Course will meet on Thursdays 5-8pm, Room 315A Wurster Hall ,plus a field trip. Additional meetings may be arranged during some weeks in Feb-April to compensate for classes not held at the end of term. Late spring field study in Portugal (optional). For more information or to submit an application, please email jchristi@nature.berkeley.edu or kondolf@berkeley.edu

I N S T R U C T O R S

G. Matt Kondolf:              University of California at Berkeley, Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning
Stefan Scheuer:               Hydrologist and Former Policy Director of the European Environment Bureau, Brussels
Juliet Christian-Smith:    University of California at Berkeley, Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management
Graca Saraiva:                  Technical University of Lisbon
Clara Landeiro:                 Technical University of Lisbon
 

C O U R S E   D E S C R I P T I O N

The Mediterranean climate prevailing in California and Portugal exerts a pervasive influence on patterns of human settlement and resource use.  Some of the characteristics of Mediterranean climate regions that pose challenges to land-use planning and design include summer drought, highly seasonal precipitation and river flow, and adaptations to these conditions by biota, high inter-annual variability in precipitation, episodic floods and sediment transport, and the human response to this natural variability in constructing massive water supply and control infrastructure at a scale far exceeding that degree of control seen in more humid climates.  Drawing on the strong parallels among Mediterranean-climate regions, this course involves study of natural processes, planning, policy and legislation in California and Portugal.  Students conduct original research and/or develop plans or designs to enhance environmental and social conditions.
 
 
 
 

In Spring 2007, the course will focus on the European Water Framework Directive (WFD), a law adopted by the European Union in 2000 and currently being implemented by its 25 member states.  The WFD represents a bold change in river management, emphasizing catchment-scale, public participatory and environmental economics approaches and requiring member states to make substantial progress towards improving water quality and aquatic ecology in their rivers by specific deadlines.  River basin plans are now being completed. For students of water resource management in the US, the WFD represents the implementation of many changes recommended for American water management for over a century, but which have generally not occurred because of institutional and political barriers.  In this course, students will review the origins of the WFD, its elements, its implementation to date, focusing on the Mediterranean-basin countries, and comparison with water management in California. Specific research topics will be developed during the course, but will likely include:

• Setting objectives for water management

• “The science”: Ecosystem assessment, the importance of hydromorphology and interconnectivity of ground- and surface waters

• “The politics”:

• Water pricing: who pays the cost of water services, including their environmental and resource costs? Is this fair and supports sustainable water managment?

• Public participation: its role in effective and robust decisions

• Developing and implementing cost-effective programs of measures:

• Climate change and adaptation: Inter-basin transfers, reservoirs and other technical approaches versus demand management and increasing resilience of aquatic ecosystems

S C H E D U L E

Student teams will conduct original research on topics relevant to the WFD, and present their results in written reports, plans, or designs, and in presentations to a symposium in April.  The research may involve field work in Mediterranean-climate streams in California, analysis of data, or other research topics approved by the course instructors.  In late May, most students in the class will travel to Portugal, to work in teams with students at the Technical University of Lisbon on analysis and planning projects related to implementation of the WFD in Portugal, and will present results of these studies in a symposium in Lisbon.  Results of the research will also be presented in a published report and posted on the web.

Informational Meeting:    Thursday 18 January 5pm Rm 315D Wurster
Organizational Meeting:   Thursday 25 January 5pm  Rm 315 D Wurster
 
 

E N R O L L M E N T   I N F O R M A T I O N

The course is open to graduate (and advanced undergraduate) students in environmental planning, landscape architecture, environmental science and policy, geography, international studies, environmental engineering, and related fields.  However, enrollment will be limited to keep the student:instructor ratio small and because of the costs of traveling to Lisbon for field study.
 

The course is ideal for students interested in understanding how environmental policy is (or isn’t) actually implemented, and drawn interdisciplinary synthesis of natural and social science and public policy.  It is an intense course, requiring concentrated work in interdisciplinary teams, and ultimately producing insights into current trends in environmental conditions and policy implementation, and producing plans and designs for improved environmental and social conditions related to rivers and water management.  Ability to work in teams on independent projects, and a passion for original research and creative work are essential qualities. Work is concentrated from the beginning of February through the third week of April.
 

How to Enroll
Please prepare a course application consisting of:
1. A 1-2pp statement of your research interests, indicating any previous relevant coursework and experience, and how taking this course will contribute to your program of study and career goals.
2. Transcript of courses taken to date (unofficial transcripts are fine).
3. (optional)  A relevant research paper or planning project you have completed that you feel reflects well on your potential to contribute to the course.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Students from the University of California at Berkeley and the Technical University of Lisbon
                            take a field trip to observe Lisbon streams in June of 2005.
 

S P R I N G   2 0 0 5   C O U R S E

Download 2005 course publication

In spring 2005, the new course Mediterranean-Climate Landscapes focused on the extraordinary opportunity for urban stream restoration in a Mediterranean climate offered by urban streams in the rapidly urbanizing region west of Lisbon.  The population of the Lisbon region increased rapidly in the 1970s and 1980s due to immigration from rural areas, return of Portuguese from the former African colonies, and the economic boost that accompanied Portugal's entrance into the EU in 1986.  The population surge triggered a construction boom in municipalities west of Lisbon, including illegal housing developments that lack parks and other amenities.  Most of the construction has been on rolling plateaus, dissected by deeply-incised river valleys, in which many stream reaches remain largely undeveloped and afford opportunities for restoration and park development, even trail connections to the coast.  (The streams run southward to the Estoril coast, opposite to the general grid of east-west arteries feeding into Lisbon.)

