DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Reimagine urban green infrastructure as an ecosystem” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in May 2025
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway (REPRODUCED BELOW), Editor’s Perspective, and the Story Behind the Story.
The edition published on May 20, 2025 featured the story of Dr. Zbigniew Grabowski, systems thinker and thought leader who advocates for a socio-ecological approach to urban green infrastructure that intertwines Indigenous knowledge. To follow his passion, he has made the leap from professor and researcher to executive director of a stewardship sector alliance that champions co-governance of a watershed.
Reimagine urban green infrastructure as an ecosystem
In 2022, Dr. Zbigniew Grabowski burst onto the local government scene in the United States with What is green infrastructure? A study of definitions in US city planning. Three years later, I wondered, how is this seminal piece of research playing out. To find out, I reached out to Zbigniew for an update.
Zbigniew Grabowski looked at green infrastructure through a social lens
Curious to learn more?
Download a PDF copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Design With Nature Framework for Integrating Across Infrastructure Systems, published on February 15, 2022.
A source of inspiration for Z: Michael Blackstock and his Blue Ecology
Zbigniew Grabowski has made the leap from professor and researcher at the University of Connecticut to executive director of the Alliance for the Mystic River Watershed.
“My work is about a new paradigm that addresses root causes of water quality issues by moving away from the modernist project of humans as separate from nature,” says Z.
“Because academic systems are not really lined up with deep transformative action, I was not able to develop an intersectoral program based on the doctoral work that I had done.”
“The Mystic River Watershed Alliance is tribally co-governed. We are essentially co-created by the local tribes and area residents to serve as a bridge between communities and engage in a collaborative watershed regeneration action planning process.”
To Learn More:
Waterbucket eNews stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective and Context for Busy Reader, and the Story Behind the Story. To read the complete 3-part storyline, download a PDF copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Reimagine urban green infrastructure as an ecosystem.
DOWNLOAD A COPY: https://waterbucket.ca/wcp/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/05/PWSBC_Living-Water-Smart_Zbigniew-Grabowski-reimagines-green-infrastructure_2025.pdf