Introduction to Green Streets

In Introduction to Green Streets, you'll learn ...

• Be introduced to the impacts of typical urban roads/sidewalks/and parking lots
• Learn the goals of green street practices
• Learn the types of green street practices
• Learn about the benefits and hurdles of various green street practices

Overview

Credit: 2 PDH

Length: 19 pages

This two hour online course introduces the reader to green infrastructure practices for streets. This course is intended for practicing engineers, contractors, developers, governmental agencies, regulators, and all other personnel involved with the design, installation, and maintenance of streets.

Urbanization inevitably causes some degree of disturbance and compaction of the soil, the loss of vegetation density, impacts to natural habitats and the creation of impervious surfaces. In urban areas, pavement (roads, sidewalks, and parking) frequently accounts for over 66-percent of the total imperviousness. Impervious pavement has a tremendous effect on the water quality and quantity of water delivered to receiving waters. Methods are frequently sought to mitigate the effects of streets in new and existing development. Green street practices provide the opportunity to alleviate the hydrologic impacts of streets, as well as the opportunity to improve water quality, habitat, infiltration, and aesthetics on a site.

Green streets are a suite of tools that have the goal of improving water quality, while mimicking predevelopment hydrology. Green street practices are one of the most versatile and important green infrastructure practices. Some green street practices include: permeable pavement, vegetated swales, bioretention, alternative street design, sidewalk trees, and tree boxes. These green street practices, if designed installed and maintained properly, can transform urban impacts into a creative method to provide transportation needs while balancing environmental concerns.