Banking on Green Infrastructure: A New Study

A new study has been released that summarizes how green infrastructure can be beneficial to cities, particularly with regard to stormwater runoff problems. The Atlantic wrote an article on the report, and our summary is below.  You can also access the full report here– it’s an interesting read!

American Rivers, the Water Environment Federation, the American Society of Landscape Architects and ECONorthwest (2012). Banking on green: A look at how green infrastructure can save municipalities money and provide economic benefits community-wide. Washington, DC.

This study provides a comprehensive look at the problem of stormwater runoff, how it has been dealt with in the past, and what the benefits of using green infrastructure to reduce stormwater runoff are.  Typically in urban areas, stormwater, which is precipitation that becomes polluted as it travels through the streets of a city, has been managed through a system of drains and tunnels that take the water to a sewage treatment plant.  However, when the runoff exceeds the limit of the plant, the excess water is dumped into a city’s rivers, and can overwhelm the rivers or be harmful to the wildlife population.  The study suggests that green infrastructure, including green roofs, are a good and cost-effective way for a city to deal with the problem of excess stormwater runoff.  The article states that “By reducing the volume of runoff entering sewer systems and increasing natural features that can soften the effects of storm surges and flooding, green infrastructure can add resiliency to local climate change adaptation planning.” (p 4)  It also adds that although some may think that green infrastructure is expensive to implement and maintain, in reality the maintenance costs can be lower than those of a traditional stormwater runoff system, and the benefits are long-term.  Buildings that have green infrastructure may also increase in value, and can save a city literally billions of dollars over the course of years.  In New York City, for example, a proposed plan to manage stormwater using both green and traditional infrastructure is projected to save 1.5 billion dollars over 20 years.  This study includes multiple case studies on green infrastructure, and is a good overview of the stormwater runoff benefit of green roofs, while also mentioning the many other benefits green infrastructure can bring to an urban area.

April 28, 2012 | Categories: Green roofs, Washington DC | Tags: city planning, green infrastructure, green roof, green roof benefits, stormwater runoff, urban development | 1 Comment