The Woodlands, Texas: An Ecological Critique

4.28.2011

Developed byAndrew SaulsIzel Medina

Presented toDr. Forster NdubisiTsung-Pei Cheng

Preservation Design Sustainability

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TAblE oF CoNTENTS

Tabl

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tent

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Part I: Opening Brief 4-6 Executive Summary 4 Goals & objectives 5 Scope, limitation, & Approach 6 Part II: Background 8-10 History & Community Profile 8 Conceptual Framework 9 Summary of Case Study 10 Part III: Elements of Critique 12-25 Fitness with Site - Climate 12 - Topography 13 - Hydrology 14 - Drainage & Soil 15 biodiversity - Eco-Region 16 - Native Vegetation of The 17 Woodlands, Texas - birds 18-19 - Mammals 20

Habitat Preservation 21 Flow of Energy, Materials, 22 & Species Water Resource Conservation 23 Fitness with Urbanism - Grogan’s Mill 24 - Town Center 25 Part IV: Closing Remarks 27-28 Findings & The Future 27 Recommendations & Conclusions 28 Part V: References 30 bibliography 30

Part I: opening brief, pgs. 4-6

“The first thing I’m gonna do is map out the wildlife trails on the land I bought so that we don’t mess up the wildlife in the city we’re building. We’re going to build a lot of buildings, but we’re never going

to build anything higher than the trees.”

-George P. Mitchell

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Executive Summary

Exec

utiv

e Su

mm

ary

This critique is an attempt to illustrate and assess applied ecological principles in planning and design. These prin-ciples are based on, but not limited to, fundamental con-cepts of ecology presented in our Ecological Planning and Design course at Texas A&M University. We performed re-search online and in the Evans library that led us to numer-ous articles regarding the profile, history, and conceptual framework, as well as certain elements of the critique: fit-ness with the site, biodiversity, preservation of the environ-ment, the flow of energy/materials/species, water resource conservation, and smart growth initiatives. To apply visual analysis, we visited The Woodlands site, observing the area over the course of one full day. A profile of The Wood-lands community is provided to build potential connections of ecological principles in design and planning to specific community characteristics (i.e. population and densities, demographics, household data).

The history of The Woodlands is presented so as to indicate how and why the community came to fruition, and the major players involved in the process. The conceptual framework of our site is rooted in the ecological determinism theory and applied ecological principles developed by landscape architect, Ian McHarg. The hydrological system and wood-land areas were identified as major ecological functions to utilize and preserve. The methodology is laid out to ex-pose a working research structure for other researchers and professionals. Next, an in-depth analysis is performed of the elements in the critique that are mentioned above, as well as mini-case studies of three site-specific areas in The Woodlands: the George P. Mitchell Nature Reserve, the Vil-lage of Grogan’s Mill, and Town Center. our findings in-clude thoughts on the future of the site, recommendations, overall conclusions of the report, and personal expectations specific to us, the authors.

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GoAlS & objECTIVES

Goa

ls &

obj

ectiv

es

Goal 1: Analyze the ecological suitability of the Woodlands.objective 1.1: Measure key aspects of the community (factors of critique).

Goal 2: become more aware of the city.objective 2.1: Visit the city to gather first-hand information if applicable.

Goal 3: Experience the city from within. objective 3.1: Visit the city to experience it as a user.

Goal 4: benefit future research on ecological & sustainable development. objective 4.1: Develop a well-informed and lasting report.

Goal 5: Increase our knowledge base regarding ecological principles.objective 5.1: Gathering and analyzing data on ecological principles.objective 5.2: Showcasing real world application of ecological principles through design and planning.

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SCoPE, lIMITATIoN, & APPRoACH

Scop

e, l

imita

tion

& A

ppro

ach

Approach

The authors of this report found it necessary to extend our knowledge base and outlook of The Woodlands develop-ment by visiting the area as first-hand researchers. our trip, which lasted a full day, involved driving around the entirety of the development and walking around distinct locations that demonstrated elements of the critique. We also met with employees at the Woodlands Visitor Cen-ter who provided institutional and operational insight on the community’s core principles. Finally we gained per-sonal insight through informal conversations with local residents on daily activities and general elements of the community

Scope & limitation

This critique is an attempt to illustrate and assess applied eco-logical principles in planning and design. These principles are based on, but not limited to, fundamental concepts of ecology presented in our Ecological Planning and Design course at Texas A&M University. These concepts include those outlined in the critique.

Although we perform an analysis of The Woodlands develop-ment as a whole, we decided to narrow our limitation of the fit-ness with urbanism to only two of the nine villages that make up the area: Grogan’s Mill (the first original development) and Town Center (the premier commercial development)

This execution of applied ecological principles is rooted in our respective professional backgrounds. Izel Medina is currently pursuing a joint Master’s degree in Urban Planning and land Development, and has a bachelor’s degree in landscape Archi-tecture. Andrew Sauls is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Urban Planning, and has a bachelor’s degree in Economics. Although we are performing objective analysis, the mixture of educational backgrounds inevitably produces something unique in scope for an ecological assessment.

