The Greening of Baltimore's Asphalt Schoolyards

Abstract

Asphalt was becoming an integral part of the urban American landscape by the end of the nineteenth century. Not only was it emerging as the preferred alternative for street paving, its promoters were endorsing it for other purposes as well. Although Baltimore was not in the vanguard when it came to adopting asphalt for road surfaces, it soon followed the trend. Like other cities, it too found other applications for this versatile petroleum product, including the paving of playgrounds and schoolyards. Despite low maintenance costs, widespread use of asphalt as a recreational surface started to meet resistance in Baltimore during the 1960s. Fifty years later, stringent storm‐water runoff requirements are causing city officials to rethink how they deploy asphalt in an urban setting. In an effort to meet these new requirements, while at the same time improve recreational opportunities for school children, an alliance of government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private developers has developed a strategy to remove asphalt from schoolyards—one that may serve as a model for other cities facing financial and sustainability challenges similar to those of Baltimore.

Key words:

• asphalt
• Baltimore
• urban greening
• urban storm water
• urban sustainability

This research was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation Long‐Term Ecological Research Program (DEB‐1027188). We also gratefully acknowledge the receipt of a Baker Award from Ohio University. Interviews were conducted with Ohio University IRB approval (Protocol No. 09E201). The authors wish to thank Delaney Bolger, Steven Brown, Kim Olivito, Camille Scott, and McKenzie Spriggs for their assistance with interview transcriptions and newspaper searches. We also thank David Kaplan and the four anonymous reviewers for their constructive and insightful comments.

This research was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation Long‐Term Ecological Research Program (DEB‐1027188). We also gratefully acknowledge the receipt of a Baker Award from Ohio University. Interviews were conducted with Ohio University IRB approval (Protocol No. 09E201). The authors wish to thank Delaney Bolger, Steven Brown, Kim Olivito, Camille Scott, and McKenzie Spriggs for their assistance with interview transcriptions and newspaper searches. We also thank David Kaplan and the four anonymous reviewers for their constructive and insightful comments.

Notes

This research was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation Long‐Term Ecological Research Program (DEB‐1027188). We also gratefully acknowledge the receipt of a Baker Award from Ohio University. Interviews were conducted with Ohio University IRB approval (Protocol No. 09E201). The authors wish to thank Delaney Bolger, Steven Brown, Kim Olivito, Camille Scott, and McKenzie Spriggs for their assistance with interview transcriptions and newspaper searches. We also thank David Kaplan and the four anonymous reviewers for their constructive and insightful comments.

Additional information

Funding

National Science Foundation Long‐Term Ecological Research Program

Notes on contributors

Geoffrey L. Buckley

Dr. Buckley is a professor of geography at Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701; [[email protected]].

Christopher G. Boone

Dr. Boone is a professor of sustainability at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287; [[email protected]].

J. Morgan grove

Dr. Morgan Grove is a research forester for the United States Forest Service, Baltimore, Maryland 21228; [[email protected]].