Sustainable Engineering Process

Green Infrastructure

What Is It?

Discussing Green Infrastructure could generate confusion due to two coexisting, but distinct, definitions. Green infrastructure is:

• infrastructure that is designed with the principle of environmental quality of the materials and minimization of environmental impacts at its core.
• The network of greenways, paths, parks, squares, streambeds pocket parks, and other spaces that constitute the natural backbone of urban and suburban ecosystems.

How To

In the first instance, green infrastructure implying environmental quality, depends upon a sustainable design philosophy being applied to a project, and specific goals being set early in the design process, if they have not already been specified in the RFP or client policy. The delivery of "green infrastructure" depends upon an integrated and coordinated team working toward specific environmental goals related to construction processes, materials specification, stormwater management, funding and financial mechanisms, and environmental justice.

As for the second definition, the native landscape restoration, stream valley restoration, and watershed management work, as well as the creation of LID in urban and suburban areas, enhances a communities "green infrastructure". In addition, the linear nature of highway and transit rights of way present opportunities for weaving permeable, green spaces back into urban and suburban communities, including regional ecosystems.