From permeable paving to green roofs, a number of cost-effective and sustainable strategies have emerged for managing water closer to where it falls, rather than directing it into pipes. SPUR explains 8 promising tools for managing stormwater.
"While 'grey' or traditional infrastructure remains an essential part of safe and effective design for flood control and urban watershed management, it is no longer the only tool in the toolbox," write Kurt Pelzer and Laura Tam. "Green infrastructure systems, by contrast, harness natural processes to infiltrate, recharge, evaporate, harvest and reuse stormwater. They use soils, topography, vegetation and engineered materials to soften the impact of urban development on water resources and ecosystems in cities. And the benefits of such systems extend beyond stormwater treatment and flood control to include carbon sequestration, recreational amenities, habitat creation and beautification."
Pelzer and Tam explain the mechanics and advantages and disadvantages of eight different tools for sinking, slowing, reusing, and moving stormwater.
FULL STORY: 8 Shades of Green Infrastructure
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City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
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