In order to gain a full understanding, we applied various methods in our assessment of The Woodlands develop-ment. We utilized are goals and objectives to provide direction for building our knowledge of the area. We performed online research that led us to numerous ar-ticles regarding the conceptual framework and the his-tory and community profile, as well as certain elements of the critique: fitness with the site, biodiversity, habi-tat preservation, the flow of energy/materials/species, energy conservation, and water resource conservation. Further research was collected in the Evans library, as was pertinent and available.

Izel Medina Andrew Sauls

Part II: background, pgs. 8-10

“let us green the earth, restore the earth, heal the earth.”

- Ian McHarg

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HISToRy & CoMMUNITy PRoFIlE

His

tory

&C

omm

unity

Pro

file

ProfileHistory

The inception of The Woodlands community is credited to George P. Mitchell. Founder and President of the Mitchell Energy and Development Corporation, Mitchell purchased 17,000 acres of land in the hopes of creating an alternative to the suburban sprawl he saw in Houston. Funding the project came from a combi-nation of places: Mitchell’s company, Mitchell’s own personal wealth, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), under Title VII, the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1970 (it is the only community under Title VII that did not default on its loans).

Mitchell hired an assortment of qualified professionals to assist him in developing the Woodlands: Wallace, McHarg, Roberts and Todd (environmental planning), William l. Pereira Associates (master planning and design), and Richard P. browne Associ-ates (development, engineering, and HUD liaison). The methods of environmental planning that Wallace, McHarg, Roberts, and Todd used for The Woodlands community relates to the focus of this report.

The Woodlands opened to the public in 1979 and has been devel-oping into the future.

General Information30 miles north of Houston, TexasPart of the Gulf Coast Plain eco-region Encompasses 25,000 acres6,500 acres of open space (25% of all land) includ-ing parks, fields, golf courses, and forested areasConsists of 9 villages: Alden bridge, Cochran’s Crossing, College Park, Creekside Park, Grogan’s Mill, Indian Springs, Panther Creek, Sterling Ridge, and Town CenterCurrent Population (january 2009): 90,000 peopleEstimated Population by january 2014: 125,000 peoplePopulation Density: 2,328 people per square mile.

Ethnicity & Racial Makeup:92.4% White2.8% Asian1.8% African American.3% Native American1.4% other Racesv1.4% Two or more RacesHispanic or latino of any race: 6.65%

Household Information:Average Household Size: 2.78 people.47% have children under 18 years old.69% include married couples living together.19% are made up of individuals.7.5% include someone over the age of 65 living alone.Median Household Income - $95,000Average Family Income - $110,000

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Sources: -Photo acquired on site visit -(Gause, 2002), (The Woodlands TX) -(Swann, 2007), (Morgan, 1987), (Forsyth, 2005)

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CoNCEPTUAl FRAMEWoRk

Con

cept

ual F

ram

ewor

k

Situation:Conceptual Framework

Sources: -(Gause, 2002), (Haut, 2006), (Steiner, 2005), (McHarg, johnson, & berger, 1979)

The design of The Woodlands development can be solely at-tributed to Ian McHarg, landscape architect and ecological/environmental planner. After reading McHarg’s Design With Nature, Mitchell was determined to employ McHarg and in-corporate his tools of land suitability and design in The Wood-lands project. Ian McHarg designated The Woodlands com-munity as the greatest example of his ideas in Design With Nature.

McHarg envisioned The Woodlands community to be ground-ed in the theory of ecological determinism – changes in human society are a response of changes in the environment. This type of analysis was used in the area that was to become The Woodlands.

The diagram below is the ecological planning process devel-oped by Ian McHarg to ensure land-uses that were suitable to any given area.

Ecological functions that required the greatest level of protection:Hydrologic System

Heavy rains and flooding are a frequent occurrence in the Houston areaLow impact development: establish a natural drainage system in the form of

floodplains, swales and pondsThe Woodlands

Area contains large natural habitat of woodlands, vegetation, and wildlifeProvide wildlife habitats and movement corridors so that wildlife living on

the site might remain

Based on several interest groups, five guidelines were developed for the plan and design:1. Minimize disruption of the hydrologic regime by creation of a natural drainage system which allowed removal of the low-frequency event runoff and recharge as much precipitation from high – and low – frequency storms to maintain ground-water reserves2. Preservation of the woodland environment3. Preservation of vegetation providing wildlife habitats and movement of cor-ridors4. Minimization of development costs5. Avoidance of hazards to life and health

