environmental and economic benefits of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI); and its social benefits as an as assets to urban neighborhoods 

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Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) has the potential to mitigate a considerable amount of runoff from storms and flooding, whilst simultaneously improving the aesthetic and ecological performance of an urban built environment [1]. A growing number of cities in the USA, as well as around the world, are leveraging “vegetation as a cost-effective means of mitigating the volume of stormwater and are increasingly allocating stormwater management funding to ‘green’ as opposed to ‘grey’ infrastructure projects” [2] (p. 1). GSI projects may provide environmental benefits of improved air quality and reduced heat island effects; economic benefits of increased property values and lower expansion costs than comparable gray infrastructure; and social benefits to promote a sense of community, public health, and mental health [3]. Unsurprisingly, these projects are becoming increasingly common in post-industrial urban neighborhoods characterized by vacant lands and marginalized communities, older cities with combined sewer systems (CSS), shrinking cities, high-density cities, or cities experiencing extreme and frequent storm events in recent years [4,5,6].

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GSI projects such as rain gardens, bioswales, stormwater bumpouts, and tree trenches are considered an environment friendly approach to managing stormwater, it is not without its challenges 

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• Downspout Disconnection

• Rainwater Harvesting

• Rain Gardens

• Bioswales - Green Streets and Alleys (local weed) and permeable pavements

• Green Parking / Parklets

• Green Roofs/walls

• Urban Tree Canopy

• Land Conservation

• Pocket Parks & sacred play spaces

• Urban Agroforestry

• Community micro farms

• Co-work Nodes

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Gray infrastructure is the more traditional (and often more expensive) water management systems that green infrastructure often complements and can sometimes replace. It relies on hard infrastructure—such as storm drains, concrete, and pipes—to collect and channel stormwater (sometimes treated, oftentimes not) into waterways. It does not provide the same range of benefits as green infrastructure, since it neither reduces the amount of stormwater that reaches waterways nor, for the most part, improves the quality of that runoff.

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Lets not forget about how Green streets can reduce heat island effect... and a sexy infographic to highlight as many benefits as can be thought of :)

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Access to nature in our built environment: 

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Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it contributes to your physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones.

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Distortion of micro-climate: Especially an issue in a high rise, high-density cities where the buildings form barriers that block air flow thereby reducing air quality and hindering natural light exposure. This can affect perceived temperatures and even humidity levels. 

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more about protecting the bay and mangroves at the edges as well as floating gardens and other "natural edges", more soon.

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