Adaptation and Water Quality Designs in Norfolk Neighborhood

The "Team" had its first meeting in Ingleside on Jan. 28. = the "Team" is the citizens of Ingleside, Wetlands Watch, Elizabeth River Project, Green Building Council of Hampton Roads, Virginia Sea Grant, the City of Norfolk and (most importantly) a group of energetic students from the University of Virginia. The students are involved in the University's Resiliency effort and are led by Dr. Phoebe Crisman. Also down from UVA were Dr. Ellen Bassett and Dr. Mark White.

We spent the afternoon in the Ingleside Church hearing from residents about their experiences with flooding and stormwater pollution and their desires for the neighborhood. Student teams recorded detailed observations about the community - including marking up maps on the wall. The students and professors will go back to Charlottesville and set to work and return in March to brief the rest of the Team about their initial designs.

This work follows on the earlier adaptation design work done in Chesterfield Heights by Hampton University and Old Dominion University students assisted by Wetlands Watch, Elizabeth River Project, and the Green Building Council of Hampton Roads - and funded by Virginia Sea Grant. That work resulted in a major grant to the city of Norfolk to implement those designs.