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SUMMARy oF CASE STUDy

Sum

mar

y of

Cas

e St

udy

Sources: -Photos acquired on site visit

The methodology we used to create this report com-menced with constructing an overall vision of the prompt: showcasing ecological principles in planning and design. We spent some time integrating our dif-fering perspectives or understandings of the elements in our critique. This allowed us to independently ex-tract similar research of facts and conclusions related to those elements, as well as our overall community. After gathering most of the data we laid out our de-sign template, focusing on a high quality of visual syntax and aesthetics.

once the document’s framework was established, we transferred our writings into the design document. We then created maps and boundaries of our com-munity and the ecological concepts that define our fitness with the site. We collected pictures relevant to each aspect of the report including the images we took while visiting our community and added them to our report. The photos on this page represent different aspects of the community. Finally, we formatted the completed document to ensure consistency in details both large and small.

Part III: Elements of Critique, pgs. 12-25

“but then there is the dream. The Woodlands began as a dream...”

-Fritz Steiner

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FITNESS WITH SITE: ClIMATE

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ite:

Clim

ate

Prevailing WindsClimate by MonthMonth Ave. High (F) Ave. low (F) Mean (F) Ave. Precip. (In)janv 60.5 40.0 50.3 3.85Feb 64.7 43.3 54.0 3.33Mar 72.5 50.6 61.6 3.09Apr 78.4 57.4 67.9 3.67May 85.0 65.1 75.1 5.13jun 90.7 71.3 81.0 4.48jul 94.3 73.1 83.7 3.08

Aug 94.3 72.4 83.4 3.73Sep 89.2 67.9 78.6 4.75oct 80.9 58.2 69.6 4.02Nov 70.6 49.4 60.0 5.11Dec 62.5 41.7 52.1 3.89

Annual 78.6 57.5 68.1 48.13

WinterWinds [N-NW]

SummerWinds [S-SE]

legend

Annual Climate Plots

Warm > 80 F Wet > 5 in.

janjan: Peak ColdFebFeb

AprApr

MarMar

May:Peak Wet

May

junjun jul:Peak Dry

jul:Peak Hot

AugAugSep

Sepoct

oct

NovNovDecDec

by Temperature

legendlegend

by Precipitation

Sources: -Climate Data: http://www.idcide.com/weather/tx/the-woodlands.htm

Moderate 60-80 F Cool < 60 F Moderate 4-5 in. Dry < 4 in.

The temperature of The Woodlands is fair throughout the year. In the sum-mer, the average is in the low 80’s. In the winter, the av-erage is in the low 50’s.

Every month, on average, The Wood-lands has as over 3 inches of rainfall. The highest amount of rainfall is in May with 5.13 in. and the lowest amount is in july with 3.08 in.

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FITNESS WITH SITE: ToPoGRAPHy

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Topo

grap

hy

Sources: Topographic information acquired from http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/texas/ and altered by me on photoshop.

The topography of The Woodlands is largely flat, around 150 ft above sea lev-el, with the excep-tion of a few steep areas that lead into stream channels.

The highest points in The Woodlands are in the northwest area of the region, which is at 200 ft. above sea level. The lowest points in the region are at the bot-tom of the stream channels, which are at 100 ft. above sea level.

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FITNESS WITH SITE: HyDRoloGy

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Hyd

rolo

gy

Sources: Hydrologic information acquired from http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/texas/ and altered by me on photoshop.

The hydrology of The Woodlands is characteristic of its many streams and bodies of water.

This characteristic also allows the site to foster and hold a larger biodiversity.

Water flows south-west, connecting with other larger streams, eventually making its way to the Gulf of Mexico.

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FITNESS WITH SITE: DRAINAGE & SoIl

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ite:

Dra

inag

e &

Soi

l

Sources: -Hydrologic information acquired from http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/texas/ and altered by me on photoshop. -Soil information acquired from, “To Heal the Earth: Selected Writings of Ian l. McHarg” by I.l. McHarg & F.R. Steiner, pg.253

Due to the topography and hydrology of the area, the region of The Woodlands drains well. of course with the alterations made by developments across the site, this has changed somewhat over time.

Minimal disruption of the natural drainage systems in The Woodlands was a sustainable and ecological ap-proach employed by Ian McHarg in the landscape.

Soil Drainage Depth of Permeable Soil, >5 cm/hour(cm)

Depth to Seasonal High Water Table

lakeland, Eustis Well 200 300bruno Well 200 75boy Moderately

well125 75

Albany Poorly 120 75lucy Well 53 200

Furquay Well 58 75Wicksburg Poorly 68 75

leefield Poorly 86 38Conroe, Segno, Susquehanna,

Angie, Sunsweet

Poorly to mod-erately well

0 Variable

Splendora Poorly 0 38Sorter Poorly 0 38

Crowley Poorly 0 38Waller Poorly 0 38

Waller Ponded Very Pooerly 0 38

The Village of Grogan’s Mill, for example, features a more natural drainage system instead of the more traditional curb and gutter.

