Resources and Lessons Learned from Past Green Infrastructure Technical Assistance
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From 2012 to 2015, EPA provided technical assistance to communities across the country to help them implement green infrastructure. The program focused on significant technical, regulatory, and institutional barriers to green infrastructure and shared lessons learned to build community capacity. The successes and lessons learned from these efforts are summarized in Tools, Strategies and Lessons Learned from EPA Green Infrastructure Technical Assistance Projects (pdf). The communities that received technical assistance and summaries of the assistance are provided in the table at the end of this page.
Charrettes
In 2015, EPA convened charrettes, or intensive planning sessions, in four cities—Albuquerque, Grand Rapids, Los Angeles and New Orleans—to explore ways in which green infrastructure could help cities become more resilient to climate change. A summary document, Green Infrastructure and Climate Change: Collaborating to Improve Community Resiliency (pdf), outlines how each city identified issues and recommended solutions by following the same four concepts: identify benefits; collaborate across city agencies; unify solutions across disciplines; and achieve efficiencies in project implementation.
Technical Assistance Program
EPA provided technical assistance to 36 communities starting in 2012. The focus of the program was advancing adoption and implementation of green infrastructure in the communities, while developing knowledge and tools for a national audience. The selected communities received assistance for projects related to:
- Community resiliency.
- Brownfield redevelopment.
- Operation and maintenance (O&M).
- Offsite mitigation.
- Green infrastructure design at a range of scales, urban contexts, and climates.
- Code review.
- Cost-benefit assessment.
| State | City or County | Partner | Summary | Document | Keywords | EPA Program Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | Bath | City of Bath | EPA assistance helped produce a feasibility study and conceptual design for a green infrastructure project to mitigate flooding and combined sewer overflows (CSOs) while stabilizing and improving the neighborhood. | Willow Street Green Infrastructure Design (pdf) | CSOs, Conceptual design | 2014 |
| Massachusetts | Fall River | City of Fall River | EPA assistance helped with evaluating and developing a concept design of tree filters to address CSOs, stormwater, air quality, urban heat islands, and adaptation to climate change. | Green Infrastructure Implementation in Fall River, Massachusetts (pdf) | CSOs, Conceptual design, Community resiliency | 2014 |
| New York | Buffalo | Buffalo Sewer Authority | Through this technical assistance project, EPA assisted the Buffalo Sewer Authority in developing a method to systematically assess the effectiveness of vacant land in urban areas to retain stormwater runoff. | Buffalo NY Urban Vacant Land Assessment Protocol (pdf) | Assessment methodology, Planning, Technical assistance | 2014 |
| Pennsylvania | Scranton | Scranton Sewer Authority | EPA assistance will help incorporate green infrastructure under the city's CSO long-term control plan into a comprehensive master plan for a newly developing arts district. | Greening the Iron Arts District (pdf) | CSOs, Planning | 2014 |
| Virginia | Norfolk | Friends of Norfolk's Environment | EPA identified green infrastructure alternatives for a low-lying coastal area subject to sea-level rise. | Restoring Knitting Mill Creek through Green Infrastructure (pdf) | Planning, Community resiliency | 2014 |
| Georgia | Clarkesville | City of Clarkesville | EPA developed this report to help the city implement green infrastructure solutions for a highly impervious downtown area in a small community currently with no permitting requirements for municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s). | Clarkesville Green Infrastructure Implementation Strategy (pdf) | Assessment methodology, Planning | 2014 |
| Wisconsin | Milwaukee | Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District | EPA worked with the utility to develop this holistic business plan for O&M of green infrastructure. It is a model for other utilities to ensure that practices are properly maintained and effective in reducing stormwater runoff. | Elements of a Green Infrastructure Maintenance Business Plan (pdf) | O&M, Planning | 2014 |
| Minnesota | Saint Paul | City of Saint Paul | EPA worked with Saint Paul to produce this feasibility study for a waterfront stormwater park in a vacant industrial area undergoing redevelopment. | West Side Flats Greenway Conceptual Green Infrastructure Design (pdf) | Conceptual design, Redevelopment | 2014 |
| New Mexico | Pueblo de Cochiti | Pueblo de Cochiti | EPA assistance helped develop a green stormwater infrastructure plan that integrates green infrastructure into land use planning, stormwater management, infrastructure improvements, transportation planning, and open space for community members. | Pueblo de Cochiti Green Infrastructure Concept Design (pdf) | Conceptual design, Planning | 2014 |
| New Mexico | Albuquerque | Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority | EPA assisted with developing design elements to capture stormwater and reuse it on site. Following a charrette held in June 2014, stakeholders decided to focus the design on the use of a cistern. Detailed designs were developed using climate data, an evaluation of irrigation demand, and typical cistern operating conditions to calculate the appropriate cistern size. | Imperial Building Site Design: Albuquerque (pdf) | Redevelopment, Design | 2014 |
| Iowa | Iowa City | City of Iowa City | EPA assisted with developing conceptual designs for green infrastructure practices for a riverfront property prone to flooding that was being converted into park space. | Towards a Resilient Future: Restoration of Ralston Creek Within Riverfront Crossings Park (pdf) | Community resiliency, Conceptual design | 2014 |
| Colorado | Denver | City and County of Denver | EPA assisted with developing tools to streamline review, approval, and implementation of green infrastructure practices for the city and county of Denver. | Green Checklists and Renderings (pdf) | Guidance | 2014 |
| California | Santa Monica | City of Santa Monica | EPA worked with Santa Monica to develop a conceptual design for a 100,000-gallon storage tank that the city will use to harvest stormwater from a storm drain system, reducing runoff and replacing potable water used to irrigate parkland. | Building Resilience to Drought in Ozone Park (pdf) | Conceptual design, Redevelopment | 2014 |
| Idaho | Ada County | Ada County Highway District | EPA worked with the district to explore off-site stormwater mitigation techniques, concepts, and financing options to support green infrastructure in an area undergoing redevelopment. | Fairview Avenue Green Street Conceptual Design (pdf) | Conceptual design, Redevelopment, Off-site mitigation | 2014 |
| Michigan | Detroit | Southeast Michigan Council of Governments | EPA assisted with developing a framework to determine the role green infrastructure can play in working toward meeting water quality standards in southeast Michigan and protecting western Lake Erie. The project used a regionalized, outcome-based strategic planning approach for green infrastructure targeting based on local ambient monitoring, land use, and impervious cover information. | Green Infrastructure Targeting in Southeast Michigan (pdf) | Planning, Assessment methodology | 2013 |
| Nebraska | Lincoln | City of Lincoln | EPA assistance helped develop design guidance and a menu of green infrastructure options for the Antelope Creek Watershed Basin Management Plan. The plan is focused on improving water quality in a highly urbanized creek in the center of the city. | Lincoln Urban Pollutant Reduction Strategies (pdf) | Guidance, Planning | 2013 |
| Indiana | Gary | Gary Stormwater Management District | EPA assistance helped engage the community and develop strategies to meet water quality goals through retrofitting underutilized parcels with green infrastructure. | Community engagement, Planning | 2013 | |
| Arizona | Pima County | Pima County Regional Flood Control District | EPA supported development of an online manual for green infrastructure/low impact development site assessment, planning, and design processes and site planning practices. | Green Infrastructure Tools for Arid and Semiarid Regions (pdf) | Guidance, Planning | 2013 |
| South Carolina | Spartanburg | City of Spartanburg | EPA worked with Spartanburg on this report, which presents findings that can be applied to the Northside neighborhood and to similar redevelopment projects, demonstrating how green infrastructure can support and enhance infill and mixed-use development. | Northside Neighborhood Green Infrastructure Master Plan | Redevelopment, Planning | 2013 |
| Massachusetts | Barnstable | Cape Code Commission | EPA assisted with identifying and designing cost-effective green infrastructure projects to help restore nitrogen-impacted estuaries. The projects are located in environmental justice communities. | Nitrogen-reducing Green Infrastructure in Environmental Justice Communities (pdf) | Equity, Conceptual design, Cost-benefit assessment | 2012 |
| Massachusetts | Franklin | Town of Franklin | EPA worked with Franklin on this report, which is intended to help the town develop a comprehensive strategy for implementing green infrastructure through practices, programs, and policies. It summarizes the town's existing efforts, provides recommendations for improving existing programs and policies, and proposes new approaches for incorporating green infrastructure. | Green Infrastructure Implementation Strategy for the Town of Franklin, Massachusetts (pdf) | Planning | 2012 |
| Maine | Sanford | Town of Sanford | EPA assisted with redesigning a former mill complex that drains to the Mousam River in order to revitalize the river as a recreational, ecological, and economic asset. | Conceptual Green Infrastructure Design for Washington Street, City of Sanford (pdf) | Conceptual design, Redevelopment | 2012 |
| New Jersey | Camden | Cooper's Ferry Partnership | EPA worked with the Cooper's Ferry Partnership to review regulations and standards relevant to stormwater best practices and created a handbook on integrating green infrastructure practices. | Guidance, Code review | 2012 | |
| Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh UNITED and 3 Rivers Wet Weather | The city of Pittsburgh and its partner, 3 Rivers Wet Weather, identified sites in three neighborhoods in the Pittsburgh community for analysis and conceptual design of green infrastructure features for the following sites: Frick Museum in Point Breeze, Sussex Avenue in Brookline, and Windermere Drive in Swisshelm Park. A report has been prepared for each site. In addition to the reports, EPA and its partners produced a document of topic fact sheets and four white papers. |
|
Conceptual design, CSOs | 2012 |
| Georgia | Atlanta | City of Atlanta | EPA developed a green infrastructure conceptual plan for a portion of Boone Boulevard in Atlanta. The goals of the project were to contribute to the revitalization of a distressed neighborhood and reduce flooding and CSOs. The conceptual design and project prioritization provide a site-specific green street design that complements the city's concept for this transportation corridor and could be integrated with several planned roadway improvements. | Boone Boulevard Green Infrastructure Conceptual Design (pdf) | Conceptual design, CSOs, Equity | 2012 |
| South Carolina | Beaufort | City of Beaufort | Green infrastructure can address several community goals in the historic Northwest Quadrant of Beaufort, including preserving the historic character of the neighborhood, providing community open space, and meeting water quality goals in the Beaufort River and marsh. This report describes two green infrastructure conceptual designs developed to meet these goals at two different scales. | Block-Scale Green Infrastructure Design for the Historic Northwest Quadrant, City of Beaufort (pdf) | Conceptual design, Community engagement | 2012 |
| Michigan | Holland | Macatawa Area Coordinating Council | This report describes the findings of a set of green infrastructure code reviews conducted for five partner agencies operating in the Macatawa Watershed: City of Holland, City of Zeeland, Ottawa County Drain Commissioner, Ottawa County Road Commission, and Allegan County Drain Commissioner. The report demonstrates the application of the Water Quality Scorecard, summarizes the findings of the five code assessments, and highlights the importance of involving multiple jurisdictions in the code assessment process. | Green Infrastructure Barriers and Opportunities in the Macatawa Watershed, Michigan (pdf) | Evaluating barriers, Code review | 2012 |
| Wisconsin | La Crosse | City of La Crosse | This report demonstrates the potential for green streets to significantly reduce localized flooding and mitigate the impacts of climate change. | Using Green Infrastructure to Mitigate Flooding in La Crosse, WI (pdf) | Community resiliency, Assessment methodology | 2012 |
| Texas | Dallas | City of Dallas | EPA conducted a code review and charrette in Dallas to identify current practices that either support or present barriers to green infrastructure. This report presents key findings as well as a summary of action items that the city could implement. | Green Infrastructure Barriers and Opportunities in Dallas, Texas (pdf) | Evaluating barriers, Code review | 2012 |
| Nebraska | Omaha | City of Omaha | EPA assisted Omaha with developing tools and guidance to help identify opportunities for cost-effective green infrastructure and ensure that green infrastructure is built properly. | Support Process Development for Assessing Green Infrastructure in Omaha, NE (pdf) | Guidance, Cost-benefit assessment | 2012 |
| Missouri | Neosho | City of Neosho | Technical assistance included a code review and a design handbook. The code review identifies regulatory updates needed to encourage green infrastructure implementation and to comply with Missouri's small MS4 general permit. The design handbook provides a primer on some of the green infrastructure techniques available to the city of Neosho, and it presents two conceptual designs to demonstrate the application of those techniques | Evaluating barriers, Guidance, MS4, Code review | 2012 | |
| Colorado | Denver | Urban Land Conservancy | The Blake Street transit-oriented development site is a 1.44-acre blighted infill site located a few miles north of downtown Denver and directly across the street from a planned transit station. This report describes how green infrastructure can be integrated into the Blake site and provides a model for integrating green infrastructure approaches into compact, transit-oriented development projects. | Conceptual Green Infrastructure Design for the Blake Street Transit-Oriented Development Site, City of Denver (pdf) | Planning, Conceptual design | 2012 |
| Arizona | Phoenix | City of Phoenix | EPA assisted the City of Phoenix with examining the compatibility of green infrastructure practices with zoning and development codes in an arid urban environment. This report identifies provisions in Phoenix's plans, policies, and codes that either support or present barriers to green infrastructure. It also recommends code changes that can address barriers and strengthen opportunities for implementing green infrastructure. | Green Infrastructure Barriers and Opportunities in Phoenix, Arizona (pdf) | Evaluating barriers, Code review | 2012 |
| California | Los Angeles | The Council for Watershed Health | This report describes green infrastructure barriers and opportunities in the greater Los Angeles region identified by conducting a comprehensive analysis of state and regional regulations, programs, and policies. In addition, the report describes how green infrastructure can meet the goals and requirements of multiple state and regional regulations and analyzes provisions that might complicate green infrastructure implementation. | Green Infrastructure Barriers and Opportunities in the Greater Los Angeles Region (pdf) | Evaluating barriers | 2012 |
| Oregon | Portland | City of Portland | The Zidell site is one of the largest brownfield remediation and redevelopment sites in Portland and offers a unique opportunity to identify comprehensive green infrastructure solutions for a brownfield redevelopment project. This report describes three alternative green infrastructure scenarios for the Zidell site, applying three distinct approaches to integrating green infrastructure into site design. | District-Scale Green Infrastructure Scenarios for the Zidell Development Site, City of Portland (pdf) | Brownfield redevelopment, Conceptual design | 2012 |
| Washington | Seattle | City of Seattle | Seattle requested assistance in assessing the environmental benefits associated with the city's extensive network of green infrastructure to improve modeling tools and cost comparison methodologies. | Expanding the Benefits of Seattle's Green Stormwater Infrastructure (pdf) | Modeling, Cost-benefit assessment | 2012 |
| Pennsylvania | Lancaster | City of Lancaster | This case study estimates the value of several of the benefits of Lancaster's Green Infrastructure Plan. It highlights the importance of including the multiple benefits of green infrastructure in cost-benefit assessments and adding green infrastructure into planned improvement projects. | The Economic Benefits of Green Infrastructure: A Case Study of Lancaster, PA (pdf) | Cost-benefit assessment | 2014 |