The CRDS projects in the UD Landscape Architecture major are designed to introduce interdisciplinary student teams to industry and industry-related projects by providing students an opportunity to work on a practical design project identified and specified with the help of the Resilient and Sustainable Communities League (RASCL).
BOOK CHAPTER
May 2022 – UD Plant and Soil Sciences Master’s student Emma Ruggiero, along with Professor Jules Bruck, RLA and Associate Professor Anna Wik, RLA, contributed a chapter entitled “Wilmington, Delaware” to the recently-published book, Landscape Architecture for Sea Level Rise: Global Innovative Solutions.
NANTICOKE MEMORIAL PARK
Nanticoke Memorial Park Conceptual Master Plan
HAMPTON, VIRGINIA
The students of the CRDS explored six neighborhoods in Hampton, which are linked geographically but have different levels of socioeconomic status, different built environments, and different priorities and vulnerabilities. The team immediately was drawn to Phoebus and Fort Monroe because of rhe synergy between Phoebus’s small-town charm, diverse composition, and can-do neighborhood attitude, as well as Fort Monroe‘s guarding offshore presence. The complete resilient design study and solution proposed by the CRDS has garnered the team several awards.
CERF21 Presentation
CERF21 Poster
CERF21 Report
CERF21 1st Place Award
ASLA DE/PA Honor Award
CLAYMONT, DELAWARE
The northern Delaware city known for its industrial history and century-old steel mill may soon see new, green life in the form of Electric Arc Park. A complete design for the park was created by students of the CRDS and the Claymont Renaissance Development Corp. endorsed it. The park’s plan gives a huge nod to the history of the site and its former industrial steel mill, paying tribute to longtime Claymont residents who worked and relied on the mill, once upon a time.
October 2021 Media Story #1 & Media Story #2
FENWICK ISLAND STATE PARK DUNES
The boardwalk at Fenwick Island State Park was built in 1987 and the dunes were restored shortly after. By 2015, the dunes had grown to the point where staff had to clear sand off of the boardwalk once every 3-4 weeks, typically after a stormy or windy day. Now, five years later, sand accumulates daily, requiring hours of work by multiple staff members as well as the use of machinery. The problem peaks in intensity between January and April, but the clearing process must continue year-round. In Fall 2020, Delaware State Parks asked the CRDS to generate a design solution for their accessible pathways at Tower Beach and Fenwick Island State Parks.
Fenwick Island State Park Dune Booklet
WATERMAN’S VILLAGE
In the Winter of 2020, the CRDS developed Waterman’s Village. A reinterpretation of a small town seaport, this micro-retail center builds on our coastal history to create an inspired shopping and dining experience that is uniquely Little Creek.
TIDAL MARKET
In the Winter of 2020, the CRDS developed a plan for creating a Farmer’s Market in Frederica, DE to combat food scarcity and push forward the town’s sustainable initiatives and economic development.
LITTLE CREEK
The Town of Little Creek is a coastal community vulnerable to and experiencing the impacts of sea level rise. Residents of Little Creek envision maintaining small-town character and providing opportunities to showcase the town’s maritime history “while allowing for modest growth and redevelopment that is consistent with its rural surroundings, while adapting to sea level rise” (Comprehensive Plan, 2016). In summer 2020, the CRDS collaborated with the Town of Little Creek to develop a Concept Plan that addresses flooding and quality of life for residents centered on the specific needs and desires outlined in a thorough community survey (the Town of Little Creek Working Waterfronts Initiative).
View the presentation. by Olivia Boon, Leigh Muldrow, Emma Ruggiero, and Mark Switliski
ZWAANENDAEL-DEVRIES MONUMENT
In spring 2019, under the consultation of the Resilient and Sustainable Communities League (RASCL), the CRDS entered into a Design Cooperation Agreement with The Greater Lewes Foundation.
Students worked to develop conceptual designs for the De Vries Monument site in Lewes Delaware. They conducted site analysis, engaged community members, and developed concepts that were vetted by experts at various agencies. Final plans are in development for shoreline solutions that will combat erosion and educate visitors about elements of green infrastructure and adaptability planning strategies.
The De Vries Monument Project’s goal is to develop a design that builds resilience against flooding and future sea level rise, enhance public access to a historic marker, develop a green infrastructure strategy to enhance ecosystem services, and develop greater connectivity to the site.
The CRDS is working with the community, including the UD College of Earth, Ocean, & Environment, to ensure the project achieves long-term success.
Zwaanendael-deVries Monument Booklet
Video of the Monument redesign
COASTAL CONNECTIONS 2020
Coastal Connections 2020 Booklet
DelRAP
The Delaware Resilience Awareness Project (DelRAP) is a community-based project that the CRDS has started to help discover the public’s perspective on environmental issues in the state of Delaware. In this project, we seek to raise public awareness of sea level rise, intensifying storms, and associated resiliency concerns through digital storytelling and to create a platform, the Coastal Observer citizen-science app, and process for concerned citizens to publicly share geo-tagged photographic evidence of sea level rise impacts within their communities.
If you would like to get involved in raising awareness of your own coastal community in the state of Delaware, contact the DelRAP project here.
