Green Infrastructure Sustainability Principles: Action Checklist
In the broadest terms, Green Infrastructure is a land use planning concept that emphasizes the benefits of natural systems including clean water, healthy soils, clean air, shade, urban heat island reductions, etc. This type of planning approach typically seeks to protect and/or preserve natural areas through ordinances and other regulatory mechanisms. Green infrastructure planning can be used as a conservation tool to be integrated into a city’s comprehensive planning process, and may also be used to create aesthetic and open space amenities that balance developed areas of a city.
However, in recent years the term has taken on a very specific focus related to stormwater management practices and seems to have become almost synonymous with Low Impact Development (LID). In this context green infrastructure refers to use of natural systems or systems designed to mimic natural systems for the treatment and/or management of stormwater runoff. These stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) are often designed to mimic predevelopment hydrology for a site and treat stormwater runoff at the source. Green infrastructure BMPs, which are encouraged by the EPA, typically utilize infiltration and/or water reuse as the primary mechanisms for stormwater management.
This checklist considers green infrastructure in broad terms and provides basic steps to putting sustainability principles for green infrastructure into action. Strong green infrastructure planning should limit development pressures and prevent reactive decision making by policy makers.
Water from precipitation that flows over nonporous surfaces into sewer systems or receiving water bodies.The system of land, natural resources, and natural habitats that collectively comprise a community's underlying ecosystem. Green Infrastructure is present in every city, although its size, diversity, and strength vary greatly. Importantly, green infrastructure can be used to help offset negative environmental impacts, for example stormwater runoff and urban heat island effect.> Download Green Infrastructure Sustainability Principles: Action Checklist
