The City of Portland, OR is doing more than most cities to address stormwater runoff using ecosystem services and it is doing so even in the densest parts of the city and from its streets and parking lots as well as its buildings and landscapes. PlanGreen participates in many forums to help shape that progress.
Portland’s most recent pre-design for green street projects identify design and construction savings of 20% to 63% over traditional storm sewer systems. These savings are calculated without accounting for ecosystem benefits.
PlanGreen can help you to build on Portland’s technologies to:
- Infiltrate stormwater to recharge streams and rivers
- Improve the water quality of your streams and rivers
- Take pressure off your combined sewer system
- Soften the streetscape
- Increase evapotranspiration and carbon sequestration
- Reduce the urban heat island effect
- Provide traffic calming
- Add landscape amenities for adjacent private property
- Provide habitat for your native pollinators
- Educate residents about their natural heritage
- Celebrate your native landscape
Green Infrastructure, an increasingly popular concept, can be defined more broadly than woodlands, wetlands and other natural areas or even parks, street trees and yard trees. PlanGreen can help you to plan for your green infrastructure and include in it engineered components, like green streets, rain gardens and other stormwater management facilities.
The Environmental Protection Agency is moving more and more in the direction of requiring such measures for Clean Water Act permit holders—especially those with MS4 permits. According to EPA, polluted and contaminated stormwater runoff accounts for 70 percent of water pollution in urban areas and is the leading cause of poor water quality and the degradation of aquatic habitat—with 42 percent of U.S. stream miles in poor condition.
Let PlanGreen help you to adapt policy, technology and landscape practices based upon the latest research from Portland and elsewhere to the needs of your own community or institution. We have hundreds of photos, plans, research reports and multiple case studies we can draw on.
