Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 57.01
Liaison Meghna Tare
Submission Date April 3, 2022

STARS v2.2

University of Texas at Arlington
IN-49: Innovation C

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 0.50 Meghna Tare
Director
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
Watershed Urbanism

A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:

Urban areas such as the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex face increasing pressures with population growth, pollution, suburban sprawl, aging infrastructure, and a changing climate. Under these circumstances, there is a rising need for cities to reconsider how and where they grow and what they will champion as they grow.

The momentum around creating thriving, healthy, vibrant, dense, and environmentally-friendly cities is mounting. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is no exception. As one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States and situated along the waterways that make up the Trinity River watershed, the Metroplex is experimenting with bold visions for the future. These plans involve crafting a new relationship between hard and fluid environments to toy with the impermeable boundaries that previously separated cities from their waterways.

Watershed Urbanism and the DFW Metroplex showcases pioneering design projects that respond to the challenge of how to design built environments that enlarge with and incorporate water-flows and aquatic life. Projects feature the region and its talented design community.

An exhibit about watershed urbanism, featured work by faculty and students from The University of Texas at Arlington, as part of the European Cultural Center’s (ECC) 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale. It showcases cutting-edge work from across the globe in the field of architecture and is considered one of the most important events for cultural critics, investors and designers.

After the biennale, the exhibit returned to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The exhibitions were held throughout Venice at Palazzo Mora, Palazzo Bembo and Giardini Marinaressa. The ECC, along with the Venice Architecture Biennale, welcomed approximately 600,000 international visitors.

#WorldWaterDay is held every year on March 22nd since 1993. It focuses on the importance of freshwater and raises awareness on the global water crisis. This year's theme for World Water Day is about what water means to people, and how we can better protect this vital resource. The Watershed Urbanism Project showcased pioneering projects that respond to the challenge of how to design built environments that enlarge with and incorporate water flows and aquatic life.

Now the exhibit has made its way back to North Texas and will be on display in the University Center, 300 W. First St.

The exhibition was designed by CAPPA faculty and students in collaboration with Parr, curator of the exhibit. Architecture faculty involved were Dennis Chiessa, Brad McCorkle, Steve Quevedo and Boback Firoozbakht. CAPPA students involved include Tuyen Lemai, Ashley Foster, Jackeline Menjivar, Belén Vigil, Fernando Olmedo Rivera and Francisco Gonzalez.

Donors and contributors include UT Arlington, UNESCO, Diane and Chuck Cheatham, city of Arlington, city of Lewisville, Paul Geisel, HKS, MIG Inc., Grieger, Perkins & Will, Streams and Valleys, Trinity Park Conservancy, Tarrant Regional Water District, Fort Worth Promotion & Development Fund, Pentagram, URBANCOMMONS and William E. Scott Foundation.

Exhibitors include CAPPA, city of Arlington, city of Dallas, city of Fort Worth, city of Lewisville, HKS Design Fellows, Perkins & Will, Streams & Valleys, Trinity Park Conservancy and Tarrant Regional Water District.


A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.