Sustainable Sites Handbook

MEG CALKINS, ASLA, LEED AP, is an Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at Ball State University. As an officer of ASLA's Sustainable Development Professional Practice Network, Meg was part of a small team that approached ASLA about forming the effort that eventually grew into the Sustainable Sites Initiative. Today, Meg is a member of the SITES Technical Core Committee. She served for many years on the LEED Sustainable Sites Technical Advisory Group. Meg is the author of Materials for Sustainable Sites and is an editorial advisory board member of and contributor to Landscape Architecture Graphic Standards, both published by Wiley. She holds master's degrees in both landscape architecture and architecture from the University of California at Berkeley.

"Calkins and other experts cover all of the primary elements of site design in detail, from site assessment to soils, vegetation, and water.... landscape architects looking for a single resource to expand their technical knowledge base on sustainable site design would be hard pressed to find a better place to start." (Examiner.com, August 2012) "The Sustainable Sites Handbook is indeed a major useful expansion of the LEEDS Green Building Rating System by bringing both rural open space and the social landscapes into determined sustainable design standards and appropriate maintenance criteria for use by all professional site planners. Soil mechanics and agricultural/horticultural soil systems are beautifully woven into this comprehensive evaluation of appropriate management of sites planning." (InSitu (International Institute of Site Planning), April 2012)"The Book provides a thorough introduction to sustainable design, explaining sustainability and its integration into site design." (Garden Design Journal, July 2012)

• Foreword ixMichael Van Valkenburgh Letter from SITES Partners xiChapter 1 - Introduction 1Meg CalkinsSustainable Site Design Defined 2The Contents and Structure of This Book 27Chapter 2 - Predesign: Site Selection, Assessment, and Planning 33Heather VenhausSite Selection 33Understanding the Site 41Team Development and Planning Strategies 54Developing Project Direction: Principles, Goals, and Performance Targets 58Chapter 3 - Site Design: Water 65Alfred Vick, John Calabria, Stuart Echols, Michael Ogden, and David YoccaSustainable Stormwater Management 72Stormwater Design Approaches 104Water Conservation 148Onsite Wastewater Treatment, Disposal, and Reuse 166Chapter 4 - Site Design: Vegetation 197Steve Windhager, Mark Simm ons, and Jacob BlueVegetation and Ecosystem Services 202Vegetation Protection Techniques 213Sustainable Planting Design and Management 216Chapter 5 - Site Design: Soils 247Nina Bassuk and Susan DayIntegrating Soil into the Design Process 249Soils in the Site Assessment 251Soil Characteristics and Associated Tests 265Managing Soils for a Sustainable Site 295Soil Replacement and Specialized Soils 310The Soil Management Plan 316Chapter 6 - Site Design: Materials and R esources 323Meg CalkinsThe Lifecycle of Construction Materials and Products 327Environmental Impacts of Materials and Products 331Human Health Impacts of Materials 344Evaluating Environmental and Human Health Impacts of Materials 348Inventory and Analysis for Materials 358Resource Efficiency 360Low-VOC Materials and Products 390Materials to Minimize Heat Island Impacts 390Concrete 396Aggregates and Stone 398Asphalt 401Brick Masonry 403Earthen Materials 404Plastics 407Metals 409Bio-Based Materials 413Wood 416Site Lighting 421Chapter 7 - Human Health and Well-Being for Sustainable Sites 429Robert RyanAssessing the Site’s Social Setting 432Sustainability Awareness and Education 436Social Equality in Site Development, Construction, and Use 440Site Accessibility 445Site Wayfinding 449Site Safety 454Design for Physical Activity 458Restorative Settings 462Design for Social Interaction and Community Building 466Preserving Historic and Cultural Features 470Chapter 8 - Operations, Maintenance, Monitoring, and Stewardship 479Amy Belaire and David YoccaEnvironmental and Human Health Impacts of Sustainable Site Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring 480Incorporating Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring Considerations into Site Design 482Monitoring to Inform Active and Adaptive Stewardship 519Resources 521Index 535