Green InfrastructureSmart Conservation for the 21st Century

August 11, 2006

Mark Soden, ASLA, AICP

Swaback Partners

Can save $10 million in annual energy costs each year in Los Angeles. By planting four trees at your home, you can save up to 30% on summer cooling costs.

Can remove 2,240,000 pounds of air pollutants annually in Los Angeles, and save $23 mil l ion per year in air pollut ion clean up costs.

Can capture 1,925,000,000 gallons of stormwater per year, which decreases both polluted runoff and soil and hill erosion and would save $5 mil l ion in annual storm-water runoff costs.

One million trees…

“I t’s good to know about trees. Just remember

nobody ever made any big

money knowing about trees.”

“Nature should provide the order and

underlying structure of the metropolis”.

- P. Calthrope

Infrastructure – the substructure or

underlying foundation… on which the

continuance and growth of a community or

state depends.

– Webster's New World Dictionary

Green infrastructure is our natural life support

system- an interconnected net work of waterways,

wetlands, woodlands, wildlife habitats, and other

natural areas; greenways , parks and other

conversation lands; working farms, ranches and

forests; and wilderness and other open spaces that

support native species, maintain natural ecologic

processes, sustain air and water resources and

contribute to to the health and qualities of life or

Americas communities and people.

Green Infrastructure –

The network of open spaces in and around

cities designed to enhance local economic

vitality, sustain natural systems, connect

people to the natural world, and increase

individual and community well being.

“A connected system of parks and

parkways is manifestly far more complete

and useful than a series of isolated

parks.”

- Fredrick Law Olmsted, 1903

Boston’s “Emerald Necklace” 1878-1890

Vegetation

Physiographic Features

Staten Island Study

Surface Hydrology

Composite: Conservation Recreation-Urbanization Areas

Between 1982 and 1997, the amount of

urbanized land in the US increased by

47%. During this same period, the

nation’s population grew by only 17%.

Center on Urban & Metropolitan Policy at The Brooking

Institution, July 2001

“Religious f reedom is

my immediate goal, but my

long-range goal is to go in to real estate.”

Currently, 1320 species of animals

and plants in the US are listed as

threatened or endangered by the US

Fish and Wildlife Service.

“I t’s so lovely out here, you wonder why they have it so far f rom

the city?”

“Preservation and care for a region’s

natural ecologies is the fundamental

prerequisite of sustainable and humane

urbanism.”

- P. Calthrope

“Understanding the qualities of nature in

each place, expressing it in the design of

communities, integrating it within our

towns, and respecting its balance are

essential ingredients of making the human

place sustainable and spiritually

nourishing.”- P. Calthorpe.

Physically connected green spaces maintain ecological processes, wildlife populations and human health.

Map of ancient courses of the

Mississippi River

A settling pond helps cleanse runoff before it flows into Willamette River

Bioswale cleanses stormwater runoff from

the parking lots and roof of the Wal-Mart in

McKinney, TX

Stormwater flows through a biotope to cistern and back to top of stream

Rain garden uses bioretention to treat stormwater runoff

Swales receive all runoff from the parking

lot and use it for irrigation

Biopaver contains a phytoremediating plants that

filter pollutants from stormwater runoff.

“We abuse the land because we regard it

as a commodity belonging to us. When

we see land as community to which we

belong, we may begin to use it with love

and respect…conservation is a state of

harmony between men and land.”

- Aldo Leopold, 1949

“Man’s mind, once stretched by a

new idea, never regains its

original dimensions.”

- Oliver Wendell Holms

“To live fully is to be engaged in the

passions of one’s time.”

- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Preserving our desert heritage

while creating a great desert city

are two sides of an inseparable

quest. The choice before us is to

excel in both or end up with

neither.

“To live fully is to be engaged in

the passions of one’s time.”

- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Hey how are you doing? Scottsdale is already a "Tree City USA". I agree with you. We just need to find away to water them consistantly (sic) with non-potable water.Say hi to Vern.Tony

Thank you, Mark! I agree, the more trees the better.

Mary