Post-construction evaluation of waterfront (re)development in the Salish Sea
Presentation Abstract
Post-construction follow-up of waterfront (re)development projects is a critical stage of project development and project sustainability but is unfortunately vastly under-represented in practice. Post-construction monitoring and assessment provide critical project feedback for ongoing management, and can inform the design of other local waterfront developments contributing to regional success and sustainability. Here, examples from the Salish Sea region highlight the current practice of post-construction project follow-up in the region. We explore economic, social, and environmental aspects of projects, as sustainability in all three areas is critical to successful management of the Salish Sea ecosystem. Collaborative interviews with local experts (government and private sector) provide the foundation for this research, through which we have explored powerful local examples of missed opportunities and steps towards success. Our findings suggest that in the Salish Sea region, many waterfront (re)development projects are initiated for economic reasons, and incorporate environmental concerns in the design and planning process. However, post-construction evaluation of economic (and social) factors is very rare, and when conducted lacks rigor. In contrast, environmental evaluations are frequently performed; however most are mandated evaluations. Lack of resources (financial and personnel) is frequently the cause of failed project post-construction evaluation, both in-region and nationwide. While these results are not uncommon, they are surprising given the regions’ innovative approach to waterfront design. The lack of publically available post-construction project evaluation inhibits opportunities for new projects in the design phase to learn from completed projects’ successes and failures. Our shared responsibility for the Salish Sea requires us to address this deficiency and perform post-construction evaluations to promote learning at a regional scale and maintain collaboration between scientists, planners, residents, and other stakeholders post-construction. Please note: this poster is intended to compliment the submission from Nicole Faghin describing approaches to pre-construction evaluation and the role of evaluation in waterfront project design.
Session Title
Session S-08H: Incentives, Guidance and Collaboration for Greener Shorelines
Conference Track
Social Science Plus
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
1-5-2014 5:00 PM
End Date
1-5-2014 6:30 PM
Location
Room 6C
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Waterfronts--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Management; ; Waterfronts--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Planning
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Post-construction evaluation of waterfront (re)development in the Salish Sea
Room 6C
Post-construction follow-up of waterfront (re)development projects is a critical stage of project development and project sustainability but is unfortunately vastly under-represented in practice. Post-construction monitoring and assessment provide critical project feedback for ongoing management, and can inform the design of other local waterfront developments contributing to regional success and sustainability. Here, examples from the Salish Sea region highlight the current practice of post-construction project follow-up in the region. We explore economic, social, and environmental aspects of projects, as sustainability in all three areas is critical to successful management of the Salish Sea ecosystem. Collaborative interviews with local experts (government and private sector) provide the foundation for this research, through which we have explored powerful local examples of missed opportunities and steps towards success. Our findings suggest that in the Salish Sea region, many waterfront (re)development projects are initiated for economic reasons, and incorporate environmental concerns in the design and planning process. However, post-construction evaluation of economic (and social) factors is very rare, and when conducted lacks rigor. In contrast, environmental evaluations are frequently performed; however most are mandated evaluations. Lack of resources (financial and personnel) is frequently the cause of failed project post-construction evaluation, both in-region and nationwide. While these results are not uncommon, they are surprising given the regions’ innovative approach to waterfront design. The lack of publically available post-construction project evaluation inhibits opportunities for new projects in the design phase to learn from completed projects’ successes and failures. Our shared responsibility for the Salish Sea requires us to address this deficiency and perform post-construction evaluations to promote learning at a regional scale and maintain collaboration between scientists, planners, residents, and other stakeholders post-construction. Please note: this poster is intended to compliment the submission from Nicole Faghin describing approaches to pre-construction evaluation and the role of evaluation in waterfront project design.
