Downtown Columbia Planning, Restoration, and Design

Parking lots surrounding a large mall are being transformed into a highly walkable urban area connected to an accessible network of restored ecosystems and green infrastructure.

Biohabitats worked closely with The Howard Hughes Corporation and a multidisciplinary team of architects, engineers and general contractors to ensure integration of ecological restoration and regenerative design into the redevelopment of Downtown Columbia. Early in the master planning process, Biohabitats produced a body of ecological information to inform and guide design and planning. Over a nine-month period, Biohabitats spearheaded public, stakeholder, and agency engagement on watershed, woodland and sustainability issues related to the redevelopment, and reached consensus on balancing redevelopment with environmental enhancement.

Through rigorous field investigations, community participation and design team collaboration, Biohabitats developed a Watershed Restoration and Management Plan for two sub-watersheds within Columbia, an Environmental Enhancement Plan for Columbia Town Center, and Ecological Sustainability Guidelines. Moving from the planning phase to design, Biohabitats has collaborated with the design team in preparing phased design documents since 2013. This has included site development plans and/or waiver petitions, as well as required permits from State and Federal authorities.

Biohabitats designed and supervised the construction of twenty acres of forest restoration, including three full seasons of invasive species management. Biohabitats completed a design-build stream restoration of 2,000 linear feet of incised tributary to the Little Patuxent. Biohabitats provided construction administration for additional environmental restoration, including 3,000 linear feet of stream restoration, two acres of wetland creation and restoration, and 13 additional acres of forest restoration on property owned by The Howard Hughes Corporation within the Crescent Neighborhood. Biohabitats also coordinated and designed stormwater green infrastructure at several new building locations throughout Downtown Columbia.