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62-548: Currently the park covers 17 acres (6.9 ha) in two separate sections. In Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, flooding from nearby Clear Creek has always been an issue. In the late 1980s and early 90s, the city drafted a $ 40 million plan to dig a massive underground tunnel in order to channel excess stormwater to a processing plant, where it would be cleaned and discharged into the Chattachoochee River. However, engineer-economist and environmentalist Bill Eisenhauer had

124-530: A balanced representation of stakeholders in the standard development and provide transparent and due process safeguards while ensuring independence, transparency and credibility. GIB has also developed the SuRe® SmartScan, a simplified version of the SuRe® Standard which serves as a self-assessment tool for infrastructure project developers. It provides them with a comprehensive and time-efficient analysis of

186-423: A better idea. Eisenhauer believed that a solution utilizing green infrastructure could provide more benefits to both the ecosystem, and local residents. Eisenhauer created a plan for Historic Fourth Ward Park, a recreational area surrounding a 5-acre stormwater retention pond. The new plan, costing only $ 23 million, was noticed by local architect Markham Smith. Smith helped Eisenhauer organize stakeholders, including

248-461: A city self-sustaining particularly with regard to water, for example, to harvest water locally, recycle it, re-use it and integrate stormwater management into everyday infrastructure. The multi-functionality of this approach is key to the efficient and sustainable use of land, especially in a compact and bustling country such as England where pressures on land are particularly acute. An example might be an urban edge river floodplain which provides

310-547: A design aspect, giving nature a space among the public. A common urban habitat, the lawn, consists of short grass and sometimes herbaceous plants. While modern artificial lawns have been connected to a negative environmental impact, lawns in the past have been more sustainable, and they promoted biodiversity and the growth of native plants. These historical lawns are impacting lawn design today to create more sustainable ‘alternative lawns’. In Medieval Europe, lawns rich with flowers and herbaceous plants known as ‘flower meads’ are

372-439: A form of stormwater management using water capture. Rain gardens are shallow depressed areas in the landscape, planted with shrubs and plants that are used to collect rainwater from roofs or pavement and allows for the stormwater to slowly infiltrate into the ground. Ubiquitous lawn grass is not a solution for controlling runoff, so an alternative is required to reduce urban and suburban first flush (highly toxic) runoff and to slow

434-699: A good example of a more sustainable lawn. Since then, this idea has been used. In the Edwardian Era, lawns full of thyme, whose flowers attracted insects and pollinators, created biodiversity. A 20th century take on this lawn, the ‘enamelled mead’, has been used in England, and has the purpose of both aesthetics and for stormwater management. During the height of the Renaissance, public areas became more common in new cities and infrastructure. These areas were carefully selected and would often be urban parks and gardens for

496-535: A lily pond, and pedestrian paths. Proximity and access to water have been key factors in human settlement through history. Water, along with the spaces around it, create a potential for transport, trade, and power generation. They also provide the human population with resources like recreation and tourism in addition to drinking water and food. Many of the world's largest cities are located near water sources, and networks of urban "blue infrastructure", such as canals, harbors and so forth, have been constructed to capture

558-903: A minute into the sewer system, which increases the risk of basement backups and sewer overflows. In attempts to reduce the amount of rainwater that enters the combined sewer systems, agencies such as the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District amended regulations that require downspout disconnection at residential areas. Bioswales are stormwater runoff systems providing an alternative to traditional storm sewers . Much like rain gardens, bioswales are vegetated or mulched channels commonly placed in long narrow spaces in urban areas. They absorb flows or carry stormwater runoff from heavy rains into sewer channels or directly to surface waters. Vegetated bioswales infiltrate, slow down, and filter stormwater flows that are most beneficial along streets and parking lots. The Trust for Public Land

620-472: A network that provides the “ingredients” for solving urban and climatic challenges by building with nature. The main components of this approach include stormwater management, climate adaptation , the reduction of heat stress , increasing biodiversity , food production , better air quality , sustainable energy production, clean water, and healthy soils , as well as more anthropocentric functions, such as increased quality of life through recreation and

