Abstract
This study demonstrates a decision-support framework for planning Green Infrastructure (GI) systems that maximize urban ecosystem services in Camden, NJ. Seven key ecosystem services are evaluated (urban agriculture expansion, combined sewer overflow reduction, heat island reduction, flooding reduction, capacity building/green jobs expansion, fitness expansion, and stress reduction), to produce a normalized value for each service for each drainage sub-basin within the city. Gaps in ecosystem services are then mapped and utilized to geographically prioritize different kinds of multifunctional GI. Conceptual designs are developed for four site typologies: parks, schools, vacant lots, and brownfield sites. For one demonstration site, additional analysis is presented on urban engagement, life cycle cost reduction, and new sources of funding. What results is an integrated, long-term vision where multifunctional GI systems can be readily customized to meet multiple needs within urban communities. This study provides a portable and replicable framework for leveraging the regulatory requirement to manage stormwater to meet broader urban revitalization goals, all through a decentralized network of green infrastructure assets.
Highlights
Twenty-first century cities face a wide range of challenges, from climate change and reduced federal infrastructure financing to compliance with environmental regulations
The goal of this paper is to present a decision-support tool that water utilities can use to customize Green Infrastructure (GI) siting, design, operation, and maintenance decisions so as to maximize the potential for the resultant GI systems to provide locally valued ecosystem services, while managing stormwater
The individual gap scores are presented in Figure 2 for the seven individual ecosystem services considered for the Camden study
Summary
Twenty-first century cities face a wide range of challenges, from climate change and reduced federal infrastructure financing to compliance with environmental regulations. Urban Planning, 2017, Volume 2, Issue 3, Pages 56–73 erywhere, they are especially difficult in post-industrial cities already struggling to meet the diverse needs of vulnerable populations while handicapped by eroded tax and infrastructure user bases. In this context, there is a need to maximize the possible community benefits associated with any major infrastructure investment.
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