A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Irrigating Urban Agriculture with Harvested Rainwater: Case Study in Roanoke, Virginia, USA
Abstract Considered at the global scale, urbanization forms the principal source of landscape change. Worldwide, urban areas are increasing in size, both in land area and in population, causing losses of vegetated lands, increases in impervious surface cover, and increased demands on existing infrastructure and upon municipal services such as water and waste management. Urbanization, by reducing vegetative cover and increasing impervious surfaces, alters hydrologic cycles by reducing infiltration, increasing runoff volume and rates, lowering groundwater tables, decreasing evapotranspiration, and creating precipitation anomalies. Urban greenspaces are recognized as providing environmental benefits, including reduced stormwater runoff, increased evapotranspiration, and increased subsurface infiltration, which, in turn, raise groundwater tables. Urban agriculture forms a greenspace that can provide these environmental benefits, among others, in addition to contributing to food security for local populations. This chapter provides an overview of urban agriculture and its potential benefits. Then, we provide a case study based upon the City of Roanoke, Virginia, USA. We identify areas of existing urban agriculture using aerial imagery. We discuss land available for potential new urban agricultural sites. From aerial images and city geospatial data, we identify and calculate roof areas that can be used to capture rainwater. Then using precipitation data and equations identified from the literature, we calculated amounts of rainwater that could be harvested to provide irrigation water for these locations. Finally, we discuss reductions that could occur in stormwater runoff and greenhouse gas emissions if harvested rainwater were used instead of municipal water supplies. Additionally, we discuss future research areas for urban agriculture and rainwater harvesting.
Irrigating Urban Agriculture with Harvested Rainwater: Case Study in Roanoke, Virginia, USA
Abstract Considered at the global scale, urbanization forms the principal source of landscape change. Worldwide, urban areas are increasing in size, both in land area and in population, causing losses of vegetated lands, increases in impervious surface cover, and increased demands on existing infrastructure and upon municipal services such as water and waste management. Urbanization, by reducing vegetative cover and increasing impervious surfaces, alters hydrologic cycles by reducing infiltration, increasing runoff volume and rates, lowering groundwater tables, decreasing evapotranspiration, and creating precipitation anomalies. Urban greenspaces are recognized as providing environmental benefits, including reduced stormwater runoff, increased evapotranspiration, and increased subsurface infiltration, which, in turn, raise groundwater tables. Urban agriculture forms a greenspace that can provide these environmental benefits, among others, in addition to contributing to food security for local populations. This chapter provides an overview of urban agriculture and its potential benefits. Then, we provide a case study based upon the City of Roanoke, Virginia, USA. We identify areas of existing urban agriculture using aerial imagery. We discuss land available for potential new urban agricultural sites. From aerial images and city geospatial data, we identify and calculate roof areas that can be used to capture rainwater. Then using precipitation data and equations identified from the literature, we calculated amounts of rainwater that could be harvested to provide irrigation water for these locations. Finally, we discuss reductions that could occur in stormwater runoff and greenhouse gas emissions if harvested rainwater were used instead of municipal water supplies. Additionally, we discuss future research areas for urban agriculture and rainwater harvesting.
Irrigating Urban Agriculture with Harvested Rainwater: Case Study in Roanoke, Virginia, USA
Parece, Tammy E. (author) / Lumpkin, Malayshia (author) / Campbell, James B. (author)
2016-01-01
29 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
Community gardens , Greenhouse gas emissions , Rainwater harvesting , Roanoke, Virginia, USA , Urban agriculture Environment , Environmental Chemistry , Water Policy/Water Governance/Water Management , Sustainable Development , Waste Water Technology / Water Pollution Control / Water Management / Aquatic Pollution , Water Quality/Water Pollution
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