682-436: A number of projects, commissioned by The Mersey Forest to develop the evidence base for green infrastructure in the region. In particular work has been undertaken to look at the economic value of green infrastructure, the linkage between grey and green infrastructure and also to identify areas where green infrastructure may play critical role in helping to overcome issues such as risks of flood or poor air quality. In March 2011,

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744-567: A park,” and stated the “importance of preserving some portions of nature herself unimpaired.” Frederick Law Olmsted , a landscape architect, agreed with these ideas and planned many parks, areas of preserved land, and scenic roads, and in 1887, the Emerald Necklace of Boston . The Emerald Necklace is a system of public parks linked by parkways that serves as a home to diverse wildlife and provides environmental benefits such as flood protection and water storage. In Europe, Ebenezer Howard led

806-422: A potential solution for the stormwater management in highly concentrated urban areas. The social benefit of green roofs is the rooftop agriculture for the residents. Green roofs also sequester rain and carbon pollution. Forty to eighty percent of the total volume of rain that falls on green roofs are able to be reserved. The water released from the roofs flow at a slow pace, reducing the amount of runoff entering

868-788: A prototype Green Infrastructure Valuation Toolkit was launched. The Toolkit is available under a Creative Commons license, and provides a range of tools that provide economic valuation of green infrastructure interventions. The toolkit has been trialled in a number of areas and strategies, including the Liverpool Green Infrastructure Strategy. In 2012, the Greater London Authority published the All London Green Grid Supplementary Planning Guidance (ALGG SPG) which proposes an integrated network of green and open spaces together with

930-560: A repository for flood waters, acts as a nature reserve , provides a recreational green space and could also be productively farmed (probably through grazing). There is growing evidence that the natural environment also has a positive effect on human health. In the United Kingdom, Green Infrastructure planning is increasingly recognised as a valuable approach for spatial planning and is now seen in national, regional and local planning and policy documents and strategies, for example in

992-566: A specific Green Infrastructure Policy (EM3 – Green Infrastructure) as well as other references to the concept in other land use development policies (e.g. DP6). The policy was supported by the North West Green Infrastructure Guide. The Green Infrastructure Think Tank (GrITT) provides the support for policy development in the region and manages the web site that acts as a repository for information on Green Infrastructure. The Natural Economy Northwest programme has supported

1054-635: A supplemental component to other related concepts, and ultimately provides an ecological framework for social, economic, and environmental health of the surroundings. "Blue infrastructure" refers to urban infrastructure relating to water. Blue infrastructure is commonly associated with green infrastructure in urban environments and may be referred to as "blue-green infrastructure" when being viewed in combination. Rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes may exist as natural features within cities, or be added to an urban environment as an aspect of its design. Coastal urban developments may also utilize pre-existing features of

1116-630: A sustainable lawn that showcased natural beauty in suburban areas. These gardens, dating back to the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC), were designed to allow native plant species to thrive in their natural conditions and appear untouched by humans. This created ecological havens within the city. Greece was an early adopter of the concept of green Infrastructure with the invention of Greek agora . Agoras were meeting spaces that were built for social conversations and allowed Greeks to converse in public. Many were built across Greece, and some incorporated nature as

1178-671: A symbol of power and achievement amongst French royalty and the common people at the time. Keeping and making cities green were at the forefront for city planners in France. They often incorporated design elements blending urbanism and nature, forming a relationship that showcased how the French grew alongside nature and often made it a key aspect of their expansion. In 18th century France, citizens were able to request to have old and battered city walls destroyed to make room for new gardens, vegetation sites, and green walkways. This opened up new areas to

1240-425: A tool to communicate the sustainability and resilience benefits to potential investors, thus channelling more financial flows into infrastructure development and boosting sustainable socioeconomic development globally. The Standard was launched at 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21). SuRe® is governed by three bodies (Secretariat, Standard Committee and Stakeholder Council) in an effort to maintain

