Adaptive Planning For A Dynamic Landscape: Alabama's Gulf State Park Master Plan

一期

ASPHALT PATH 沥青路

DECOMPOSED GRANITE 风化花岗岩路面

主要道路

自然步道

WOOD BOARDWALK 木栈道

Existing Trail 现有步道 Phase 1 — New Trails & Trail Enhancements 一期——新建并改善步道

湿地通道

二期 与现有的休·布兰恩乡间路径类似， 这些路径将供骑行者、步行者以及成 群结队的游客使用。

LAKE SHELBY 谢尔比湖

WALKING PATH 步行道

这些尺度更怡人，更结合自然的步 道穿越公园的高地环境，可供人们 漫步或徒步。

BIKE PATH BUFFER 自行车道 缓冲区

HIGHWAY 高速路

木质的栈道使游客可以靠近公园的 湿地区域。这些高架道路包含解说 牌、休息处和观景点。

SHOULDER 路基

Existing Trail 现有步道 Phase 1 — New Trails & Trail Enhancements 一期——新建并改善步道 Phase 2 — Additional Trail Links 二期——增加步道间的连接 Phase 2 — Cycle track 二期——自行车道 Phase 2 — Car-free Road 二期——无车道路 Bicycle Rental Location 自行车租赁点

DUNES & BEACH 沙丘和沙滩

现有的道路

三期

佩尔迪多滨海大道提升策略

The added safe sidewalk and cycle track along the north side of Perdido Beach Blvd. connect the trail system south of Lake Shelby and combine with intersection improvements to ensure comfortable pedestrian routes to the beach from the heart of the park.

Existing Trail 现有步道 Phase 1 & 2 — New Trails & Trail Enhancements 一期和二期——新建并改善步道 Phase 2 —Cycle track 二期——自行车道 Phase 2 —Car-free Road 二期——无车道路 Bicycle Rental Location 自行车租赁点 Phase 3 — Long-term Trail Enhancements 三期——长期步道改善

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沿着佩尔迪多滨海大道的北侧增加了安全的步行道和自行车道，其与谢比尔湖南侧的步道系统连接起来，并与交叉 路口的改进项目相结合，保证游客可沿舒适的步行线路从公园的中心区域到达海滨。

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休·布兰恩乡间路径是 公园目前最受欢迎的要 素之一。路径系统拓展 及改善计划将创造出一 个丰富的步道系统，使游 客可以到达公园各处。 海湾州立公园的营地是 最受欢迎的设施之一， 在未来，改造后的营地 将成为游客的首选。升 级措施包括使营地道路 更加安全、更适于步行 者和骑行者通行，增加 树荫，细分营地类型， 包括围绕着中央绿地的 露营地和共享营地。 The Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trails are one of the most beloved elements of the park today. Trail network expansion and enhancements will create a diverse trail system that connects people to destination across the park.

Gulf State Park's campground is one of its most beloved assets, and improving it ranked at the top of future priorities by park visitors. Upgrades include making campground road safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, adding trees for shade and privacy, and diversifying the stock of campsites to include tent sites and social campsites organized around central green space.

and decisions are informed by observation of

planning process with built-in early action

cleaned up. The Gulf State Park Restoration

managed change over time.

— allowed for a new kind of master plan,

Project emerged out of this disaster, seeking

one where implementation and strategy

to expand access to one of Alabama’s most

both broad and visionary: it committed to

The initial charge of the master plan was

co-existed and informed one another in

ecologically rich treasures, bringing more

preserving and enhancing the environment

real-time. This “adaptive” master planning

visitors to the coast and helping them learn

while adding economic stability to the region

process offers a new model for addressing

about the region’s special ecosystems.

by inviting more people to experience the

increasingly complex and dynamic

It also focused on building on the park’s

park and learn about its natural resources.

environments. Here, we will discuss the

unique assets to transform the park into an

The plan was funded by the BP Deepwater

master planning framework and vision,

international model of environmental and

Horizon settlement. From this settlement

examine early action elements, and explain

economic sustainability. The park would be a

came five elements identified for early

the value of engaging in planning and design

place where every visitor could connect with

action, which were financed by the Early

implementation concurrently.

nature.

