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

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