Cypress Shore Park

1. General information

Location and description of the intervention

City or FUA

Mobile (FUA)

Region

Northern America

Native title of the NBS intervention

Cypress Shore Park

Short description of the intervention

A new park is being planned for the Cypress Shores area in Mobile (Ref 1). Five civil engineering students from the University of South Alabama contributed to the design of the park (Ref 1). This collaboration offers students practical experience while providing city designers with innovative ideas for the site (Ref 2). The design emphasizes sustainability and cost-effectiveness (Ref 3). The project will feature a small park and boat launch on a 5.6-acre plot (Ref 1) located within a residential neighbourhood (Ref 3).
The park's societal goal is to improve public access to Halls Mill Creek, giving the community a new way to enjoy the waterway, and this focus aligns with the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) goals (Ref 3). Historically, the property was used as a shipyard with a nearby railroad crossing (Ref 1), marking its transition from an industrial site to a public park.
Several amenities have been identified for the park’s development, including a boat ramp and kayak launch, a boardwalk adapted to sea-level rise, a pavilion and gazebo designed for flood resilience, a wetland nature trail with solar lighting and educational signage, and composting toilet restroom facilities (Ref 3). An armoured shoreline will be implemented to withstand medium water currents, and wave action will be constructed. Additionally, a living shoreline will be restored with local plants (Ref 3). While the project is still in its preliminary design phase, the timeline for completion is estimated at 12 to 18 months (Ref 1). The designers highlighted a potential trade-off, noting that an influx of visitors to the park could disturb the surrounding residential area (Ref 3).

Website of the intervention

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1b5hx7CCL2zHv7oCacG4U3yY3m3scNb2tVE32dMo…

Principal problems

Climate-Related Hazards

Coastal flooding

Urban flooding (stormwater)

Sea level rise

Other

Please specify other principal problem

Land use and Socio-economic change: Unequal availability and access to public blue spaces

Implementation area characterization

Climate

Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter)

Ecosystem

Coastal wetlands

Urban or built environment

Address

4225 Shipyard Rd
Mobile, 36619
United States

Location

The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by).

Area boundary (map-based)

NBS area image

Source of NBS area image

1) Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/place/4225+Shipyard+Rd,+Mobile,+AL+36619,+%C3%89tats-Unis/@30.6046568,-88.1378624,714m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x889a4b7cfd2c4753:0x67b28abc15c58e68!8m2!3d30.6037013!4d-88.1370421!16s%2Fg%2F11c4jwdn0s?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDkwOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D accessed on 11/09/2024
2) Cypress Shores City Park Final Design
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1b5hx7CCL2zHv7oCacG4U3yY3m3scNb2tVE32dMoQHFI/edit#slide=id.g2bdf6d13a73_0_16 accessed on 11/09/2024

Total area

20234.30m²

NBS area

20234.30m²

Area description

Urban (main city)

Seascape

Type of area before implementation of the NBS

Industrial

Vacant or abandoned land

Timeline of intervention

Start date of the intervention (planning process)

2024

Start date of intervention (implementation process)

2025

End date of the intervention

ongoing

Present stage of the intervention

In planning stage

2. Objectives of the intervention

Objectives of the intervention

Goals of the intervention

1. Enhancing public access to Halls Mill Creek by creating a dedicated access point for the local community to engage with the waterway (Ref 3).
2. Reclaiming and repurposing the former industrial site, transitioning from a shipyard to a public space that serves recreational and social needs (Ref 1).
3. Address sea-level rise and flood resilience by incorporating adaptive designs that can withstand environmental challenges, such as flood-resistant structures and armoured shoreline solutions (Ref 3).
4. Creating a community gathering space, with facilities like a pavilion and gazebo that encourage social interaction (Ref 3).
5. Promoting educational and recreational opportunities through features like a wetland nature trail and educational signage (Ref 3).
6. Restoring living shoreline by planting local species (Ref 3)

Key Priorities

Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)

Social Justice and community

Sustainability challenge(s) addressed

Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)

Climate change adaptation

Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)

Coastal protection / hazard mitigation

Marine and coastal biodiversity protection

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Green space creation and/or management

Habitat and biodiversity restoration

Regeneration, land-use and urban development

Conversion of former industrial areas

Water management (SDG 6)

Flood protection

Stormwater and rainfall management and storage

Health and well-being (SDG 3)

Creation of opportunities for recreation

Enabling opportunities for physical activity

Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)

Social interaction

Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?

Protect and restore coastal ecosystems, to address loss of land and livelihoods, due to rising sea levels

Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater

What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?

Species-focused

Ecosystem-focused

What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?

Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems

Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)

Restore native species

Implementation activities and NBS focus

Implementation activities

1. Designing a boat ramp and kayak launch adapted to sea-level rise (Ref 3).
2. Constructing a boardwalk adapted to rising sea levels (Ref 3).
3. Building a pavilion and gazebo for social gatherings with designs that consider flood resilience (Ref 3).
4. Creating a wetland nature trail, equipped with solar lighting and educational signage (Ref 3).
5. Developing a parking lot and restroom facilities, including composting toilets (Ref 3).
6. Implementing an armoured shoreline design to withstand medium water currents and wave action (Ref 3).
7. Restoring a living shoreline using plant species like western wheatgrass, red canary grass, and switchgrass (Ref 3).
8. Addressing access improvements by working around challenges such as a railroad crossing to ensure better park accessibility (Ref 1).

Type of NBS project

Creation of new green areas

Creation of any other green urban spaces

Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas

Restoration of riparian vegetation

Coastal landscape management or protection

Coastal ecosystems restoration and maintenance (mangroves, dunes, saltplains, underwater meadows)

Improving coastal resilience

Ecological restoration of ecosystems

Restoration and protection of ecosystems (including water ecosystems)

Protection of natural ecosystems

Protecton and enhancement of wetlands (other types than peatlands and mangroves, e.g. seagrass)

Habitat restoration

Transformation of previously derelict areas

Post-industrial site regeneration

3. NBS domains, ES and scale

NBS domain and interventions

Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented

Blue infrastructure

Coastlines

Coastal wetland, mangroves and salt marshes

Green areas for water management

Sustainable urban drainage systems

Grey infrastructure featuring greens

Coastal defences / dikes

Parks and urban forests

Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces

Amenities offered by the NBS

Benches and drinking water stations

Sports areas and equipment

Swimming areas

Educational or biodiversity trails

Complementing infrastructure (bathrooms, café)

Design elements for well-being

Visual elements (e.g., expansive views, scenic views, natural light, diverse vegetation)

Auditory elements (e.g., birdsong, water features, quiet areas, rustling leaves)

Tactile elements (e.g., natural materials like wood or stone, exposure to sunlight)

Services

Expected ecosystem services delivered

Regulating services

Coastal protection

Flood regulation

Habitat and supporting services

Habitats for species

Cultural services

Recreation

Mental and physical health and wellbeing

Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)

Scale

Spatial scale

Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level

Beneficiaries

Demographics in implementation area

Demogrpahics in Cypress Shore in 2022:
- population: 380
- median income: $74,244
- median age female: 45.8 years
- median age male: 43.8
-average household size: 2.3 people
- ethnicity: Black: 47.3%, White: 42.0%, Hispanic or Latino: 5.8%, American Indian: 1.8%,Asian: 1.4%, Two or more races: 1.1%, Some other race: 0.5%

Socio-economic profile of the area

Middle-income

Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts

Yes

Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities

Coastal communities

Non-government actors

Researchers, university

Primary Beneficiaries

Local government/Municipality

Citizens or community groups

Specify primary beneficiaries

- the residents of the neighbourhood: "Located Within a residential neighbourhood" (Ref 3)
- the residents of the city: "Transportation design" by roadway is planned for improving the access (Ref 3)

Marginalized groups

Unknown

Other beneficiaries

Native plant vegetation

Natural habitats (e.g. wetland, forests, coastal areas)

4. Governance and financing

Governance

Governance arrangements

Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative

- Students in civil engineering from the University of South Alabama designed the project (Ref 1)
- The city of Mobile will implement the project (Ref 2)
- Funds come from GOMESA (Ref 2) (Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act): A portion of the revenue generated from oil and gas production offshore in the Gulf of Mexico is directed to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (national government)

Key actors - initiating organization

Local government/municipality

Researchers/university

Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)

National government

Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders)

Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)

Uncommon actors ("Missing actors")

Unknown

Land owners

Public space owned by the city

Policy drivers

NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy

Unknown

NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan

Unknown

NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan

Unknown

Mandatory or voluntary intervention

Voluntary (spontaneous)

Enablers & Barriers

Type of enablers

Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships)

Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives.

The project involves a collaboration between the University of South Alabama (a public institution) and the city of Mobile (a government entity) to design and implement the Cypress Shore Park project. This partnership leverages the expertise of the university while utilizing the resources and authority of the city to ensure the project's success.

