ABSTRACT
The Magnitude of Pavements in America ........................................................ 1 Pavements in Alternative Patterns of New Development ...................... 5
Where not to Make Pavements Porous .............................................................. 6 The Promise of Clean Water ............................................................................ 7 The Promise of Long-Lived Trees .................................................................... 10 The Promise of Cool Cities .............................................................................. 15 The Promise of Quiet Streets ............................................................................ 18 The Promise of Safe Driving ............................................................................ 20 The Promise of Reducing Cost ........................................................................ 22 The Promise of Meeting Development Regulations ........................................ 23 The Promise of Preserving Native Ecosystems ................................................ 24 The Promise of Beauty ...................................................................................... 26 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................ 29 References ........................................................................................................ 29
Wherever pavements are built, porous pavements can improve the environment in vital ways. A pavement is any treatment or covering of the earth surface that bears traffic. A porous pavement is one with porosity and permeability high enough to significantly influence hydrology, rooting habitat, and other environmental effects. “Dense” pavements are those that are not porous. This chapter introduces the magnitude of pavements and the types of effects that porous pavements can achieve for water, air, living things, and human welfare, alone or in partnership with other aspects of urban design and construction.
