Green Infrastructure: The Landscape of Urban EcoHousing

Abstract

Cities are facing environmental crises like never before, with problems of excess water runoff, degraded water quality, air pollution, and energy use reaching critical levels. The development of urban areas and the built environment is the primary cause of these problems and the built environment needs to be a part of the solution. This design thesis project produces a prototype design for the Urban EcoHousing development on a city block in Alexandria, Virginia. Design goals for the project connect the "Ecological Services of the Urban Landscape" to the "Rights of the Urban EcoHousing Resident" to create livable green spaces that can serve ecological functions and give the residents spaces to use. A comparison study with a conventional housing development at the same location illustrates that ecohousing can meet the requirements of the conventional development while providing superior results for the residents and the environment.