Metro areas like Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, and Milwaukee are constantly facing flooding issues and declining water quality. The culprit? Extreme changes in weather patterns coupled with aging real estate development, overloaded stormwater systems, and outdated management practices.
‘Green streets’ combat these issues by using Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) technologies. Rather than overpowering natural systems or trying to control ‘waste’ water through a community’s outdated ‘gray’ system of gutters, sewers, and pipes, green street installations use a combination of green/vegetated surfaces to provide a resilient system that supports the failing or overly taxed stormwater infrastructure.
Used at street level, this GSI solution reduces stormwater runoff volumes, slows down the speed/velocity of runoff, and increases infiltration rates into native groundwater systems.
As a valuable part of the stormwater treatment train, green streets are highly effective in managing stormwater runoff volume and reducing velocity.
Green streets offer increased evaporative cooling surface area. Surfaces that traditionally reflect and/or hold heat from the sun are now covered in vegetation. Through evapotranspiration, the urban heat island effect is minimized and a resulting cooling effect can be enjoyed. By using the green street approach.
We love to dream and to visualize what ‘could be.’ When it comes to reimagining how our streets are constructed, there’s nothing better than putting those dreams onto paper.
Inhabitect is your one-stop shop when it comes to creating, pursuing, and implementing your green stormwater infrastructure dreams. The images below are just a handful of our own green street dreams.
Inhabitect is a full-service firm dedicated to designing, building, and growing all forms of living architecture. Based in Traverse City, Michigan — and consulting throughout North America — we create green roofs, natural shorelines, and other stormwater management and eco-minded landscape solutions for clients across the state. We’re bringing a new meaning to ‘GREEN.’