This document discusses green infrastructure and green highways. It provides definitions of green infrastructure from various organizations and outlines key principles of green infrastructure planning, including using a networks of hubs and links. It presents green infrastructure as an ecosystem-based approach to development that can provide both environmental and economic benefits. Examples of potential green infrastructure elements along highways are also given.
1. Green Infrastructure
and Green Highways
Hubs and Links to a Healthy
Environment
Low Impact Development Center
Summer 2007
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2. Challenges to Performance Based
and Watershed Approaches
Regucopy
Contradictions
Agendicizing and disaggregation and
specialization
Political Boundaries and Interests
Reliance on Minimum Standards
Zoning and Building Codes not integrated with
planning
Mass Production not Profession
Site Design Performance vs. BMP Efficiency
Contract Process “Per Unit”
LEED “no builder left behind”
tm
Emailification “no one reads”2007
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3. Builder/Developer/Institution
Land Use Economic and
Design Requirements
Sustainability is not
achieved by minimum Localized
Industry
standards or ratingSustainable
Recognized
systems!!! Development
Standards
Local Community
Codes/Ordinances
Performance
and Watershed
Requirements
Based!!!
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4. Courtesy Region 3 OW
Sustainable Community = Green (natural) + Gray (built) + Multi (societal)
Built (“Gray”) Infrastructure
Green Highways
Social Infrastructure
Natural (“Green”)
Infrastructure
Source: Guide to Sustainable Community Indicators, Hart 1999
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Source: Guide to Sustainable Community Indicators, Hart 1999
6. Green Infrastructure
Definitions
Finding common ground among
the descriptions
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7. APA - 7 principles of Green
Infrastructure
Recognize the social and natural ecosystem/ watershed
context
Provide a multi-functional framework for development,
protection, conservation, restoration and recreation
Protect and regenerate health and biodiversity
Create natural, social and economic linkage
Improve the visual quality and sense of place of
communities and landscapes
Involve and engage the community in planning,
implementation, management and monitoring
Provide a multi-functional framework for funding for
acquistion, restoration, management and development
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8. What is Green Infrastructure?
“Infrastructure – the substructure of underlying
foundation…on which the continuance and
growth of a community or state depends” –
Source: Webster’s New World Dictionary
“Green infrastructure – the ecological
processes, both natural and engineered, that act
as the natural infrastructure. It includes ditches,
creeks, wetlands, parks, open space, trees,
green roofs, gardens, working lands, aquifers
and watersheds that supply drinking water”
source: http://www.wcel.org/issues/urban/sbg/glossary/
Low Impact Development Center 2007
9. Conservation Fund Definition of
Green Infrastructure
“…an interconnected network of green space
that conserves natural ecosystem values and
functions and provides associated benefits to
human populations….Green infrastructure differs
from conventional approaches to open space
planning because it looks at conservation value
and actions in concert with land development,
growth management and built infrastructure
planning.”
source: Green Infrastructure: Smart Conservation for the 21st Century, Benedict, Mark A., PhD,
Edward T. McMahon, J.D., The Conservation Fund, Sprawl Watch Clearinghouse Monograph
Series, www.sprawlwatch.org
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10. EPA definition of Green
Infrastructure
Green infrastructure is a cost effective and environmentally friendly
approach to reduce stormwater and other excess flows entering
combined or separate sewer systems.
Green infrastructure is a way to protect surface waters and drinking
water supplies, reduce drinking water and stormwater treatment
costs, reduce urban heat island impacts, and provide more
sustainable water resource management systems.
Green infrastructure approaches use natural systems such as
forested areas or engineered systems such as raingardens to
cleanse water and reduce excess volumes by filtering and treating it
using plants, soils and microbes.
Green infrastructure can be used to reduce our reliance on pipes,
channels and expensive engineered treatment systems that are
costly to build, operate and maintain.
source: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/greeninfrastructure.cfm
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11. Green Infrastructure
An ecosystem , watershed based network
approach to managing growth and creating
sustainable environments in a variety of
development densities
Economically cost effective approach to solving
various issues (water quality, habitat, urban heat
island, CSO reductions, NPDES compliance,
TMDL, safe communities) when compared to
other approaches
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12. Green Infrastructure in the 21st
century
Retrofits using green systems to restore
hydrological functional
Provides the means to ecologically link
one hub to the next
Form of infrastructure that is lower in cost
to maintain over its lifecycle
Improves the quality of life for all
inhabitants
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13. Green Infrastructure MAY be parks
and large tracts of undeveloped land
that are set aside
HUBS
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14. Green Infrastructure ALSO may
be green retrofits in an urban or
suburban landscape
LINKS
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15. Links and Hubs of Green
Infrastructure in the Urban
Environment
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16. Eco Roof – Link or Hub?
