Saving More Than Water: Big Benefits from Green Infrastructure

A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council demonstrates that commercial investment in green infrastructure, particularly in stormwater management, can lead to substantial financial benefits for both owners and tenants.

1 minute read

December 22, 2013, 1:00 PM PST

By Alek Miller


Bioswale

Chris Hamby / flickr

The NRDC report, The Green Edge: How Commercial Property Investment in Green Infrastructure Creates Value, investigates the long-term financial benefits of stormwater management tools, like bioswales, trees, permeable pavement, and rain gardens, when they are used in private commercial properties. The report examines how these practices translate to long-term gains in retail centers, mid-rise residential, and office buildings. 

As Kaid Benfield explains, "These financial benefits include higher rents and property values, increased retail sales, energy savings, and reduced life-cycle and maintenance costs. As many readers will know, green infrastructure and other green building practices are also increasingly becoming a quality badge of honor for the private sector, because they illustrate a developer’s commitment to healthier, sustainable communities and placemaking." 

Thursday, December 19, 2013 in NRDC Switchboard

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

November 11, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6, 2026 - Grist

People walking in downtown St. Louis, walking past shops.

Move over, LA: St. Louis gears up for Olympics, invests millions in downtown redevelopment

The Missouri city will host the 2028 Olympic soccer group stage and knockout matches.

November 1, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

Construction in Dallas. An aerial shot of a wooden frame of an apartment building.

Dallas releases zoning code overhaul to officials

The drafted overhaul is over 400 pages long.

November 11 - Dallas Morning News

Canal street, where pedestrians are packed shoulder to shoulder.

NYC renovations for dangerous, ‘mercilessly crammed’ street delayed until 2027

Construction was supposed to begin this fall.

November 11 - Gothamist

A rendering of Midway Rising that shows people mingling in a green space between apartment buildings.

San Diego’s Midway Rising project gets greenlight from city council

The project looks to become the largest affordable housing development in California's history.

November 11 - KPBS

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.