The soils throughout The Woodlands vary due to their spe-cific location. The “well’ soil generates a high capacity of drainage which allows for efficient water runoff. Using the characteristics of the land is always a benefit to the users.

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bIoDIVERSITy: ECo-REGIoN

bio

dive

rsity

:Ec

o-R

egio

n

Sources: landscape Restoration Handbook 2nd Ed. by Donald Harker, et al.

Western Gulf Coastal Plain Eco-Region:

The Western Gulf Coastal Plain is a long narrow grassy plain bordering the Gulf of Mexico along the Texas coast. The barrier islands off the coast are also included. The region supports both upland and low-land grasslands, evergreen woodlands, freshwater marshes, and salt marshes. Grasslands were once the characteristic vegetation of this region. The area is now mostly cultivated or heavily grazed, with natu-ral vegetation occurring as fragmented remnants. Ex-cessive grazing and other human disturbances have caused much of the area to be invaded by trees and brush such as mesquite, oaks, prickly pear, and aca-cias.

Dominant Ecological Communities

Upland SystemsCoastal WoodlandCoastal PrairieIsland Prairie

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Wetland SystemsFloodplain ForestFresh Water Marsh

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Estuarine SystemsSalt Marsh•

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bIoDIVERSITy: NATIVE VEGETATIoN oF THE WooDlANDS, TEXAS

bio

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:N

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geta

tion

ofTh

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oodl

ands

, Tex

as

Sources: Environmental Action Plan: The Woodlands, TX, Developed by Ruthanne Hunt on December 15, 2006

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bIoDIVERSITy: bIRDS

bio

dive

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irds

Sources: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0603.pdf

Red-throated loonPacific loonCommon loonyellow-billed loonleast GrebePied-billed Grebe*Horned GrebeRed-necked GrebeEared GrebeWestern GrebeAmerican White Pelicanbrown PelicanNeotropic Cormorant*Double-crested Cormorant*Anhinga*Magnificent FrigatebirdAmerican bitternleast bittern*Great blue Heron*Great Egret*Snowy Egret*little blue Heron*Tricolored Heron*Reddish EgretCattle Egret*Green Heron*black-crowned Night-Heron*yellow-crowned Night-Heron*White Ibis*Glossy IbisWhite-faced IbisRoseate SpoonbillWood Storkblack Vulture*Turkey Vulture*black-bellied Whistling-Duck*Greater White-fronted GooseSnow GooseRoss’s GooseCanada GooseTundra SwanWood Duck*House Finch*Red Crossbill

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GadwallEurasian WigeonAmerican WigeonAmerican black DuckMallard*Mottled Duck*blue-winged Teal*Cinnamon TealNorthern ShovelerNorthern PintailGreen-winged TealCanvasbackRedheadRing-necked DuckGreater Scauplesser ScaupSurf ScoterWhite-winged Scoterblack ScoteroldsquawbuffleheadCommon GoldeneyeHooded Merganser*Common MerganserRed-breasted MerganserMasked DuckRuddy Duck*osprey*Swallow-tailed kite*White-tailed kite*Mississippi kite*bald Eagle*Northern HarrierSharp-shinned Hawk*Cooper’s Hawk*Red-shouldered Hawk*broad-winged Hawk*Swainson’s HawkRed-tailed Hawk*Ferruginous HawkGolden EagleAmerican kestrel*MerlinPine Siskin

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Peregrine FalconWild Turkey*Northern bobwhite*king Rail*Virginia RailSoraPurple Gallinule*Common Moorhen*American Coot*Sandhill Craneblack-bellied PloverAmerican Golden-PloverSnowy PloverSemipalmated PloverPiping Ploverkilldeer*black-necked StiltAmerican AvocetGreater yellowlegslesser yellowlegsSolitary SandpiperWilletSpotted SandpiperUpland SandpiperWhimbrellong-billed CurlewHudsonian GodwitMarbled GodwitRuddy TurnstoneRed knotSanderlingSemipalmated SandpiperWestern Sandpiperleast SandpiperWhite-rumped Sandpiperbaird’s SandpiperPectoral SandpiperDunlinStilt Sandpiperbuff-breasted SandpiperRuffShort-billed Dowitcherlong-billed DowitcherAmerican GoldfinchHouse Sparrow*

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Common SnipeAmerican Woodcock*Wilson’s PhalaropeRed-necked PhalaropeRed Phalaropelong-tailed jaegerlaughing GullFranklin’s Gulllittle Gullblack-headed Gullbonaparte’s GullRing-billed GullHerring GullThayer’s Gulllesser black-backed GullGreat black-backed GullSabine’s Gullblack-legged kittiwakeCaspian TernCommon TernForster’s Ternleast TernSooty Ternblack Ternblack SkimmerRock Dove*Eurasian Collared-Dove*White-winged DoveMourning Dove*Inca Dove*Common Ground-Doveblack-billed Cuckooyellow-billed Cuckoo*Greater Roadrunner*Groove-billed Anibarn owlEastern Screech-owl*Great Horned owl*burrowing owlbarred owl*Short-eared owlCommon NighthawkChuck-will’s-widow*Evening Grosbeak

