“The Light Imprint methodology has expanded its educational outreach and professional contributions to become a recognized rainwater mitigation practice. Light Imprint green infrastructure is compatible with urban design that emphasizes compact, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented design, and environmental efficiency. It is designed to reduce community infrastructure costs,” states Thomas Low.
“The city has invested more than $25 million over the past decade in gray infrastructure improvements to increase the capacity of the city’s wastewater system,” said Lancaster Mayor Richard Gray. “In spite of this investment, a significant amount of untreated combined sewage continues to overflow into the Conestoga River and eventually into the Chesapeake Bay.”
EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe says Philadelphia is leading by example in implementing green infrastructure storm water management practices. “Storm water management, which sounds like such a dry subject, although it is very wet, is turning into something much bigger.”
“The language-shift that you have initiated in British Columbia is what we would like to see happen in Portland. This is one reason why the Bureau of Environmental Services has coined the RAIN acronym because we believe this will help promote changes in thinking and practice so that we achieve beneficial outcomes,” stated Tom Liptan.
“Designers have long known the toll that compacted turf-and-tree landscapes and hardened surfaces like roofs, roads and parking lots take on our lakes, rivers and streams. So low impact development is really a statement of a desired outcome–the outcome of a holistic approach to urban drainage management,” states Leta van Duin.
“The key concept driving this project is the value of ecosystem services. In a place like New York, it can be more cost-effective for a construction project to use natural system designs for water management,” said Tom Keiter.
“A watershed blueprint helps to create a picture of how to achieve a desired future condition. If communities reduce their ‘water footprint’, and if local government actions ensure the integrity of groundwater flow, they can then protect watershed and stream health. This is a reason for conserving wetlands,” stated Kim Stephens.
“My problem is that I strongly believe terminology can – and in some cases has – become the enemy of really good water management. Such terms are open to interpretation – or misinterpretation – and to being adopted for differing agendas,” states Alex Stephenson.
“Rethinking the way we deal with rain and snowmelt in our cities means replacing conventional pipe-and-convey systems with an approach that recognizes rainwater as a valuable resource while, at the same time, reducing runoff volume and improving runoff quality,” states Oliver Brandes.
“While ‘grey’ or traditional infrastructure remains an essential part of safe and effective design for flood control and urban watershed management, it is no longer the only tool in the toolbox. Green infrastructure systems, by contrast, harness natural processes to infiltrate, recharge, evaporate, harvest and reuse stormwater,” writes Laura Tam.