1302-494: Is a 15,000 square feet (1,400 m) facility which offers bowls, curbs, and smooth-rolling concrete mounds. The designated skating facility is Atlanta's first public skate park. The park opened June 2011 with legendary skater Tony Hawk in attendance. Hawk's philanthropic foundation awarded the project $ 25,000. Hawk stated that the clear vision of BeltLine officials, as well as of Little Five Points ' Stratosphere skateboards owner Thomas Taylor, who encouraged city officials to build

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1364-620: Is a global voluntary standard which integrates key criteria of sustainability and resilience into infrastructure development and upgrade. It has been developed by the Swiss Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation and the French bank Natixis . The aim of the standard is twofold: it not only guides project owners to develop infrastructure projects that perform highly with regard to sustainability and resilience aspects — taking into account social, environmental and governance criteria and best practices; it also serves as

1426-849: Is considered a subset of "Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure", which is defined in standards such as SuRe , the Standard for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure. However, green infrastructure can also mean "low-carbon infrastructure" such as renewable energy infrastructure and public transportation systems (See "low-carbon infrastructure"). Blue-green infrastructure can also be a component of " sustainable drainage systems " or " sustainable urban drainage systems " (SuDS or SUDS) designed to manage water quantity and quality, while providing improvements to biodiversity and amenity. Nature can be used to provide important services for communities by protecting them against flooding or excessive heat, or helping to improve air , soil and water quality . When nature

1488-413: Is harnessed by people and used as an infrastructural system it is called “green infrastructure”. Many such efforts take as their model prairies, where absorbent soil prevents runoff and vegetation filters out pollutants. Green infrastructure occurs at all scales. It is most often associated with green stormwater management systems , which are smart and cost-effective. However, green infrastructure acts as

1550-458: Is sometimes expanded to "multifunctional" green infrastructure. Multifunctionality in this context refers to the integration and interaction of different functions or activities on the same piece of land. The EPA extended the concept of “green infrastructure” to apply to the management of stormwater runoff at the local level through the use of natural systems, or engineered systems that mimic natural systems, to treat polluted runoff . This use of

1612-519: Is working in partnership with the City of Los Angeles' Community Redevelopment Agency, Bureau of Sanitation, the University of Southern California 's Center for Sustainable Cities, and Jefferson High School by converting the existing 900 miles of alleys in the city to green alleys. The concept is to re-engineer existing alleyways to reflect more light to mitigate heat island effect, capture storm water, and make

1674-473: The Milton Keynes and South Midlands Growth area. In 2009, guidance on green infrastructure planning was published by Natural England. This guidance promotes the importance of green infrastructure in 'place-making', i.e. in recognizing and maintaining the character of a particular location, especially where new developments are planned. In North West England the former Regional Spatial Strategy had

1736-469: The urban heat island effect . Aside from being able to store large amounts of stormwater, the plant species in the park increase water infiltration and evapotranspiration , limiting excess water on a daily basis. One of the park's major funders and partners, the Atlanta Beltline, has faced criticism for the impact the park and other greening projects have had on surrounding communities. The creation of

1798-438: The 17th century that involved incorporating nature in some shape or form. Another example would be the use of promenades that were used by the French elites to flee the unhealthy living conditions of the cities and to avoid the filthy public areas available to the common folks. These areas were lush gardens that had a wide variety of vegetation and foliage that kept the air clean for the wealthy while allowing them to relax away from

1860-536: The 20th century where efforts in green infrastructure were seen in industrial parks, integrated landscaping, and suburban gardens. The Anaconda Copper Mining Company was responsible for environmental damage in Montana, but a refinery in Great Falls saw this impact and used the surrounding land to create a green open space that was also used for recreation. This natural haven included a golf course, flower beds, picnic areas,

1922-755: The 5 boroughs in New York. Existing asphalt school yards are converted to a more vibrant and exciting place while also incorporating infrastructure to capture and store rainwater: rain garden, rain barrel, tree groves with pervious pavers, and an artificial field with a turf base. The children are engaged in the design process, lending to a sense of ownership and encourages children to take better care of their school yard. Success in New York has allowed other cities like Philadelphia and Oakland to also convert to green school yards. Low-impact development (also referred to as green stormwater infrastructure) are systems and practices that use or mimic natural processes that result in