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bIoDIVERSITy: bIRDS

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irds

Sources: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0603.pdf

Whip-poor-willChimney Swift*Green Violet-earRuby-throated Hummingbird*black-chinned HummingbirdAnna’s HummingbirdCalliope Hummingbirdbroad-tailed HummingbirdRufous Hummingbirdbelted kingfisher*Red-headed Woodpecker*Red-bellied Woodpecker*yellow-bellied SapsuckerDowny Woodpecker*Hairy Woodpecker*Red-cockaded Woodpecker*Northern Flicker*Pileated Woodpecker*olive-sided FlycatcherEastern Wood-Pewee*yellow-bellied FlycatcherAcadian Flycatcher*Alder FlycatcherWillow Flycatcherleast FlycatcherEastern Phoebe*Say’s PhoebeVermilion FlycatcherGreat Crested Flycatcher*Western kingbird*Eastern kingbird*Scissor-tailed Flycatcher*loggerhead Shrike*White-eyed Vireo*bell’s Vireo*yellow-throated Vireo*blue-headed VireoWarbling Vireo*Philadelphia VireoRed-eyed Vireo*blue jay*American Crow*Fish Crow*baltimore oriole*

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Horned lark*Purple Martin*Tree Swallow*N. Rough-winged Swallow*bank SwallowCliff Swallow*barn Swallow*Carolina Chickadee*Tufted Titmouse*Red-breasted NuthatchWhite-breasted Nuthatch*brown-headed Nuthatch*brown CreeperRock WrenCarolina Wren*bewick’s WrenHouse WrenWinter WrenSedge WrenMarsh WrenGolden-crowned kingletRuby-crowned kingletblue-gray Gnatcatcher*Eastern bluebird*Mountain bluebirdVeeryGray-cheeked ThrushSwainson’s ThrushHermit ThrushWood Thrush*Clay-colored RobinAmerican Robin*Gray Catbird*Northern Mockingbird*Sage Thrasherbrown Thrasher*Curve-billed ThrasherEuropean Starling*American PipitSprague’s PipitCedar Waxwingblue-winged WarblerGolden-winged Warblerbullock’s oriole

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Tennessee Warblerorange-crowned WarblerNashville WarblerNorthern Parula*yellow WarblerChestnut-sided WarblerMagnolia WarblerCape May Warblerblack-throated blue Warbleryellow-rumped Warblerblack-throated Green Warblerblackburnian Warbleryellow-throated Warbler*Pine Warbler*Prairie Warbler*Palm Warblerbay-breasted Warblerblackpoll WarblerCerulean Warblerblack-and-white Warbler*American Redstart*Prothonotary Warbler*Worm-eating Warbler*Swainson’s Warbler*ovenbirdNorthern Waterthrushlouisiana Waterthrush*kentucky Warbler*Mourning WarblerCommon yellowthroat*Hooded Warbler*Wilson’s WarblerCanada Warbleryellow-breasted Chat*Summer Tanager*Scarlet TanagerWestern TanagerGreen-tailed TowheeSpotted TowheeEastern TowheeCassin’s Sparrowbachman’s Sparrow*American Tree SparrowScott’s oriole

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Chipping Sparrow*Clay-colored Sparrowbrewer’s SparrowField Sparrow*Vesper Sparrowlark Sparrow*lark buntingSavannah SparrowGrasshopper Sparrow*Henslow’s Sparrowle Conte’s SparrowNelson’s Sharp-tailed SparrowFox SparrowSong Sparrowlincoln’s SparrowSwamp SparrowWhite-throated SparrowHarris’s SparrowWhite-crowned SparrowDark-eyed juncolapland longspurSmith’s longspurChestnut-collared longspurSnow buntingNorthern Cardinal*Rose-breasted Grosbeakblack-headed Grosbeakblue Grosbeak*lazuli buntingIndigo bunting*Painted bunting*Dickcissel*bobolinkRed-winged blackbird*Eastern Meadowlark*Western Meadowlarkyellow-headed blackbirdRusty blackbirdbrewer’s blackbirdCommon Grackle*Great-tailed Grackle*brown-headed Cowbird*orchard oriole*Purple Finch

