Framework of Practice:
Advancing Sustainability & Climate Resilience
This chapter from the Framework of Practice helps to establish a shared vision for GSI.
Advancing Sustainability & Climate Resilience explores:
- Aligning green infrastructure initiatives with overarching sustainability and resilience targets
- Designing and adapting GSI systems to withstand future climate scenarios
- Building stronger cross-sector partnerships via shared climate commitments
- Leveraging green infrastructure to protect and restore local ecosystems
- Transitioning toward more sustainable, long-term maintenance practices
Across the country, communities face the pressing challenge of adapting to shifting climate patterns and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) offers a powerful, proven pathway to meet these challenges head-on while advancing vital local goals for sustainability and resilience. By integrating nature-based solutions into the built environment, local leaders can create healthier, safer, and more vibrant places to live. Consider how targeted green infrastructure approaches transform everyday challenges into community benefits:
- Urban Tree Canopies: Mitigate heat island effects, protecting vulnerable neighborhoods during severe heat waves.
- Pollinator Habitats: Strengthen local biodiversity and improve agricultural productivity in surrounding areas.
- Rainwater Cisterns: Capture and store valuable water resources to cushion communities against drought conditions.
- Bioretention Parks: Transform flood-prone, vacant lots into attractive green spaces that catalyze neighborhood revitalization.
- Street Bioswales: Serve as critical components of complete street initiatives, enhancing traffic safety while lowering vehicle emissions.
This section offers practical insights to help you answer key operational questions:
- How can we align green infrastructure initiatives with overarching sustainability and resilience targets?
- How can we design and adapt GSI systems to withstand future climate scenarios?
- How can shared climate commitments build stronger cross-sector partnerships?
- How can green infrastructure be leveraged to protect and restore local ecosystems?
- How can we transition toward more sustainable, long-term maintenance practices?
Start where you are
Because organizations bring varying levels of experience and capacity to green infrastructure, this framework is designed to meet you wherever you are on your journey. Whether you are launching a new program or scaling an established one, you will find adaptable strategies and actionable guidance here. The Exchange thrives on peer learning, relying on the diverse expertise and shared insights of practitioner communities across the region.
Explore the structured tools below to guide your next steps: