Welcome to the Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange (“the Exchange”)
The Exchange, a project of the Global Philanthropy Partnership, seeks to activate local governments and water agencies in the U.S. and Canada to implement green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) equitably.
WHY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS?
Local governments are legally required to manage stormwater so as to protect the quality of our drinking water and the health of rivers, streams, and other surface waters. Climate change is making that job more difficult, resulting in a need for solutions that can complement traditional stormwater management methods.
WHY GSI?
In its simplest form, GSI refers to the use of plants and soils to manage stormwater. But it can also include permeable pavement and other systems for filtering, capturing and storing stormwater. Best of all, GSI has other “co-benefits,” meaning it can also beautify neighborhoods, provide green play spaces, and create new jobs.
WHY EQUITY?
Owing to discriminatory policies like redlining, many urban neighborhoods suffer from a lack of infrastructure investments. As a result, they are often warmer, with fewer places for kids to play and greater exposure to flooding and other ills. Focused in such places, GSI holds promise for making these neighborhoods more liveable.
WHAT’S NEW
Member Expertise Key to Advancing Partner Projects
As we embark on the New Year, I want to highlight three projects where the expertise of our fabulous member practitioners has been tapped by partner organizations to advance the GSI field. They include one project that has been in existence for several years, a...
Learning Circle Learning – December 2023
Below is summary of monthly Learning Circles and what is coming up next month. Exchange members are welcome to drop in on any Learning Circle. The Community Calendar is the best place to find Zoom links and dates. Use your member login to access the calendar and...
Saguaro Sagacity – 5 Postcards from One Water
Contributing Authors: Robb Lukes (City of Vancouver, BC), Brandy Siedlaczek (City of Southfield, MI), Andy Szatko (City of Omaha, NE), Alfred Walfall (Philadelphia Water Dept.), and Nathan Williams (City of Grand Rapids, MI) POSTCARD #1 Dear friends: No one can say...
Welcome Chemung County!
We recently caught up with our new member, Kevin Meindl from Chemung County, New York. He is currently the Commissioner of Planning, Director of the Elmira-Chemung Transportation Council (ECTC). In our brief discussion we discussed what brought Kevin to bring Chemung...
Learning Circle Learning – November 2023
Below is summary of monthly Learning Circles and what is coming up next month. Exchange members are welcome to drop in on any Learning Circle. The Community Calendar is the best place to find Zoom links and dates. Use your member login to access the calendar and...
The Exchange Launches a New Visual Identity
Background In a 2021 strategic planning meeting, Exchange members cited communications as an internal weakness. In response to this finding, Rogue Water, a communications consultant, was hired to conduct a communications audit in 2022. Among many other conclusions, it...
