ABSTRACT
The "green infrastructure" includes and expands upon principles inherent in low impact development (LID) technology, which have been developed and tested by innovative nonprofit engineering and design professionals. LID weighs local site design decisions within a larger context of regional watershed. Green communities are realizing that the water infrastructure crisis is also a fortuitous opportunity to revitalize municipal watersheds with green infrastructure strategies that can regenerate urban stream corridors, prioritize on-site stormwater management, expand green jobs, and encourage collaborative community planning. Measurable municipal planning standards are needed to green infrastructure implementation and to align municipal policies with regional integrated water resources management goals. Green infrastructure offers a catalog of cost-effective improvements that can increase regional resiliency to climate change. The City of Seattle has developed the Seattle Green Factor to infrastructure green infrastructure improvements within high-density neighborhood business districts. Green communities are learning how to incorporate "blue" design features into the urban fabric as fundamental assets of sustainable development.
