Project Proposal

Cira Green, Philadelphia, PA
An example of a well furnished green rooftop
Completed by the Roofmeadow Studio

As a direct solution to participate in the Philadelphia’s Stormwater Management System and to reduce the negative effects that stormwater runoff brings, this project intends to create a systematic stormwater management program on the rooftop of the 30th Street Station using Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI). The motivation for this project is to update the station and lessen its negative impact on the environment. The goal is to decrease the impervious surface, which prohibits water from infiltrating the ground, on stormwater runoff within Philadelphia. The impervious areas lead to a greater problem, which causes increased stormwater runoff and higher stormwater peak flows. Therefore, located on Market Street, the 30th Street Station is chosen as the project site because of its encompassment of a large impervious surface -- 95% of its ground is impervious. The completion of the project aims to turn this area into an environmentally friendly surface which functions to minimize stormwater runoff, and to purify the air of Philadelphia. There are some major technical obstacles such as a steep learning curve for certain computer software and creating a physical model to scale. The major tasks of this project include: literature studies, calculation, computer programing, creating a physical model, and completing the final project report. To complete this project, a pragmatic project must be carried out, which includes a base plan, drainage area map, proposed design plan, sections & profiles of proposed systems, and GSI sizing & runoff calculations.