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bIoDIVERSITy: MAMMAlS

bio

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:M

amm

als

Sources: http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/distribu.htm

Common Name Scientific NameVirginia opossum Didelphis virginianaSilver-haired bat Lasionycteris noctivagansbig brown bat Eptesicus fuscusEastern Red bat Lasiurus borealisHoary bat Lasiurus cinereusbrazilian Free-tailed bat Tadarida brasiliensisEastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanusblack-tailed jackrabbit Lepus californicusHispid Pocket Mouse Chaetodipus hispidusAmerican beaver Castor canadensisFulvous Harvest Mouse Reithrodontomys fulvescensWhite-footed Mouse Peromyscus leucopusDeer Mouse Peromyscus maniculatusHispid Cotton Rat Sigmodon hispidusCoyote Canis latransCommon Gray Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteusRingtail Bassariscus astutusCommon Raccoon Procyon lotorlong-tailed Weasel Mustela frenataStriped Skunk Mephitis mephitisbobcat Lynx rufusWhite-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus

Four Regions of Texas for Distribution of Mammals Mammals Generally Distributed Throughout Texas

Common Name Scientific NameElliot’s Short-tailed Shrew Blarina hylophagaleast Shrew Cryptotis parvaEastern Mole Scalopus aquaticusEastern Pipistrelle Pipistrellus subflavusNorthern yellow bat Lasiurus intermediusEvening bat Nycticeius humeralisNine-banded Armadillo Dasypus novemcinctusEastern Fox Squirrel Sciurus nigerNorthern Pygmy Mouse Baiomys tayloriEastern Woodrat Neotoma floridanaWoodland Vole Microtus pinetorumCommon Muskrat Ondatra zibethicusMink Mustela visonEastern Spotted Skunk Spilogale putorius

Mammals occuring Principally East of the 100th MeridianCommon Name Scientific NameSouthern Short-tailed Shrew Blarina carolinensis Southeastern Myotis Myotis austroriparius Seminole bat Lasiurus seminolus Rafinesque’s big-eared bat Plecotus rafinesquii Swamp Rabbit Sylvilagus aquaticus Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis Eastern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys volansAttwater’s Pocket Gopher Geomys attwateri baird’s Pocket Gopher Geomys breviceps Marsh Rice Rat Oryzomys palustrisEastern Harvest Mouse Reithrodontomys humulis Cotton Mouse Peromyscus gossypinus Golden Mouse Ochrotomys nuttalli Prairie Vole Microtus ochrogasterRiver otter Lutra canadensis

Mammals occuring Principally In East Texas

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HAbITAT PRESERVATIoN

Hab

itat P

rese

rvat

ion

Sources: -http://www.thewoodlandstx.com/parks/george-mitchell-nature-preserve.php -(Swann, 2007), (Haut, 2006), (Steiner, 2005) -(The Woodlands TX)

overall Community PreservationThe Woodlands development sought for preservation of veg-etative (i.e. forests) and wildlife habitats. The length to which The Woodlands development goes to protect these habitats is monumental.

Vegetative habitats are preserved, essentially, by not devel-oping the forested areas. Vegetative areas of The Woodlands make up a large portion of the 25% available open space.

original methods of construction called for no more than ten feet of clearing of vegetative cover beyond the foundation for each structure.Maintaining native species through replanting was used exten-sively in cleared lands. Residential covenants were strict in what was allowed with the individual practice of one’s yards, with large penalties for violation.

Wildlife habitats are an auxiliary benefit of large areas of na-tive plants and connected natural corridors. Waterfowl, turtles, and small mammals are plentiful in the riparian areas along streams and around The Woodland’s lakes. Residents also re-port seeing coyotes, a species particularly adaptive to chang-ing habitat conditions. – Fritz Steiner, The Woodlands: Retrospect and Prospect

The original guidelines called for permanent set aside areas of the land for wildlife habitat.

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George Mitchell Nature PreserveThe George Mitchell Nature Preserve is a habitat preservation approach on a very large scale. It is part of the Montgomery County Spring Creek Greenway, which will connect and pro-tect up to 12,000 acres of forest on both sides of Spring Creek, and is located in Creekside Village. It covers nearly 1,700 acres, and opened on october 19th, 2007.

The Mitchell Preserve is a joint project from The Woodlands Development Company, Montgomery County Precinct 3, The Woodlands Township, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife De-partment.

The Mitchell Preserve is extremely significant in terms of hab-itat preservation and coordination, and deserves applause for the size and magnitude of the project.

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FloW oF ENERGy, MATERIAlS, & SPECIES

Flow

of E

nerg

y,M

ater

ials

, & S

peci

es

Sources: -http://www.thewoodlandstx.com/pdfs/hikeandbiketrailsmap.pdf -(kim & Ellis, 2009), (Forsyth, 2005)

The ability of energy, materials, and species to move across the landscape is immense. The network of connections is complex, covering virtually the entire landscape of The Woodlands and all 9 villages.

The degree to which ecological planning and design was infused through the built environment leads to the manifestation of mini-mal fragmentation in the pattern of forests. The ecologically-focused organization of the environment is further enhanced by restrictive development regulations. These factors have contrib-uted to species richness and considerable heterogeneity in the distribution of species across the landscape.

