NHUDGE

This report does not offer a single plan of what should happen on the Noyo Headlands. Rather, it outlines a sustainable approach to the planning and design of the Noyo Headlands. Its central question is: How can Fort Bragg's coastline make a transition from its current state – separated from the city, and relatively barren – to a sustainable Noyo Headlands – integrated with the city and overflowing with life? It answers this question in four parts:

Part I: Remediate addresses the site contamination. It emphasizes the need for an open, participatory remediation process, respecting the industrial and pre-industrial histories of the Noyo headlands, taking a cautionary approach to cleanup, and considering innovative cleanup approaches. Appendix A provides additional detail about the cleanup process.

Part II: Restore presents opportunities for ecological restoration and stewardship. It focuses particularly on soils, historic waterways, plant communities, and wildlife.

Part III: ReBuild discusses key principles of ecological design and green building. After introducing the basic concept of ecological design, it applies it to five elements of building and infrastructure: energy, food, stormwater, water, and wastewater. Appendix B is a visual summary of this chapter's key ideas.

Part IV: ReInhabit considers how the guidelines from Parts I-III fit into a planning and design process. Beginning with a wide-angle lens, it considers how ecological ideas can permeate an economic development strategy. It discusses regional and local transportation linkages that could be created with the site. It then zooms in, to consider how ecological design and green building can permeate the master plan of the site, the street and block network, and smaller-scale design and placemaking strategies.

This report is a working document intended to provide a framework within which to organize the community's evolving vision of a sustainable future for the Noyo Headlands.