New Environmental Standards for City Infrastructure, Requiring Use of Green Infrastructure
A new policy requires that certain city projects include environmental benefits and stormwater mitigation through green infrastructure usage.
According to The City of Boston, the policy establishes five new standard designs and the necessary accompanying maintenance resources to expand the implementation of small-scale green infrastructure installations in Boston. In dense urban areas where space in public sidewalks and roadways (referred to as the right-of-way) is limited, small-scale green infrastructure (GI) can be effective in reducing stormwater flooding, promoting groundwater recharge, and filtering pollutants from runoff. Additionally, green infrastructure has numerous co-benefits, including increasing urban tree canopy, mitigating urban heat island effect, and enhancing ecological diversity.