Restoration funding from the National Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)

The Gulf State Park Restoration Project

Master Plan

served as the governing framework for the

Process. NRDA led restoration efforts in the

park’s master plan. It created the vision

area following the BP oil spill.

In 2010 the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

The confluence of these conditions — a

statement intended to guide the master

devastated the Gulf Coast. In Alabama,

planning process: Gulf State Park will be an

dynamic landscape, a context of emerging

beaches closed, and the economic impacts

international benchmark for economic and

adaptive management techniques, and a

endured long after the last of the oil was

environmental sustainability demonstrating

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best practices for outdoor recreation,

environment by preserving and enhancing

education, and hospitable accommodations.

the park’s diverse mix of ecosystems to

The master planning process, led by

ensure healthy landscapes, waterways,

Sasaki, lasted twelve months and yielded

and wildlife habitat. Second, the plan

strategies to strengthen the park’s operations

celebrates learning anywhere (and all the

and ensure long-term economic sustainability.

time) by maximizing the potential of the

The process integrated deep site analysis

park as an outdoor classroom that engages

and documentation, exploration of potential

students of all ages in environmental inquiry

future scenarios, and codification of the

and discovery. Third, the plan outlines

preferred vision into a master plan with three

improvements to mobility, including bicycling

phases of physical improvements. The team

and walking systems in the park. Lastly, the

also conducted extensive project outreach,

plan seeks to enhance visitor experience,

hosting multiple public open houses, engaging

ensuring that park amenities like lodging

stakeholder focus groups, and surveying

and picnic areas meet the needs of diverse

nearly 2,600 people from across the nation.

user groups.

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多条环形路径和多样的路 径类型便于游客仅停车一 次便可探索公园全貌。一 段2号州立公园路将被封 锁，从而为行人、骑行者 和公园班车创造一条安全 的主要线路。 由于高尔夫球场的收入和 使用率都在下滑，总体规 划计划将其改造为一个 “公园探索中心”，通过 引入零售产业，提供多种 多样的户外活动项目。此 外还包括乡村留宿设施， 以及一处新的设有徒步道 和观鸟点的保护区。

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Reflecting the high priority needs consistently mentioned by the community, stakeholders, and park visitors, aspirational

Early Action Elements and Implementation

More trail loops and a greater variety of trails means it will be easier to park once and explore all that the park has to offer. A section of State Park Road 2 will be closed to vehicular traffic, creating a safe, central route for pedestrians, bicyclists, and a new park tram.

Because the golf course is experiencing declining revenue and usage, the master plan recommends repurposing it as a "Park Adventure Launch," providing a range of new outdoor activities supported through a retail partner; rustic overnight accommodations; and new conservation land with hiking trails and birding stops.

goals form the foundation of all ultimate master plan recommendations and projects.

First, the plan champions restoration of the

context and overarching vision for the

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While the master plan provided the

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AD RO REE F 路 CAR 无车道

W A T 水 ER 上 T 巴 A 士 X I

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FISHIN G 垂钓

T ITA HAB ED 地 R O 息 T RES 修复栖

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BIKE TRAILS 自行车道

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Restoring the dunes

park, the proposed early restoration project components established a number

been cut, and the team will continue to

The project will use innovative

monitor results over time.

of strategies ready for near-immediate

techniques and native plantings (without

implementation. The five elements outlined

trucking in more sand) to restore the

below build upon existing park features to

equivalent of more than 50 football fields

enhance the park’s potential to become

of dunes, which protect inland areas from

beach pavilion will include meeting and

a one-of-a-kind environmental and

storms and provide a habitat for many

educational spaces as well as indoor and

educational destination on the Gulf Coast.

