Mobile, AL, Mobile (FUA), United States
City population: 431472
Duration: 2023 – 2023
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Cultural Heritage Area
Last updated: March 2025

The Africatown Heritage House Bioswale is a gently sloping green space with multiple functions which include catchment of runoff water and filtration of pollution in the runoff water (Ref 2), erosion control (Ref 2), and creation of habitat for biodiversity (Ref 1). It also has an educational purpose for students and the local community (Ref 2) and contributes to overall beautification (Ref 5). The Bioswale was built by Birmingham-Southern College’s Environmental Center (Ref 6) and developed through the collaboration between the Mobile County Commission, the Mobile Area Lodging Association, Mobile County Training School, Mobile County Training School Alumni Association, and the National Academies of Science (NAS) Gulf Research Program (Ref 2). The project aims to address heavy rainwater management (Ref 5) and drainage issues (Ref 3).

This sign describes for the public the main benefits of the bioswale
Sign desbribing the main benefits of the bioswale
Stemming the Tide, Using Rain Gardens to STEM the tide, 7/5/2023 (Ref 1)

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Green areas for water management
  • Swales and filter strips

Key challenges

  • Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Flood protection
  • Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
  • Improvements to water quality
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Environmental education

Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)

  • Climate-Related Hazards
  • Urban flooding (stormwater)

Key priorities

Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)

Focus

Creation of semi-natural blue areas, Implementation of green areas for water management (e.g. rain gardens), Protection of natural ecosystems, Habitat restoration, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Educational and awareness raising programs

Project objectives

- drainage of heavy rainwater (Ref 2) - filtration of heavy rainwater (Red 2) - recharging groundwater (Image 1) - erosion control (Ref 1) - reducing the need for irrigation (Image 1) - creation of habitat for a variety of organisms (Ref 1) - attracting pollinators (Ref 5) - educational purpose (outdoor science lab for students at Mobile County Training School) (Ref 1) - public attraction for visitors to the Africatown Heritage House and local residents (Ref 2) - serve as a community hub for the Africatown Heritage House (Ref 5) - beautification (aesthetic reasons) (Ref 2)

Implementation activities

- Slope escavation and planting of species that absorb water for addressing the heavy rainfall issues in the area of the Africatown Heritage House by catching the runoff from the roof and the parking lot (Ref 1) and to mitigate runoff water pollution (Ref 1) - Establishment of outdoor lab for students at Mobile County Training School (Ref 1) - Establisementof an educational walk to the public, with explanatory signs about the environmental issues and the benefits of the project for contributing to raise awarness about water conservation, pollution, and environmental resilience (Ref 1, Ref 4)

Climate-focused activities

Climate change adaptation:

  • Implement measures that prevent/manage desertification, soil erosion and landslides
  • Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater
  • Reducing socio-economic vulnerability to climate impacts (e.g. awareness raising)
  • Other
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes

Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities

Communities near industrial areas, Minority or marginalized ethnic groups

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Create new habitats
  • Protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect native species
  • Means for conservation governance
  • Manage biological resources for conservation and sustainable use
  • Raise public awareness

Main beneficiaries

  • Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Led by non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Researchers/university

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Unknown

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The project has been built by - the Birmingham-Southern College’s Southern Environmental Center (Ref 2) The project is a collaboration between: - Mobile County Commission - the Mobile Area Lodging Association - Mobile County Training School - Mobile County Training School Alumni Association - the National Academies of Science (NAS) Gulf Research Program (Ref 2)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Unknown

Type of enablers

Unknown

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

  • Research organisation / University

Type of funding

  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Water management and blue areas
  • Improved water quality
  • Expected improved water quality
  • Improved stormwater management
  • Expected improved stormwater management
  • Reduced risk of damages by drought
  • Expected reduced risk of damages by drought
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Expected increased green space area
  • Increased number of species present
  • Expected increased number of species present
  • Increased presence and recovery of wild species
  • Expected increased presence and recovery of wild species
  • Enhanced support of pollination
  • Expected enhanced support of pollination

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved social cohesion
  • Expected improved social cohesion
  • Improved liveability
  • Expected improved liveability
  • Education
  • Increased support for education and scientific research
  • Expected increased support for education and scientific research
  • Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
  • Expected increased awareness of NBS and their benefits

Type of reported impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs

Unknown

References

1.
Meade, M., Hazelhoff, R. (2023). Using Rain Gardens to STEM the tide. Mobile, AL: STEMMING THE TIDE, p. 1-2 Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Mobil County (2023). Africatown Heritage House Bioswale (Rain Garden) Dedicated. Mobile, AL: Mobile County, p. 1 Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Mobile Rundown (2023). Africatown Goes Green: Bioswale Sparks Excitement. Mobile, AL: Mobile Rundown, p. 1-3 Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Bay Business News (2023). Africatown Heritage House Bioswale, Garden Open. Mobile, AL: Bay Business News, p. 1 Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Spears, A. (2023). Africatown Heritage House rain garden turned into living laboratory for environmental education. Mobile, AL: NBC 15 News, p. 1-2 Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link];
6.
KnowMob (2023). MCTS students attend Bioswale ribbon-cutting at Heritage House. Mobile, AL: KnowMob, p. 1-2 Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link];
7.
University of Montevallo (2023). 2023 Donor Impact Report, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Montevallo. Montevallo, AL: University of Montevallo, p. 2 Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Mobile County (2023). Africatown Heritage House. Mobile, AL: Mobile County, p. 1 Accessed on August 2, 2024, [Source link];
9.
Mobile County (2021). Africatown Heritage House Building Taking Shape. Mobile, AL: Mobile County, p. 1 Accessed on January 2, 2024, [Source link];
10.
Weichert (2024). Weichert.com - Africatown Mobile, AL Overview. Weichert, p. 1-2 Accessed on August 5, 2024, [Source link];
11.
Wilkins, C., Kemp-Rotan, R. (n.d.). Africatown - Racialization of space and Spatilization of Race. The Archichectural League, p. 5 [Source link];
naturescapes bannerInformation about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.