As part of the multi-disciplinary Permaculture and Social Equity Team (P+SET) selected to research issues of climate change in the Bay Area and propose design ideas to promote resiliency, Communitecture conceived of this Regional Resource Park on Mare Island.

The Context

Mare Island is a peninsula within the city limits of Vallejo, CA but separated from the city by the mouth of the Napa River. Vallejo boasts a high level of cultural and racial diversity as well as civic engagement but is plagued by poverty, lack of jobs, crime, and disease due to pollution and lack of access to nutrition. The assets of Mare Island include the abandoned buildings of a naval base that was shut down in 1996, a historic cemetery, a marsh, a grassroots volunteer-run wildlife and heritage preserve and a lot of open space. Some of the needs that were highlighted in our research were green jobs, housing, local food production, carbon sequestration, protection from flooding, and a ceremonial place for collective grieving in times of tragedy.

The Solution

This proposal matches a tremendous regional resource with important and timely needs. The extent and scale of the former naval structures on Mare Island is matched only by the scope and scale of the City of Vallejo and the Bay Area’s need to become resilient. By enacting the adaptive projects and features described and illustrated in this proposal, Mare Island can help answer the call to provide equitable jobs in urgently needed resilient technology, more equitable jobs in related educational and cultural fields, and adjacent affordable housing in a smart growth configuration. All adaptive development will ensure that existing wildlife areas and resources are protected and enhanced.

This proposal integrates numerous existing development plans for the island while adding new ideas and features. Art is joined with ecology in the new cultural village at the Southeast edge. An outdoor education village at the southern extent brings regional youth outdoors to explore land and water. This proposal also expands the existing naval memorial site by bringing community to the top of the island where they will find spectacular views from an expanded memorial facility. There is also a proposed energy and food production, job-creating facility located on the highlands of the island. As an educational and productive resource, this facility can generate power for 1800 homes and provide lots of locally grown food. Lastly, on the western side of the island there is an Equity & Livelihood Village where more than 400 people from most vulnerable populations can find family housing and green jobs. In this case, “equity” refers to a village of active engagement and involvement in all processes and decision-making.

Adaptive Reuse Naval Base

• 26 existing buildings, various programs, some beyond service
• 250,000 sf total possible adaptive reuse opportunity
• (130,000 sf for potential resilient tech production at 600 jobs)
• (120,000 sf for potential housing at 400 Residents)
• Activate extensive open space for new Bay Area sequestration tree nurseries

• Enhance wildlife habitat on perimeter

 
Mare Island Heritage Preserve & Interpretive Center

• Add new exhibition areas, office, retail, gathering areas, porches, storage, utilities
• Complete associated trail network to link all sites
• Install interpretive exhibitions at significant heritage site locations
• Enhance wildlife habitat, add buffers

Southern Island Heritage and Wildlife Park with Memorial

• Significant historic naval cemetery remains, good condition
• Add processional path to top of island and numerous memorial and rest locations along way
• New major memorial feature at existing Spirit Boat feature
• Complete existing pathway network, add new to link all sites
• Extensive wildlife habitat restoration, new planting

 
172 Acre Energy and Food Farm (2nd Phase)

• Solar Electric, 50 Ac @ 18 GW/Yr = 1780 Homes/year
• Demo Wind Electric, 43 Units x 17,500 kw/yr = 70 homes/year
• Orchard Crops, 40 Acres Fruit & Nuts @ 5.3 Tons ea. = 212 Tons/year
• Annual Crops, 40 Acres (47 veg) @ 5 Tons ea. = 200 Tons/year
• Carbon Farming Education Program, 10 Acres
• Wildlife habitat enhancement and buffer

From Concept to Creation: A Community Message Board
By Tammy Straw-Dunn

Initiated by a small group of neighbors, this community message board was brought to fruition through donations & volunteered time, collaborating with The City Repair Project & the Portland Bureau of Transportation. The design, includes exciting features like living roof, re-purposed hardware, and artistic mosaic work at the foundations, created by neighbors of all ages.
 
The South Burlingame neighborhood is a mix of residents who have lived here since they grew up in the neighborhood in the 1950s, including active senior walkers & gardeners, empty nesters, renting students, and many young, new families. The residents are excited to meet and participate in activities with their neighbors and were looking for better ways to share their interests and hear about planned activities than word-of-mouth or scattered email list serves. 
 
The planning, construction, and continued use of this message board all represent a wonderful and engaging way to foster community… that is easy for any neighborhood to replicate!
 
Here is a fun, pictoral How-To of our process!

​Concrete Foundations
Build form work & structure; pour concrete; remove forms once set.

Mosaic Artwork
Collect, break, & sort tile pieces; mortar design to backer board; mortar designed panels to pair of concrete foundations; grout & sponge-rinse completed tile work.

Living Roof & Sign Board
Mill salvaged wood to build sign board; stain wood surfaces; build roof with waterproof membrane, root barrier, flashing, & drainage openings at lower fascia; line roof bed with moisture blanket & filter fabric;  spread river rocks at lower edge for drainage & roll filter fabric beneath to hold in place; fill roof box with soil mixture; plant with sedum in autumn.  

Mark Lakeman did a tour de force of speaking and leading workshops on placemaking in several cities in the Northwest this past week, including Victoria, Vancouver Island, and Orcas Island. Below is a journal of Mark's tour and the events he attended:

Photos and Text by Mark Lakeman - May 18, 2018

Victoria City Council "Critical Mass" Place Making Ride
As our ride snaked through the urban core of Victoria, we visited 8 different sites on May 11 where "intersection repair"-style community placemaking projects are about to get underway...with funding and the active support of the City of Victoria!

Victoria City Council ...Mayor's Bike!
I got to ride Lisa Helps' bike during the Placemaking "Critical Mass" Ride with the city council and community of Victoria!!

Victoria Placemaking Workshop
In Victoria, BC a majority of city council members along with numerous city staff attended this workshop on participatory placemaking. We focused on the 8 locations that we had previously visited during our "Critical Mass" bike tour of the sites. Each site has become a funded "Village Center" project!

Victoria City Council, Staff, Police & Fire Tiny Home Villages for Homeless People
In support of Victoria's new "Tiny Home Villages" initiative to house homeless people, there were two hugely successful events held at city hall on May 11 & 12. These included a public presentation, followed the next day by a workshop that included the mayor, city council members, a great number of city staff and bureau heads, police and fire department heads, as well as lots of active members of the community of Victoria! 

Fernwood Telephone Pole Murals
Inspired by the painted intersections in Portland, led by City Repair, the residents of the Fernwood Neighborhood in Victoria, BC have created an annual event that paints, and repaints ordinary telephone poles as a form of community commons and public art! Yes, placemaking, stewardship, and beauty are all over the neighborhood!! 

Teaching Placemaking at OUR Ecovillage, Shawnigan Lake, BC
As part of the the largest permaculture design course in the history of Canada (55 students!), the "Intersection Repair" Design Game was played. The students formed three design teams, and within one hour we had analyzed, redesigned, and constructed three intersection repair projects in model form....that are very likely to start popping up all over Canada now!!