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1984-567: The Blue Ribbon Network of rivers and waterways. The ALGG SPG aims to promote the concept of green infrastructure, and increase its delivery by boroughs, developers, and communities, to benefit areas such as sustainable travel, flood management, healthy living and the economic and social uplift these support. Green Infrastructure is being promoted as an effective and efficient response to projected climate change. SuRe SuRe (The Standard for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure)

2046-520: The Historic Fourth Ward park prompted development, including expensive loft apartments (with a small proportion of units slated for affordable housing ), high-end realtors, and upscale restaurants. The park includes a pond with a path around it and has an aerator fountain to keep it from stagnating. An amphitheater, cushioned with bermudagrass, surrounds part of the pond. The skate park is located at 830 Willoughby Way, Atlanta, Georgia 30312. It

2108-513: The Trust for Public Land and the Atlanta BeltLine, who purchased the declining industrial property next to the former Sears warehouse, where Eisenahuer had hoped new park would be housed. The stormwater drainage pond, which is set deeply into a bowl below the water table, is capable of holding up to 4 million gallons of water and slowly transporting them to the city's sewage treatment plant, enabling

2170-842: The U.S. Clean Water Act introduced new provisions for management of diffuse pollutant sources from urban land uses, establishing the regulatory need for practices that unlike conventional drainage infrastructure managed runoff "at source." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its initial regulations for municipal separate storm sewer systems ("MS4") in 1990, requiring large MS4s to develop stormwater pollution prevention plans and implement "source control practices". EPA's 1993 handbook, Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention and Control Planning , identified best management practices to consider in such plans, including vegetative controls, filtration practices and infiltration practices (trenches, porous pavement). Regulations covering smaller municipalities were published in 1999. MS4s serve over 80% of

2232-597: The US population and provide drainage for 4% of the land area. Green infrastructure is a concept that highlights the importance of the natural environment in decisions about land-use planning . However, the term does not have a widely recognized definition. Also known as “blue-green infrastructure”, or “green-blue urban grids” the terms are used by many design-, conservation- and planning-related disciplines and commonly feature stormwater management, climate adaptation and multifunctional green space. The term "green infrastructure"

2294-788: The United Nations declared that access to clean water and sanitation is a human right. New solutions for improving the sustainability of cities are being explored. Good urban water management is complex and requires not only water and wastewater infrastructure, but also pollution control and flood prevention. It requires coordination across many sectors, and between different local authorities and changes in governance, that lead to more sustainable and equitable use of urban water resources. Urban forests are forests located in cities. They are an important component of urban green infrastructure systems. Urban forests use appropriate tree and vegetation species, instead of noxious and invasive kinds, which reduce

2356-831: The benefits and minimize risks. Globally, cities are facing severe water uncertainties such as floods, droughts, and upstream activities on trans-boundary rivers. The increasing pressure, intensity, and speed of urbanization has led to the disappearance of any visible form of water infrastructure in most cities. Urban coastal populations are growing, and many cities have seen an extensive post-industrial transformation of canals, riversides, docks, etc. following changes in global trading patterns. The potential implications of such waterside regeneration in terms of public health have only recently been scientifically investigated. A systematic review conducted in 2017 found consistent evidence of positive associations between exposure of people to blue space and mental health and physical activity. One-fifth of

2418-419: The building level, the term "blue-green architecture" is used, which implements the same principles on a smaller scale. The focus here is on building greening with water management from alternative water resources such as grey water and rainwater. Green Infrastructure as a term did not appear until the early 1990s, although ideas of Green Infrastructure had been used long before that. The first coined use of

2480-426: The city landscape and incorporated greenery into the new areas where the walls were torn down. Along with this, the town hall as well as the city center were elaborately decorated with different types of vegetation and trees, especially rare and unique species that had been brought from other countries. Mathis goes on to state, "A French-style garden is linked to the town hall to make the view of it more sublime", showing

2542-446: The coastline specifically employed in their design. Harbours, quays, piers, and other extensions of the urban environment are also often added to capture benefits associated with the marine environment. Blue infrastructure can support unique aquatic biodiversity in urban areas, including aquatic insects, amphibians, and water birds. There may considerable co-benefits to the health and wellbeing of populations with access to blue spaces in