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18. Retrofits or Planned element
Green Roof Irvine CA
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19. Green Infrastructure
opportunities are
everywhere
LID tools facilitate the development of
green infrastructure
Open Space and Transportation corridors
provide linking elements in a green
infrastructure network
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20. Watershed Planning Goals
Hydrologic
Runoff volume and peak discharge rate
Flood control
Water reuse
Ecological
Water quality and stream health
Habitat creation
Antidegradation
Community and economic development
Job creation
User fees
Historic preservation
Disturbance
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21. Stormwater Management Goals
Peak discharge rate (Q)
Runoff volume
Water quality
Runoff duration
Runoff frequency
Groundwater recharge
What tools are available to meet these goals?
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23. Links and Hubs
An organizing form idea for planning green
infrastructure
Creates an interdependent network of
green
Fits a watershed model of planning
Can be implemented and maintained in
sections
Is an opportunity for public-private
partnerships
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24. Green Infrastructure Form : Hubs
& Links
Hubs
Reserves (large protected areas)
Managed Native Landscapes
Working Lands (farms, managed forests)
Green Roofs (if large enough)
Links
Streetscapes
Water treatment swales
Bioretention
Highways
Green Roofs
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25. Infrastructure needs care
Green space is considered self-
sustaining…green infrastructure implies
something that must be maintained and at
times restored.”
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28. Coyote Creek Green
Infrastructure Principles
Start upstream
Connect the Dots
Use Nature as a Guide
All Fronts/No backs
Manage for the Long Term
Multiple Objectives
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37. Theme Areas
Watershed Driven Stormwater
Recyclables and Reuse
Ecosystems
USEPA REGION 3 and FHWA
http://www.ghp.org
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42. • Either side of a closed-
LOCATION section roadway (median
or shoulder)
Siting Guidelines
FIXED-OBJECT
• No
HAZARD?
Materials
• Water quality MEDIUM
EFFECTIVENESS • Volume
Hydrology Hydraulics N/A
• Peak discharge LOW
Treatment Train/Process
STORAGE
• None
CAPACITY
Construction
• Total Suspend Solids
Maintenance coliform
• Fecal
TARGETED
POLLUTANTS • Oxygen depleting
substances
Safety Figure 8.1. Gutter filter along U.S. Route 1, Mount Rainier, MD._
NCHRP LID Manual
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59. Links and Hubs
An organizing form idea for planning green
infrastructure
Creates an interdependent network of
green
Fits a watershed model of planning
Can be implemented and maintained in
sections
Is an opportunity for public-private
partnerships
Low Impact Development Center 2007
62. GHP/Stormwater EMS Roadmap
1. Identify environmental
issue(s) and/or
opportunity(ies) to be 11. Managers/senior
management. Review
addressed by EMS.
progress, identify
adjustments, and confirm
2. Identify desired commitments.
environmental and
business results and
APPROVAL – benefits. 10B. PERIODIC 10A. PROJECT
Management
REVIEW REVIEW
provides
Brief management on Assess EMS
feedback to 3. Establish objectives, status in meeting project
finalize issues, quantifiable measures and objectives and targets. performance.
opportunities, targets, and associated
and expected milestones.
results. 9. Identify EMS-related
training needs,
responsibilities and
4. Obtain management
schedule. Conduct the
commitment to EMS,
training.
characterize EMS resource
needs, and identify EMS
leaders.
8. Identify personnel (by
title) affected by EMS,
define responsibilities, and
5. Identify existing
communicate
initiatives, programs,
responsibilities.
procedures, processes,
and tools relevant to the
EMS.
7. Assign responsibility for
developing enhanced or
6. Identify improvements to new procedures,
achieve EMS objectives processes, and tools.
PLAN DO CHECK ACT
LEGEND:
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63. Watershed Recyclable/ Conservation/
Items/Activities Planning Design Management Driver Reuse Ecosystem
1 Develop templates and model protocols of
watershed based innovative stormwater
● ● ● ◉ ○ ◉
management for the Green Highways Approach
2 Develop the technical foundation for innovative
stormwater management applications in planning
● ● ● ◉ ○ ◉
and design strategies
Metric Benchmark
Categor Pollutan Natural Resource Operations & Threshold
Activity Regulatory Water Quality
y t Source Protection Maintenance units/values
P, W PS, NPS Develop templates and model • Vegetative • Maintain stream • Decrease O&M cost mg/l (ppm)
nutrients (TKN-N, NH3-N,
protocols of watershed based cover health (Erosion, • decrease need and mg/l (ppm)
NO3-N+NO2-N,TP,
innovative stormwater management • Decrease channel protection, frequency of mowing lbs/da of UOD
orthophosphate)
for the Green Highways Approach runoff volume habitat diversity) • reduce frequency of load
TSS
• §303d listed • Plant trees plant replacement
BOD
waters • improve safety
Action Measurement Metric
1 Offsite Acres of forest 1. Annual volume of runoff (ac/ft)
GHP Metrics
Reforestation
2. Peak Runoff Rate (Cn)
and Protocols
3. Annual volume of non-point source pollution (mg/l)
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64. Sustainable
Economic
Communities: Development
d
•Green Complement
n
Gray…. Environmental Community
Development Development
a
•Bridge Infrastructure Gap
ss
•etc
el
ga
ICLI, 1999
Sustainable Communities
ao
kG
in n
Programs
Lo Programs
te m
Green
Green Linkable and
Highways
Infrastructure
am
Expandable
re o
Theme Areas
CC
•Conservation Approach •Stormwater
•Structural Approach •Recycling
•Non-Structural Approach •Ecosystem
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65. Green Infrastructure Evolution
Green Infrastructure is the community
open space and infrastructure assets (e.g.
parks, roads, vacant land)
Functional Environmental Assett
(stormwater, energy, air)
Integrated functions with the watershed
(e.g. hydrology, habitat, circulation)
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66. Recommendations for Local
Decision Makers
Get development right the first time
Incorporate Green Infrastructure into
Watershed Management Plans
Revise state and local stormwater regulations
Establish dedicated funding that rewards green
infrastructure (SRF)
Provide incentives for residential and
commercial development
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67. Recommendations for Local
Decision Makers (cont’d)
Review and Revise local development
ordinances
Preserve existing trees, open space, and
stream buffers
Encourage and use Smart Growth
Get the community involved!
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68. EMS/Performance
Based Approach
Protect Environmental Legacy
Save Costs/Reduce Consumption
Ease Regulatory Burden
Improve Review Cycles
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69. DOT Institutional Goals
Compliance
Stewardship
Public Benefit
Operational Value
Consistency and predictability
Streamlining
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70. Regulatory Goals
Watershed Based Approaches
Trading
Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS)
Flexibility
Transparency and Measurability
Economic Viability and Sustainability
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72. Technical Challenges
Regulatory system based on land development Best
Management Practices (BMPS)
Prescriptive solutions with non-structural and structural
practices that do not address pollutant loads that are
unique to linear systems
BMPs use is presumptive (e.g. 80% TSS removal =
control of entire suite of pollutants).
Hydrologic analysis does not reflect direct and indirect
impacts of linear systems
Current Regulatory Credit Systems not “mature” for
watershed approaches
Define Scale and Extent of Project (watershed influence)
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73. Technical Opportunities
Integration of watershed based objectives
(e.g. water quality loading, CSS) into
design and analysis procedures
Regulatory Credit for innovative
techniques
Stormwater trading and banking
Advance monitoring science and Materials
selection
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74. Institutional
Challenges/Opportunities
Internal Awareness
Training (DOT, Resource and Regulatory
Agencies)
Decision Support Systems (Process)
Environmental Management System
Development (Entire Operations)
Demonstration of Success of Flexible
Approaches
Consistent and predictable response to flexible
and innovative solutions
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75. Fiscal Challenges and
Opportunities
Long-Term Support for Research and
Training
Long-Term Support for Monitoring
Leveraging of Funding (Public and Private
and Joint Public Agency Partnerships)
Funding of Maintenance Activities
True Costing to Communities (Triple
Bottom Line) and DOTs
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76. Political
Awareness of Context Sensitive Solutions
and Watershed Approaches
Highway “Hot Potato”
Inter-jurisdictional
Funding competition
Who gets to cut the Ribbon
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77. Keys to Success
Leaving the
Strong Problem Definition and Common Language
Economic Drivers = Environmental Results
Protocols, Metrics, Consistency, Adaptability (not
Watershed
adaptive management)
Determine User Needs
“Address” stakeholders issues
“Better than
Mission may not be accomplished
Training (everybody at the table)
Navigate and Collaborate
Before”
Institutions and Large Impacts
Regulatory Credit for Innovation and Flexible
Approaches
Pilots and Baby Steps
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