For example, the environment is highly suitable for small mam-mal migration, woody plant colonization, and animal foraging strategies. Therefore, it can provide better environments for small mammal migration, woody plant colonization, and animal foraging strategies.

The capacity of energy flow, in particular, also contributes to greater levels of energy conservation. The expansive collection and assortment of forested areas provides shade and reduces heat levels that would otherwise collect throughout the city. Natural-ly, this has an effect on conserving the energy of air conditioning systems, especially during a Texas summer.

This is a map of the bike and Trails paths for the entire Woodlands com-munity. The map exem-plifies the high-degree of connections that allow for easy flow of energy and species. With only a few exceptions, the network is completely linked.

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WATER RESoURCE CoNSERVATIoN

Wat

er R

esou

rce

Con

serv

atio

n

Sources: -(Swann, 2007), (Morgan, 1987)

As already mentioned, it was the original intent of McHarg to safeguard and preserve the hydrologic system, among other eco-logical functions. The techniques proposed by which to secure and utilize the hydrologic system were executed with high cre-ativity and resulted in effective solutions.

Vegetated Swale SystemTo counteract the growing usage of curb gutter system in most suburban areas, vegetated swales allowed for infiltration of storm water that both purified the water and allowed percolation pro-vided by the area specific soil types.

Retention PondsRetention ponds were created down gradient from the vegetated swales, allowing for further infiltration of storm water runoff. These linked the vegetated swales to siltation ponds which then store this bio-filtered storm water runoff until the next major storm, creating a wetland environment that would then be linked to the nearby natural drainage systems.

Porous Pavement/Pavers PlotsPorous pavement and pavers plots are specific kinds of road/sidewalk paving that allows for storm water to percolate through the pavement to the underlying soil. The usage of this type of paving was unheard at the time; The Woodlands was one of the first developments in the world to incorporate this technique.

Consistent with the overall design of the community, water re-source conservation overlaps with the preservation of forested areas: less eroded land means less flash flooding, and more for-est canopy and ground leaf cover also means more chances for filtration.

Vegetated Swale System

Retention Ponds Porous Pavement/Pavers Plots

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FITNESS WITH URbANISM: GRoGAN’S MIll

Fitn

ess w

ith U

rban

ism

:G

roga

n’s M

ill

Grogan’s Mill, opened in 1974, is the first and original vil-lage of the Woodlands community with a current population of 13,412 people and over 5,100 homes. It is the first of McHarg’s designing with nature philosophy applied within the overall community.

The village illustrates impeccable detail on the fitness of the natural and ecological functions within a specific urban con-text. The village offers two large parks (Sawmill and Tamarac), nine smaller parks, abundant walking trails, fishing ponds, lo-cal swimming pools, and a shopping center offering grocery stores, banks, restaurants, and other neighborhood services. Although the automobile is the popular form of transportation within the area, residents need only travel within a 10 – 15 min-ute range for the live/work/play/shop experience.

Smart Growth assessment (fitness with urbanism):

The Village of Grogan’s Mill integrates only certain Smart Growth initiatives into the area:

Create a range of housing opportunities and choicesFoster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of placePreserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical envi-ronmental areasMake development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effec-tiveEncourage community and stakeholder collaboration in develop-ment decisions

- Grogan’s Mill Village Association (GMVA)

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Grogan’s Mill

Sources: -Photos acquired on site visit -(The Woodlands TX), (Forsyth, 2005)

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FITNESS WITH URbANISM: ToWN CENTER

Fitn

ess w

ith U

rban

ism

:To

wn

Cen

ter

Town Center, also loosely considered the “downtown” of The Wood-lands, consists of 1,200 acres of multiple urban land-uses in the larger natural context of The Woodlands community. Town Center brings together office commercial, residential, recreation, and the majority of the 30,000 jobs in The Woodlands.

Town Center consists of: The Woodlands Mall (indoor retail development consisting of 205 stores and 6 restaurants) Market Street (an outdoor retail center of 16 restaurants and 33 stores designed to evoke an urban setting) 3 large parks: Evergreen, olmstead, and Town Green ParkThe Woodlands Conference Center 18,000 seat Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Two medical centersResidential community situated on the east shore of lake Wood-lands largely consisting of townhouses, condominiums and brownstone-style houses

Smart Growth assessment (fitness with urbanism):

The Town Center integrates only certain Smart Growth initia-tives into the area:Mix land usesTake advantage of compact building designCreate a range of housing opportunities and choicesCreate walkable neighborhoodsFoster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of placeEncourage community and stakeholder collaboration in develop-ment decision

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Town Center

Sources: -(The Woodlands TX), (Haut, 2006) -http://www.thewoodlandstx.com/images/general/towncentermapbig.jpg -http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jcpP6nT4MbI/THqlheneknI/AAAAAAAAA1U/xvx1Q34tPR0/s400/14-The-Woodlands-TX.jpg

Part IV: Closing Remarks, pgs. 27-28

“Man is a blind, witless, low brow, anthropocentric clod who inflicts lesions upon the earth. -Ian McHarg

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FINDINGS & THE FUTURE

Find

ings

& T

he F

utur

e

The following conclusions and recommendations are in re-sponse to our analysis of the ecological principles that guid-ed the planning and design, the successful implementation of those principles at the time of inception, and the degree to which they have persisted throughout the future develop-ment of the community.