animals. In particular the restoration of

outdoor educational information about the

the natural habitat for wildlife will support

area’s unique environment. This “living

populations of the federally endangered

building” will be overtly educational in

Enhancing the visitor experience The park’s 600,000 annual visitors will

Building an Interpretive Center This interactive exhibit space near the

Alabama beach mice, nesting sea turtles,

its construction. Site analysis and early

enjoy a vastly improved experience with

and shore birds. This project focuses on

conceptual design is underway.

nearly 10 miles of new walking, cycling, or

cutting strategic breaches into a constructed

running trails; approximately 3.5 miles of

berm to allow sand to flow more freely into

enhancements to existing park trails; and

the secondary and tertiary dunes. Currently,

better connections throughout the park so

the berm is too high, blocking sand from

provide a variety of research and educational

visitors will not need to drive as much to see

reaching these areas. Native plantings,

programs. Additional lodging options will

all that it has to offer. New signs and kiosks

recycling Christmas trees and sand fencing,

allow student groups, researchers, and

provide visitors with information about the

and removal of invasive species will support

park visitors to spend more time on the

surrounding environment. Construction is

the cuts. In the beginning the process of

grounds. And a dining facility will serve all

scheduled to begin in 2017.

dune restoration, the first breaches have

park visitors. The learning campus will be

ES AC SP G IN 间 ER 空 TH 集会 GA

MO RE C 更多 AMP 的营 SITE S 地

M O UN 山 TAI 地 N 自 BI 行 K 车 IN G

ZIP LIN ES & 高空 RO 滑索 PES 和攀 CO 绳 URS E

Building a Learning Campus A new learning campus for the park will

N TIO VA R E NS CO 护区 AL 然保 R 自 TU NA

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TER EN EC M LCO 待中心 接 WE

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BIR DW ATC 观鸟 HING

L TA EN TR N ME 租赁 UIP 设备 EQ

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林

高地森

沙脊

湿地

中央

湖

淡水

Core Development Areas 核心开发区

滨 © Sasaki

及海

沙丘

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located near the current park headquarters

The Value of the Adaptive Planning

to encourage educational and programmatic connections with regional communities and

overly-detailed information, or even out of pure habit, master planning processes

Unlike a typical master planning process

can miss the opportunity to engage highly-

schools. Design of this campus is just getting

— where future conditions are reasonably

technical or specialized experts. Due to

underway.

predictable and strategic actions relatively

the dynamic and sensitive nature of the

linear — this master plan needed to address

park’s site coupled with the concurrent

strategy and implementation at the same

implementation, deep technical expertise

Rebuilding a Lodge in Gulf State Park

time. This confluence enabled unexpected

served as an integrated core resource

facility will be welcoming to everyone and will

This overnight lodging and meeting

innovations, both to process and design

throughout this master planning effort for

improve public access to the park’s beaches,

outcomes, that are worthy of further

Gulf State Park.

trails, freshwater ecosystems, and other

reflection.

natural resources. It will also serve as a

The best example of the value created by the integration of vision development

model of resilient, environmental-friendly coastal development. The reconstruction

Breadth and Depth from Day One Master planning is often a linear, step-

and technical rigor is the park’s dune landscape. Dunes are a foundational and

will occur within a smaller site than the

by-step process — led first by experts in

highly-sensitive landscape. The master

original lodge, which had existed since the

strategic planning who establish a vision and

planning process yielded drawings that

1970s until it was destroyed by Hurricane

then by implementation specialists to make

described the history of these formations,

Ivan in 2004. Design on this element is

recommended actions concrete. Sometimes,

the ecological value they provide, and

underway, with the foundations under

due to limited resources, a desire to

broad principles for their protection; at the

construction.

unencumber the visioning process with

same time, the implementation projects

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provided detailed inventories of specific

risk of disconnects between vision and

dune landscapes and best practices for

implementation.

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在合适的地点采用恰当 的开发方式。总体规划 中的14个项目主要集 中在环境已遭到破坏的 区域，从而使核心区域 得到保护。同时，场地 中任何新的开发均可借 鉴绿色和可回收建筑实 践。这些项目促成了一 个经济可持续的公园， 为公园的维护提供了充 足的资金，并支持了整 个州立公园系统保护工 作的开展。 14. 通 过 在 线 调 查 （ 超 过 2 600人参与）、开放日 和相关利益方访谈，人 们分享了他们关于公园 未来的想法和建议。调 查结果形成了一个共同 的愿景，推动了总体规 划的形成。

protecting them at the specific site scale.

These operations, existing side-by-side,

Tangible and Immediate Change for an

enabled a much deeper understanding of

Engaged Community

the opportunities and challenges, allowing

At the beginning of nearly every new

planners to witness and learn from new and

initiative these days we hear a common

in-process restoration efforts and designers

concern from clients: We do not want a

to understand the much broader reasons for

plan that sits on the shelf. We also hear

highly-specialized construction techniques.

of the dreaded “planning fatigue,” where communities become disengaged from even

Keeping Everything Connected Often, actions that are recommended

the most pressing initiatives when their engagement is not rewarded with tangible

by master planning efforts can take years,

action. The Gulf State Park Master Plan

even decades, to come to fruition. In this

avoided both these pitfalls.

time, there is always the risk of big, strategic

One of the plan’s most provocative

ideas getting lost along the way. To prevent

recommendations was to make a busy and

this, master plans are sometimes charged

high-speed roadway through the park — one

with creating extensive implementation

that severed a vast wetland ecosystem and

strategies or guidelines. Such documents

was over-scaled for required traffic volumes

are challenging to generate, as they either

— into a dedicated pedestrian and park

fail to capture everything with exactness

shuttle experience. Linking this idea to early-

or, the opposite, create an overly restrictive

action mobility goals enabled the closure of

set of recommendations that do not leave

the road even before the final master plan’s

enough room for unexpected or emergent

adoption. The converted road introduces new

changes.

pedestrian amenities like signage, planting existing trail system into a continuous loop.

“guidelines,” creating a template for future

The early reaction from the community has

development. The integration of master

been overwhelming positive, enabling park

planning specialists on implementation

leadership and visitors to see the value of

projects — rather than the traditional

mobility-related investments directly.

“hand-off” — ensured that strategic goals

Alabama’s Gulf State Park Master

were met in real-time. For instance, the

Plan provides a planning framework that

Interpretive Center, as a dedicated learning

demonstrates the economic, ecological,

facility, needed to tell a very broad story

and social values of this significant natural

about the park and the surrounding region.

resource. It provides a community-driven

Teaching visitors about a regional-scaled

framework for change and improvement.

landscape is not something these building

The early-action items provide tangible

programs typically include. At the same

demonstrations of these ideas to an eager

time, the building itself faced incredibly

set of constituents, proving what is possible

high green building standards, as it would

in real-time. And, where the master plan

become Alabama’s first Living Building

aimed to help the park achieve its potential

Challenge certified facility. The integration

to become a global model for sustainable

of master planning professionals in the

development, we hope the process itself is a

design process ensured broader goals

model for addressing sensitive and dynamic

remained in sight throughout, minimizing

landscapes around the world as well.

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and wayfinding and finally connects the

State Park serve as living and breathing

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The right kind of development in the right place. The fourteen projects of the master plan are concentrated within already disturbed areas, preserving core habitat areas. At the same time, any new development can model green and regenerative building practices.

These projects create an economically sustainable park, ensuring sufficient funding for landscape maintenance and supporting conservation across the State Park system.

The community shared ideas and opinions about the park's future through an interactive online survey (over 2,600 responses) as well as open houses and group stakeholder interviews. The result was a powerful collective vision that drives and underscores the master plan.

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The early action elements at Gulf

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