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2604-582: The existing soil to reduce runoff and let rainfall enter the natural water cycle . The Green Infrastructure approach analyses the natural environment in a way that highlights its function and subsequently seeks to put in place, through regulatory or planning policy, mechanisms that safeguard critical natural areas. Where life support functions are found to be lacking, plans may propose how these can be put in place through landscaped and/or engineered improvements. Within an urban context, this can be applied to re-introducing natural waterways and making

2666-442: The garden city movement to balance development with nature. He planned agricultural greenbelts and wide, radiating boulevards surrounded by trees and shrubbery for Victoria, England. One of Howard's concepts was of the "marriage of town and country" to promote sustainable relationships between human society and nature through the planning of garden cities. The US government became more involved in conservation and land preservation in

2728-441: The infiltration, evapotranspiration or use of stormwater in order to protect water quality and associated aquatic habitat. LID practices aim to preserve, restore and create green space using soils, vegetation, and rainwater harvest techniques. It is an approach to land development (or re-development) that works with nature to manage stormwater as close to its source as possible. Many low impact development tools integrate vegetation or

2790-528: The late 1800s. This was seen in the 1864 legislation to preserve the Yosemite Valley as a California public park, and 8 years later, the United States’ first national park. Many industrial leaders in the 19th century had the goal of increasing worker's quality of life through quality sanitation and outdoor activity, which would in turn create increased productivity in the workforce. These ideas carried into

2852-772: The need of maintenance and irrigation. In addition, native species also provide aesthetic value while reducing cost. Diversity of plant species should also be considered in design of urban forests to avoid monocultures ; this makes the urban forests more durable and resilient to pests and other harms. Constructed wetlands are manmade wetlands , which work as a bio-filtration system. They contain wetland vegetation and are mostly built on uplands and floodplains . Constructed wetlands are built this way to avoid connection or damage to natural wetlands and other aquatic resources. There are two main categories of constructed wetlands: subsurface flow system and free water surface system. Proper planning and operating can help avoid possible harm done to

2914-474: The park to handle a 500 year flood . In addition to the new pond, the park also includes landscaped walkways, bridges, observation points, grassy fields, as well as a shaded playground and splashpad to help residents escape the heat. The transformation of a declining industrial area into this park has increased the amount of green space in the Old Fourth Ward significantly, helping to reduce flooding and manage

2976-535: The park, heavily influenced his foundation's decision to award the money. In January 2013 the BeltLine announced that it had acquired a 0.76-acre (3,100 m) parcel (bordering The Masquerade property on the south) which would connect the BeltLine with the park. 33°46′07″N 84°21′56″W  /  33.768561°N 84.365655°W  / 33.768561; -84.365655 Green infrastructure Green infrastructure or blue-green infrastructure refers to

3038-614: The poorer members of French society. Again, Mathis goes on to state, "The first cours [or promenades] were established in the capital at the instigation of Marie de Medici : the Mail de l'Arsenal (1604) and above all the Allée du Cours-la-Reine (1616), 1300 mètres long and lined with elms, running along the Seine, from the Tuileries Garden to the high ground of Chaillot," establishing the use of nature as

3100-442: The provision of shade and shelter in and around towns and cities. Green infrastructure also serves to provide an ecological framework for social, economic, and environmental health of the surroundings. More recently scholars and activists have also called for green infrastructure that promotes social inclusion and equity rather than reinforcing pre-existing structures of unequal access to nature-based services. Green infrastructure

3162-554: The public to converse and relax at. Other than social uses, urban parks and gardens were used to improve the aesthetic of the urban environment they were present in. Urban spaces had environmental uses for the implementation of fresh air and reduced urban heating. Green Infrastructure can be traced as far back as the 17th century in European society beginning in France. France used the presence of nature to provide social and spatial organization to their towns. Originally, nature in cities

