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Greening the Grey: Green Infrastructure for Sustainable Development - Institutional Analysis
This 2013 report is one outcome of a multi-year project funded by the US Forest Service and completed in cooperation with the National Association of Regional Councils, with the goal of mapping and evaluating the support system for green infrastructure planning in the US – a system that has changed dramatically over the study period […]
NRDC Report on Value of GI for Commerical Real Estate
The Natural Resources Defense Council recently released a report titled The Green Edge: How Commercial Property Investment in Green Infrastructure Creates Value, on the value green infrastructure features can bring to commercial properties. Recognizing that in many cases, the cost of installation will often exceed the value of credits earned (if an incentive structure is […]
Portland, Oregon: The Critical Roles Served by Citizen Stewards
Public awareness and engagement is critical for the long-term success of environmental endeavors. Just as every citizen has a right to enjoy the beauty of nature, the responsibility of caring for it lies in their hands, as well. In Portland, Oregon, citizen stewards have embraced their roles and ensured the success of green infrastructure (GI) […]
Chicago’s incentive strategy
Due to the risks of rainstorms, heat waves, and climate change, there is a growing interest in adopting green infrastructure in Chicago. To respond to the threat to urban flooding and the rising temperature and to adapt to future threats of climate change and sustain the urban and economic development, the city leadership analyzed both […]
Portland’s Innovative Wet Weather Program Raises Community Awareness
The City of Portland’s Innovative Wet Weather Program (IWWP) run by the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) is a prime example of government-based leadership through action, in implementing a vast array of green infrastructure that focus’ primarily on stormwater management in an attempt to clean the rivers around Portland. Though focused on stormwater management, the […]
Financing Green Infrastructure: Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan
The Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan (SDCP) is an “ambitious, community-driven, multi-species habitat conservation and urban growth planning process…intended to eventually set aside approximately 440,000 acres to help preserve sensitive species and critical wildlife habitat” (Friends of Saguaro National Park). In addition to habitat preservation, the plan aims to preserve cultural and historical resources. The SDCP […]
Growing Green in Cleveland
Urban farming is taking hold in Cleveland and other de-industrialized cities in the US as vacant lots are being repurposed into ways for the local community to prosper. In fact, Cleveland has been ranked as the second best local-food city in the United States by SustainLane, a San Francisco based green media company.
EPA releases 2013 GI Strategic Agenda
The EPA announced their 2013 Green Infrastructure Strategic Agenda, building on previous 2008 and 2011 agendas. The five key areas addressed in this agenda, and the objectives identified include: Federal Coordination: Objectives - Leverage existing federal partnerships; Continue federal dialogue on critical barriers and knowledge gaps; Demonstrate commitment to green infrastructure through federal projects; Develop […]
“Los Angeles, I’m Yours” - wetlands as the jewels of the Emerald Necklace
The Los Angeles basin is a coastal plain created by the sediment deposits of rivers flowing out of the Santa Monica and Santa Ana Mountains, as well as the San Joaquin and Puente Hills. As the delta grew into a solid landform, the basin was crisscrossed with rivers, each winding through the smoothest courses of […]
To Conquer the Sea: Boston as a Blue City
Boston’s Blue Cities project addresses the geographic problems inherent in the city since the area was settled by Puritan colonists in the 1630s. Located at the confluence of the Charles, Mystic, and Chelsea Rivers, Boston’s safe harbors and inlets made it a prosperous colonial town. Settlement began on the tactically-advantaged Shawmut Peninsula, which was a […]