A Framework for Equity and Ecological Engineering Applications in the Lowcountry
Holly Yaryan Hall, PhD, PE
Director of RDE Labs
Robinson Design Engineers
Hendersonville, NC
This session examines two coastal South Carolina case studies using a framework for urban stream engineering (FUSE). FUSE is a conceptual model of ecosystem functions and benefits that incorporates biophysical and social drivers, including environmental equity. For the past 10 years, Robinson Design Engineers has been volunteering with the Friends of Gadsden Creek in Charleston, SC, and since 2020 we have been working with the SC Department of Natural Resources, SC Aquarium, and the local community of Ashleyville Marsh. Gadsden Creek is the last remaining tidal creek in the Old City District. A land development corporation proposed to permanently pipe this tidal tributary and fill the associated salt marsh wetlands adjacent to Gadsden Green, a historically Black community on the Charleston Peninsula. Alternatively, the Gadsden Creek Revitalization Project is a grassroots-based approach that would restore the ecosystem. The Ashleyville Marsh Restoration project is in the Maryville community, in the urbanized West Ashley region of Charleston. Community concerns about a degraded saltmarsh area led to a grant-funded project that seeks to restore the ecosystem by excavating tidal marsh channels, planting marsh grass, and placing oyster substrate. FUSE illustrates a balanced system, maximizing benefits to both humans and the environment.
About Holly Yaryan Hall, PhD, PE
Bio: Dr. Holly Yaryan Hall is a licensed professional engineer and researcher with over 20 years of experience bridging the gap between academic innovation and engineering practice. She is an expert in stream restoration, fluvial geomorphology, and nature-based solutions, drawing from a background in civil, transportation, hydraulic, water resources and ecological engineering in the public, private, and academic sectors. Holly’s consulting work with Robinson Design Engineers includes multifunctional natural infrastructure, ecological restoration, floodplain, transportation, and stormwater projects. As the Director of RDE Labs, she advances the design and implementation of natural, process-based approaches to water resources engineering through collaborative research, development, and education initiatives.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollyyaryanhall/