GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RESOURCE GUIDE | 9 PRE-PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT SITE CONSIDERATIONS The small footprint of many green stormwater infrastructure practices enables them to be easily integrated into community parks. Well-designed green stormwater infrastructure practices blend seamlessly into the existing landscape. They can also be a visual reference point or a focal point for interpretation or education. Green stormwater infrastructure may be incorporated into the design of new parks or incorporated into retrofit or redevelopment projects. Including green stormwater infrastructure in a new park development or redevelopment project at the earliest planning stage can significantly reduce the total cost of planning and installation. Retrofitting existing sites with green infrastructure through activities such as replacing impervious surfaces or the greening of previously grey infrastructure involves constructing a project in a park that is already developed and is not currently planned for redevelopment. This typically costs more. However, a retrofit may reduce water quality impacts, solve a localized flooding problem, or add a demonstration or education component. In these cases, the cost of the retrofit can be reduced by integrating it with another community, infrastructure, or capital improvement projects.24, 25 Various site conditions have an impact on determining the most appropriate green stormwater infrastructure practices available, or how a specific practice must be adapted to meet the physical constraints of the site. These include climate, soil conditions, space availability, and the location of sewer, stormwater, water, and other utilities. Site assessment checklists like those available from the Oregon State University Extension Service26 or Rutgers University27 can be helpful tools for assessing a site. They can also be used as starting points for tailoring a checklist specific to a park. Low Impact Development Center, Inc. Permeable pavers in the Brookside Gardens parking lot in Wheaton, MD
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