Governace and decison-making instruments

Strategic instruments (e.g. GI strategies, green space strategy or plans)

Arrangements for governance cooperation

Formal coordination mechanisms to oversee project implementation and decision-making (e.g., multi-stakeholder steering committees, working groups)

Barriers

unknown

Financing

Total cost

Less than €10,000

Please specify total cost (EUR)

3 500 000 USA (Ref 3) = 3 176 575,10 Euros (exchange rate on 12/09/2024: 1 USD = 0,907593 EUR)

Source(s) of funding

Public national budget

Type of fund(s) used

Earmarked public budget

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Co-finance for NBS

Unknown

Entrepreneurship opportunities

Unknown

Business models

Green densification model

Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?

Public actor (e.g. municipality)

Citizens / local communities

5. Evaluation and learning

Impacts, benefits

Environmental impacts

Climate change

Increased protection against sea level rise

Expected increased protection against sea level rise

Storm / wave induced erosion and flooding

Expected storm / wave induced erosion and flooding

Water management and blue areas

Increased protection against flooding

Expected increased protection against flooding

Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems

Expected enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems

Green space and habitat

Increased green space area

Expected increased green space area

Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems

Expected increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems

Increased number of species present

Expected increased number of species present

Restoration of derelict areas

Expected restoration of derelict areas

Description of environmental benefits

-Increased protection against sea level rise: "constraints: sea level rise", "Bottom elevation is just a local preference, based on local expectation of sea level rise give a design “life” time" (Ref 3)
-Storm / wave induced erosion and flooding: "armored shoreline design" "designed for use in areas with minimal to medium water currents and wave action" (Ref 3)
-Increased protection against flooding: the project aims to prevent flooding events through a "pavilion floor system" that has an "elevated platform", "Flood elevation" (Ref 3)
-Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems: restoration of a "LIVING SHORELINE" (Ref 3), with "vegetation: western wheatgrass, reed canary grass, switchgrass" (Ref 3)
-Increased green space area: the creation of a "5.6-acre park" (Ref 1)
-Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems: restoration of a "LIVING SHORELINE" (Ref 3), with "vegetation: western wheatgrass, reed canary grass, switchgrass" (Ref 3)
-Increased number of species present: "vegetation: western wheatgrass, reed canary grass, switchgrass" (Ref 3)
-Restoration of derelict areas: "The property was used as a shipyard where they built ships" (Ref 1)

Environmental impact indicators

Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced

Green space area created (in ha)

Total area of habitat restored (in ha)

Unknown

Water retention capacity (m³ or %)

Unknown

Economic impacts

Unknown

Description of economic benefits

Unknown

Social and cultural impact indicators

Surface area of accessible green spaces (in ha)

Total area of recreational green space created or restored (in ha)

unknown

Evidence for use of assessment

Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

Name of any specific impact assessment tools

unknown

Use of GIS in mapping impacts

No evidence in public records

Cost-benefit analysis

Unknown

Transparency

Unknown

Justice

Community satisfaction

Unknown

Description of locals satisfaction with the project

unknown

Trade-offs & Negative impacts

Unknown

Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement

Unknown

High-quality & Transformative NBS

Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community)

Yes

Goal setting and impacts delivery

Yes, from the planning phase the project aimed to address issues in these three key priority areas and it also delivered benefits across these three areas.

Reaching original project goals

Inconclusive as the project is still undergoing implementation, or is still on its planning stages

Long-term perspective

Yes

Cost-effective solutions

Yes

Equitable impacts

C. Unknown

Transformative capacity

Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution)

Magnitude of change

Reformist: by focusing on addressing underlying drivers of change but failing to address the problem structurally or systemically

Application of lessons learned

Unknown

Perception of Environmental Change

Yes

NBS Supports ecological or environmental anxiety

Unknown

6. Sources

References

Spears, A. (2024). South Alabama students worked with City of Mobile to design new Cypress Shores Park. Mobile, Al: NBC News 15, p. 1-3 Accessed on September 11, 0202, [Source link] [Archive];

Petri, C. (2024). USA Students help shape new park. Mobile, Al: WKRG news 5, p. 1-2 Accessed on September 11, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];

Blackmon, S., Kervin Jr., T., Kimrey, C., Moore, K., Pruden, K. (n.d.). Cypress Shores City Park Final Design. Mobile, Al: Jaguar Engineering, p. 1-42 Accessed on September 11, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];

City-Data.com (2021). Demographics Cypress Shore Mobile- City-Data.com. Mobile, Al: City-Data.com, Accessed on September 11, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];

Comments and notes

Public Images

Cypress Shores City Park Final Design

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1b5hx7CCL2zHv7oCacG4U3yY3m3scNb2tVE32dMoQHFI/edit#slide=id.g2cda493b165_2_0 accessed on 11/09/2024