Tetra Tech Wins Climate Change Business Journal Project Merit Award for Resilient Infrastructure

Using green infrastructure to create a beautiful community space and more resilient stormwater management at Detroit’s Viola Liuzzo Park
Feb 20, 2017 8:00 AM ET

Tetra Tech Wins Climate Change Business Journal Project Merit Award for Resilie…

In January 2017, Climate Change Business Journal (CCBJ) recognized Tetra Tech’s green infrastructure work at Viola Liuzzo Park in Detroit, Michigan, as among the most outstanding projects of 2016. EBI Inc. will present Tetra Tech with a CCBJ Business Achievement Award for Project Merit in the Climate Change Resilient Infrastructure category at the Environmental Industry Summit XV in San Diego, California, on March 22, 2017. Tetra Tech also will receive three Environmental Business Journal Business Achievement Awards at the summit.

At Viola Liuzzo Park, Tetra Tech designed a stormwater management system using green infrastructure components as part of a park revitalization project. Working with the City of Detroit, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD), and Viola Liuzzo Park Association (VLPA), Tetra Tech designed three bioretention areas—sometimes referred to as rain gardens. The City of Detroit dedicated the park to the memory of Viola Liuzzo, a Detroit civil rights activist who was killed in Alabama after the Selma-to-Montgomery march in 1965.

Tetra Tech incorporated green infrastructure into the park’s redesign and integrated the bioretention areas into the overall park revitalization plan. The bioretention features will treat and infiltrate stormwater from streets and sidewalks, while providing landscaping that aligns with the community’s vision for the park. The goal of DWSD’s Green Infrastructure Program is to reduce the volume of stormwater entering Detroit’s combined sewer system through onsite stormwater management that mimics natural processes of soil and vegetation, reducing the need for costly wastewater treatment while beautifying local neighborhoods. The new Viola Liuzzo Park will honor Detroit’s past and reflect the city’s future as a leader in green infrastructure.

Tetra Tech is proud to have supported the revitalization of this important community space and honor the legacy of Viola Liuzzo. Learn more about Tetra Tech’s work and view a video about the park revitalization project here.

Learn more about the CCBJ Business Achievement Awards at ebionline.org.