GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RESOURCE GUIDE | 3 Two definitions of green infrastructure commonly apply to park planning: green infrastructure, and green stormwater infrastructure.1 Green infrastructure refers to an interconnected network of open space consisting of natural areas and other green features that protects ecosystem functions and contribute to clean air and water.2 Regional planning approaches such as the conservation of large tracts of open land fall into this category. These play an important role in water resource management and the creation of healthy environments. Green stormwater infrastructure refers to using or mimicking natural processes to prevent, capture, and/or filter stormwater runoff.3 This guide focuses on the application of green stormwater infrastructure to park properties, as it provides a more specific design and management framework with more quantifiable water quality benefits. Many cities have begun to integrate green stormwater infrastructure into their park systems. A 2014 survey by the Trust for Public Land (TPL) found that more than 5,000 acres of parkland in 48 major cities had been modified in some way to control stormwater. The projects were many and varied. The survey identified projects in 23 states ranging from 1 to 887 acres.4 With community parks containing hundreds of thousands of acres across the country, there are a multitude of opportunities for integrating green infrastructure into park systems nationwide. GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE A constructed wetland built in a community park in a formerly industrialized area of Chattanooga, TN collects and cleans runoff before it flows into the Tennessee River. Jedidiah Gordon-Moran
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