Katy, Texas: Low Impact Design Proposal
2010 CNU Charter Award Winner
Action Outline
The Katy Design Proposal was a response to a Low Impact Develpment Design Competition. The Competition was seeking Low Impact Design (LID) Solutions for a previously conceived suburban master plan for 640 acres of raw land near Katy Texas.Competitors were invited to apply LID stormwater principals to what was otherwise intended as a conventional suburban development.
The Project was designed as a "counter project" and provided the following:
- All requested housing and appropriately sized schools in one quarter of the proposed real estate
- Entire Program located within what was originally allocated for schools only
- Three quarters of the site remains in productive agriculture and functional open space
- 800,000 sf of commercial / retail / workplace available for re-localized commercial activity and business creation opportunities
Building Neighborhoods
Traditional Neighborhoods (TND's) solve far more problems than Stormwater. TND's address greenhouse gas pollution, unpredictable energy costs and potential energy depletion, regional traffic congestion, spiraling infrastructure costs and the increasing personal stress generated by sprawl.
TND's also support sustainable economies by serving people of diverse wages and diverse ages, making it possible for our teachers and firefighters to live in the neighborhooods that they serve. They genrate real estate products attractive to a far wider range of investors and customers than homogenized sprawl.
The Proposal was designed in collaboration with Crabree Group, Inc., HBL Arctitects, Sea Grant Texas, Texas Coastal Watershed Program, Gulf Coast Lofts, and Asakura Robinson Company
Publications
CNU Charter Awards 2010 Booklet (0.5MB PDF)Sormwater Magazine Article (10.3 MB PDF)
New Urban News Article (2.0 MB PDF)
CNU Charter Awards Website
