Category:

“The Canadians do appear to be ahead of the US in this field because the US EPA took a really bad approach to LID that was based on the premise that enforcing every site to the same standard would somehow fix the problems of water quality in the US,” commented Paul Crabtree. “The USA EPA approach has done some good, but has several crippling drawbacks.”

The Deputy Minister used the occasion of a keynote address at the Gaining Ground Summit to make an inter-ministerial announcement. “We are using the slogan The New Business As Usual to convey the message that… to further advance implementation of green infrastructure…. we have to build regulatory models and develop models of practice and expertise,” stated Dale Wall, Deputy Minister.

Rainwater management is about managing the spectrum of rainfall events, and is at the heart of water-centric green infrastructure. “An absorbent topsoil layer has emerged as a fundamental building block for achieving water sustainability outcomes through implementation of green infrastructure,” stated Ray Fung. “If we can show how to get the topsoil part right, then other parts of the water sustainability equation are more likely to follow.”

“The Clean Water America Alliance brought together green infrastructure leaders from around the United States,” recalls Howard Neukrig. “A number of themes emerged during the conference, including: Green infrastructure has multiple economic, social, and environmental benefits, but it must work within the greater quilt of water management that includes traditional gray infrastructure.”

“The study by the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) demonstrates that green infrastructure is prevalent across the United States and its use is likely to expand because of the benefits provided. As the use of green infrastructure becomes more common, builders and developers should understand the options available, as well the green infrastructure practices that may be the most practical for their region and climate,” wrote Ed Shadrick.

Margaret Jackson writes that: “In The Well-Tempered City, Jonathan Rose condenses a lifetime of research and firsthand experience into a model for designing and reshaping cities with a goal of equalizing their prospects for opportunity. ‘The most competitive cities have the most flat or equal landscape of opportunity,’ Rose says. We can measure all of this and make decisions to achieve these outcomes’.”

“Green Infrastructure (GI) is necessary for water quality and stream health, and enhances community resiliency and environmental protection. In addition to these benefits, GI reduces government expenditures and protects existing investments in flood control. However, to be effective, GI must be implemented at the watershed level and communities must realize that they will all benefit from each other’s investments,” explains Dan Medina.

“DRainscapes” is a three-minute animation that explains the link between a single yard and the watershed system. “Finding ways to share the tools of our profession with wide audiences is increasingly necessary. It defines our ability to quickly adapt to our increasingly erratic environment, as citizens and cities implement the tools we have created to mitigate the impacts of development and climate change,” states Daniel Roehr.

“We value water and we’re changing the traditional way stormwater is managed between homes, businesses and the environment. We are taking that (old, grey infrastructure) barrier down, and are stopping the water from ever hitting the system,” stated Howard Neukrug. "And so we’re leading the way, we’re demonstrating, we’re innovating, putting things in place.

“We want folks to understand that stormwater and stormwater management and infrastructure are just a derivative of rain. Stormwater starts as rain. And if we can deal with it at that level on each site, our infrastructure will last longer and it will cost our communities less in terms of direct infrastructure. Also, there will be potentially less damage,” stated Kate Miller.