TPA worked with Groundwork Bridgeport and The Nature Conservancy’s Urban Conservation program to develop a green infrastructure concept for a vacant lot in the under-resourced East Side neighborhood of Bridgeport. The goal of the program is to engage local youth in becoming stewards of their community and learn skills that can help them in pursuing careers in landscape architecture, horticulture, or engineering.

In collaboration with several high school students from Groundwork Bridgeport, TPA researched the history, hydrology, and zoning history of the site and helped the students create their own concept plan for the site. Investigation nearby property taxes created a framework for supporting green infrastructure instead of other potential uses for the site.

Using the student concept, TPA estimated the Water Quality Volume it could handle for the neighborhood and revised the layout so that it could function as a stormwater park. Preparation of a preliminary cost estimate will allow The Nature Conservancy to apply for grant funding for further engineering design and construction.