GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RESOURCE GUIDE | 21 BEST PRACTICES: SITE DESIGN providing educational opportunities, and implementing green infrastructure and park projects in underserved neighborhoods. These efforts have helped build and sustain the interest of community members, public agencies, and officials.64 A total of 12 park projects have been completed to date.65 • The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS) created an interactive map of underused publicly-owned or leased land in New York City.66 This tool makes it easy for anyone to see where there is potential for land to be repurposed, and whether it is located within a floodplain, in an underserved area, or in a low-income community. Making this information publicly available in a user-friendly format can help small organizations and individual residents become more educated and engaged about land use issues in their own communities. RESOURCES: • American Planning Association: How Cities Use Parks for Community Engagement. • Environmental Protection Agency: Enhancing Sustainable Communities with Green Infrastructure • Environmental Protection Agency: Getting in Step: Engaging Stakeholders in your Watershed • National Park Service: A Toolkit for Engaging Communities and Fostering Relationships BEST PRACTICE: UNDERSTAND AND COMMUNICATE THE BENEFITS DESCRIPTION: Green stormwater infrastructure installations in parks can provide a multitude of benefits beyond those associated with improved water quality and an improved environment. These include social benefits such as increased proximity to nature and community empowerment67 and health benefits such as better air quality, improved physical activity, and reduced stress levels.68 These benefits can be particularly significant for underserved and economically disadvantaged communities with less access to green infrastructure.69 In addition, while parks that do implement green infrastructure and other sustainability measures indicate that cost savings are a driver, only a small percent measure those cost savings.70 Educating community leaders and members on green stormwater infrastructure benefits can lead to stronger advocates. STRATEGIES: • Seek outside expertise and take advantage of online tools like the USDA Forest Service’s iTree Tools and the EPA’s Green Infrastructure Modeling Toolkit to calculate the multiple benefits of applied practices (both which have helpful online tutorials). • Explain the benefits and the perceived and real drawbacks of the intended program or project in a way that community understands so that informed decisions can be made. • Monetize the benefits of green infrastructure when possible. • Use visuals and key messaging to frame the conversation. EXAMPLES: • Toledo, Ohio sits in a low-lying area known as the Great Black Swamp near the southwestern portion of Lake Erie. The city is highly impervious and has long suffered from localized flooding issues. More frequent, intense rain events have led to an uptick in basement floodings, property damage, water quality issues, and strained budgets.71 In 2014, the city engaged citizens in preparing the Greater Toledo: Going Beyond Green Regional Sustainability Plan.72 The community worked with the Digital Coast Partnership,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTkzMzk=