project's benefits. Meetings were coordinated with project partners, like community development corporations (CDCs), council people, and the local utility to maximize community gatherings already scheduled. - Online Survey: An online survey was used to reach a broader audience and gather feedback from residents unable to attend in-person events. Although the intention was to increase accessibility, responses were minimal. The abovementioned strategies proved more successful and engaging. The community engagement efforts revealed several themes: - The need for basic amenities, like restrooms, lighting, benches, trees, trash receptacles, and additional walking paths. - A desire for the park to reflect the community's identity and promote equitable access & prioritizing the creation of a dedicated sports field for junior football. - An interest in restoring Dugway Brook and creating stream and wetland features & provided the enhancements do not occupy the entirety of the park and create opportunities for users to interact with the water and other natural assets. Benefits of this Presentation The Dugway Brook stream restoration project offers an example of how to approach community engagement to ensure equitable design of resilient infrastructure. Lessons learned and best practices will be shared with the greater water community through this presentation, including: - Scalable Solutions: The project's use of nature-based stormwater management techniques provides a model that can be scaled and adapted to other urban areas facing similar challenges. This presentation will discuss the challenge of identifying scalable solutions within a physically limited space that reflect the community. - Community Engagement Best Practices: The project's comprehensive community engagement strategy serves as a valuable case study for involving the public in infrastructure projects and ensuring that solutions are equitable and community focused. This presentation will discuss the challenges that accompanied engaging project partners, stakeholders, and residents, and best practices for ensuring participation and accountability. Status of the Study At the time of this submittal, the Feasibility Study Report and supporting conceptual designs for the Dugway Brook stream restoration project have been completed. Community and stakeholder keenness, as well as funding procurement, will drive the decision to move the study forward to a detailed design. Concluding Thoughts The Dugway Brook stream restoration project provides a model for how community engagement can drive the successful planning and future implementation of resilient and equitable stormwater solutions. This study was successful not only because of identifying technically feasible stormwater solutions in Glenview Park, but also because those solutions reflected the voices of the community. This approach to infrastructure design creates more resilient and equitable communities, where access to quality infrastructure is prioritized and community identity is reflected. This presentation will provide valuable insight and best practices for the water industry, highlighting the importance of inclusive and sustainable infrastructure development that creates a future of equitable communities.