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3224-417: The space beautiful and usable by the neighboring communities. The first alley, completed in 2015, saved more than 750,000 gallons in its first year. The Green alleys will provide open space on top of these ecological benefits, converting spaces which used to feel unsafe, or used for dumping into a playground, and walking/biking corridor. The Trust for Public Land has completed 183 green school yards across

3286-440: The term "green infrastructure" to refer to urban "green" best management practices contributes to the overall health of natural ecosystems, even though it is not central to the larger concept. However, it is apparent that the term “blue-green infrastructure” is applied in an urban context and places a greater emphasis on the management of stormwater as an integral part of creating a sustainable, multifunctional urban environment. At

3348-553: The term was seen in a 1994 report by Buddy MacKay, chair of the Florida Greenways Commission, to Florida governor Lawton Chiles about a Green Infrastructure project undertaken in 1991: Florida Greenways Project. MacKay states, "Just as we carefully plan the infrastructure our communities need to support the people who live there—the roads, water and electricity—so must we begin to plan and manage Florida’s green infrastructure”. Chinese literary gardens are an example of

3410-613: The urban context. Accessible blue infrastructure in urban areas is also referred as to blue spaces . Ideas for green urban structures began in the 1870s with concepts of urban farming and garden allotments. Alternative terminology includes stormwater best management practices , source controls, and low impact development (LID) practices. Green infrastructure concepts originated in mid-1980s proposals for best management practices that would achieve more holistic stormwater quantity management goals for runoff volume reduction, erosion prevention, and aquifer recharge. In 1987, amendments to

3472-447: The use of foliage as a way to impress and beautify French cities. In 1847, a speech by George Perkins Marsh called attention to negative human impacts such as deforestation. Marsh later wrote Man and Nature in 1864 based on his idea for conserving forests. Around the same time, Henry David Thoreau's 1854 book Walden discussed preservation of nature and applied these ideas to urban planning saying, “I think every town should have

3534-436: The water down for infiltration. In residential applications, water runoff can be reduced by 30% with the use of rain gardens in the homeowner's yard. A minimum size of 150 sq. ft. up to a range of 300 sq. ft. is the usual size considered for a private property residence. The cost per square foot is about $ 5–$ 25, depending on the type of plants you use and the slope of the property. Native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials of

3596-492: The watershed at once. Blue roofs , not technically being green infrastructure, collect and store rainfall, reducing the inrush of runoff water into sewer systems. Blue roofs use detention ponds, or detention basins , for collecting the rainfall before it gets drained into waterways and sewers at a controlled rate. As well as saving energy by reducing cooling expenses, blue roofs reduce the urban heat island effect when coupled with reflective roofing material. Rain gardens are

3658-505: The wetland and riparian zones being the most useful for runoff detoxification. Downspout disconnection is a form of green infrastructure that separates roof downspouts from the sewer system and redirects roof water runoff into permeable surfaces. It can be used for storing stormwater or allowing the water to penetrate the ground. Downspout disconnection is especially beneficial in cities with combined sewer systems. With high volumes of rain, downspouts on buildings can send 12 gallons of water

3720-497: The wetlands, which are caused by alteration of natural hydrology and introduction of invasive species. Green roofs improve air and water quality while reducing energy cost. The implementation of green roofs in some regions have correlated with increased albedo, providing slightly cooler temperatures and thus, lower energy consumption. The plants and soil provide more green space and insulation on roofs. Green and blue roofs also help reducing city runoff by retaining rainfall providing

3782-401: The world's population, 1.2 billion people, live in areas of water scarcity . Climate change and water-related disasters will place increasing demands on urban systems and will result in increased migration to urban areas. Cities require a very large input of freshwater and in turn have a huge impact on freshwater systems. Urban and industrial water use is projected to double by 2050. In 2010

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3844-521: Was used to provide social areas to interact, and plants were grown in these spaces to provide food in close proximity to the inhabitants. In this period, Large open spaces were used to provide a calm setting that could give "sites of power with sites of sanctity" across France. These sites were used by the French elites to bring rural country town house beauty to their new urban houses in a showcase of power and elaborate display of wealth. The French implemented many different types of infrastructure throughout

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