Eleven Berkeley students traveled to Lisbon, where they worked in teams with Technical University of Lisbon students to inventory existing conditions and develop strategies to improve natural function and human interaction with two streams, the Laje and Jamor.  After background research and two-day field reconnaissance, the students divided into four teams, tackling diverse topics.

Heritage Trail Along the Carenque Stream
Students proposed a trail to reconnect people with cultural and ecological legacy of the Carenque, a major branch of the Jamor.  The trail follows the corridor from Mae de Agua, aqueduct and the Roman dam, down to the Queluz Palace.  Through their inventory, students identified distinctive reaches and specific problem areas, and recommended solutions to reduce flooding impacts, improve recreational opportunities, recover lost historical landscapes, and create a continuous trail with safe passage through trail design and limited road crossings.
 

In Reach 2 of this group's master plan for the Upper Jamor, the students proposed reclaiming the landscape from its current state of high traffic and dumping, to a user-friendly pedestrian and bike trail adjacent to the stream.	The trail along the Upper Jamor would allow visitors to appreciate the rufal and agricultural areas surrounding metropolitan Lisbon.	Cross-section showing the potential for a public square in Carenque

Reaching People along the Lower Jamor
Students proposed a continuous trail to link four destination nodes:  (1) a creek-oriented urban development in the Valejas neighborhood, drawing inspiration from the successful urban stream-centered development in San Luis Obispo, California, (2) a creekside plaza at the church of the Lady of the Rock to revitalize the dynamic relationship between the church and its natural landscape, (3) reconnecting the floodplain and channel at the Jamor Athletic Complex, to reduce downstream flooding and recover native riparian habitat along the stream corridor, and (4) just upstream of the river mouth and Tagus estuary beach, redevelop a partially abandoned industrial area along the railroad into an artistic and cultural complex, similar to Granville Island, Vancouver.
 
 

Group two's recommendations sought to integrate Portugal's cultural tapestry into design recommendations,  including transforming a former industrial site to a public space near the mouth of the Lower Jamor River.

Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Urban Runoff in the Upper Laje at Algueirão-Mem Martins
Students analyzed the extent of impermeable surfaces under existing and future development conditions and identified opportunities to reduce stormwater runoff and improve urban design in the town of Algueirão-Mem Martins.  They developed a BMP “toolbox” and proposed specific sites for application of the techniques, such as permeable pavement, “living” (green) roofs, vegetated swales, and stormwater detention basins that double as parks during the dry season.  Students calculated that runoff would be reduced from a third up to a half as a result of these improvements, thereby reducing flood risk downstream and improving water quality in the Laje because the rainwater percolates through the soil before reaching the stream.
 
 

	The Best Management Practices student group identified areas in Lisbon appropriate for stormwater enhancement, and developed approaches for how to reduce runoff on and over existing structures.

 

Connecting Past and Future Along the Lower Laje
The Lower Laje is flanked by the Quinta do Marquês de Pombal (the palace and Agronomical Station), the municipal park and gardens of the city of Oeiras, and at its downstream end, the beach along the Tagus estuary.  The historic landscapes are largely intact, but rarely used by the public because they are difficult to access and unknown to many of the region’s residents.  A trail from the town of Laje to the beach would be relatively easy to implement, and this alone could dramatically increase appreciation of the remarkable resources of the area.  If enhanced with shade trees in currently exposed reaches, strategically-sited cafés, picnic areas, bathrooms (subtly-designed within the historical context), and interpretive signage, the lower Laje could become an educational opportunity for school children and a recreational destination for people from throughout the Lisbon region, and part of a continuous trail linking dense settlements in the upper catchment to the coast.
 
 

	This student team suggested landscape design that increased public access and use of the Lower Laje, including multi-use trails and vendors...
	...as well as alternative transportation methods to tour the local surroundings.

Water Quality Sampling

The water quality student group conducted water quality testing along 18 sitse on the Laje and Jamor Rivers.  Parameters measured included pH, water temperature, dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, salinity, dissovled oxygen, nitrate and phosphate.  At several sites, the group also conducted macroinvertebrate sampling.  The students identified untreated sewage discharges into the Jamor and also found very high concentrations of phosphate in the Jamor.  Low dissolved oxygen concentrations were associated with the sewage discharge sites.  Preliminary macroinvertebrate assessment shows differences between the sites.  Along the Laje, phosphate and coliform bacteria data indicated similar conditions to the Jamor, although no direct sewage discharge was observed.

Implications for Restoration Planning
Untreated sewage is a human health hazard.  Besides the foul odors and poor aesthetics of a polluted river, emerging contaminants have unknown consequences for aquatic life, the food chain and our local ecosystems.  Restoration depends on clean water.  Recreation opportunities are lost when water is polluted, creeks and rivers become pariahs rather than a connective thread in our landscape and our lives.To identify trends and issues, the group graphed water quality data and compared to water quality criteria and target levels in Portgual and California.
 
 

	The water quality group conducted hands-on sampling on 18 sites along the Laje and Jamor Rivers, and analyzed the results of their monitoring with California standards.

2005 Instructors
The course was taught by Professor Matt Kondolf (Berkeley) and Maria da Graça Saraiva (Faculty of Architecture, Technical University of Lisbon), with Matt Deitch, Isabel Ramos, and Francisco Serdoura.  Course expenses were supported by grants from PSP, the UCB Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning departmental lecture fund and Beatrix Farrand Fund, and the Luso-American Foundation. The Workshop in Lisbon, from 27 May to 3 June was hosted by Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (School of Architecture, Technical University of Lisbon).   Katia Morgado, Lígia Vaz, and Tiago Teixeira contributed to organization and course logistics.  This course is supported by grants from the UC Berkeley Portuguese Studies Program, the UC Berkeley Pinto-Fialon Endowment, and the UC Berkeley Deptartment of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning.