Welcome to Brooke Ray Smith's masters thesis site.Â
You can download individual chapters and appendices below.
Abstract
This thesis investigates the feasibility of constructed wetlands as wastewater treatment amenities in urban areas like San Francisco. Through both macro-scale planning and micro-scale site design analyses, I am interested in creating a mutualistic integration of urban systems and ecosystems that can confer benefits to both. As an example of urban-ecological mutualism, constructed wetland treatment systems can benefit a wide variety of both human and ecological communities. Constructed wetlands can benefit the inhabitants of a city by treating runoff and wastewater for reuse, by providing education and recreation opportunities, and by improving aesthetic amenity value of surrounding neighborhoods. Constructed wetlands can benefit local ecological communities by creating valuable wetland habitat, by improving water quality, and by bolstering wetland ecosystem services. In this thesis, I explore the mutualistic benefits and feasibility of these systems in urban areas by creating a conceptual design for a constructed wetland system that treats combined sewer discharges, provides treated water for reuse, and creates a beautiful recreational and educational space in Yosemite Slough, San Francisco.
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