Sources: -Photo acquired on site visit - (Steiner, 2005), (yang & li, 2010), (Swann, 2007), (Gause, 2002)

Also, we include recommendations brought forth by other professionals in the past; although The Woodlands commu-nity is only a mere 37 years old, the unique nature (double meaning: environment and character) of this master-planned community has been the source of a large amount of research in ecological planning.

The vision that Ian McHarg set forth for planning and designing The Woodlands was a monumental feat. With the addition of the financial and personal support from George P. Mitchell, mostly all of McHarg’s recommen-dations were realized. The future, however, has not pro-duced similar results in terms of the direction and imple-mentation of McHarg’s original techniques, specifically those showcased in the Village of Grogan’s Mill. Some of the newer villages have seen the abandonment of many of these techniques; for example, low impact development, or the natural drainage systems, has been replaced by the curb gutter system in many places.

This change is best represented in the following quote from vice-president of The Woodlands Development Cor-poration, Dan leverett, regarding forest preservation, “we have moved in our urban design to a more formal street tree planting design with our architecture now embracing the streets instead of hiding behind the forest preserve.” Much of this change can be attributed to dependencies on the market demand for a more suburban feel. This begs the question, why is there such a high demand for the suburban environment? Ian McHarg pointed out that the major problem of the development was the lack of public awareness and education of the natural systems that were being used and the benefits they procured.

The FutureFindings

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RECoMMENDATIoNS & CoNClUSIoNS

Rec

omm

enda

tions

& C

oncl

usio

ns

With strong conviction, we recommend that The Woodlands invest significant resources into mechanisms that incorpo-rate new and old ecological knowledge, and bridge the gap between developer, planner, and resident.

Along those same lines, we recommend that the original planning and design elements introduced by Ian McHarg be reinstated to their full potential for all future development, and redeveloped into those areas where they are not applied. These include the natural drainage systems and large preser-vation of the vegetative areas.

The legacy of The Woodlands community is unmatched in terms of master-planned communities focusing on ecologi-cal planning and design. lessons learned from the develop-ment can be utilized and translated into other “ecologically deterministic” designed sites, with the hopes of eventually developing universal and ecological guidelines that can be integrated in every community across the globe.

Another look at our initial goals and objectives suggests that we have succeeded in fulfilling that which we sought out to do to in this report. on a more personal level, we have exceeded our expectations of professional growth and de-velopment in the understanding, planning, design, and ex-ecution of ecologically focused communities. All in all, it has been an experience to write this report.

ConclusionsRecommendations

Sources: -Photo acquired on site visit - (Steiner, 2005), (yang & li, 2010), (Swann, 2007), (Gause, 2002)

Part V: References, pg. 30

“let us ask the land where are the best sites. let us establish criteria for many different types of excel-lence responding to a wide range of choice”

-Ian McHarg

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bIblIoGRAPHy

bib

liogr

aphy

Forsyth, A. (2005). Reforming Suburbia: The Planned Communities of Irvine, Columbia, and The Wood-ands. berkeley: University of California Press.Gause, j. A. (2002). Great Planned Communities. Washington, D.C.: Urban land Institute.Haut, R. (2006). Environmental Action Plan: The Woodlands, TX. Woodlands: Environmental Planning and Management.kim, j., & Ellis, C. D. (2009). Determining the effects of local development regulations on landscape structure: Comparison of TheWoodlands and North Houston, TX. landscape and Urban Planning , 293-303.McHarg, I., johnson, A. H., & berger, j. (1979). A Case Study in Ecological Planning: The Woodlands, Texas. In I. McHarg, & F. Steiner, To Heal The Earth (pp. 242-263). Washington, D.C.: Island Press.Morgan, G. T. (1987). The Woodlands: New Community Development, 1964-1983. College Station: Texas A&M University.Steiner, F. (2005). The Woodlands : Retrospect and Prospect. Cite , 35-42.Swann, k. (2007). The Dream of Designing with Nature: The Woodlands, Texas, USA. Amherst: Uni-versity of Massachusetts.The Woodlands TX. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2011, from http://www.thewoodlandstx.com/yang, b., & li, M.-H. (2010). Ecological engineering in a new town development: Drainage design in The Woodlands, Texas. Ecological Engineering , 1639-1650.

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