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Urban Street Stormwater Guide Index

Urban Street Stormwater Guide
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Purchase Guide

Policy

Achieving success on both the programmatic and project scale depends on the development of strong policies, guidance, and tools to support green infrastructure implementation in the right-of-way. Whether motivated by federal regulatory requirements for water quality and CSOs, or by local sustainability or climate action plans, green stormwater infrastructure should be incorporated into city policies and plans at a range of scales to address stormwater management on both public and private property.

Complete Streets Policy

Many cities have addressed the inclusion of GSI practices through the adoption of Complete Streets policies that specifically require greening practices. Cities may include green infrastructure in their project development process, including as part of a Complete Streets checklist.

Green Streets Policy

Some cities have adopted specific Green Streets policies that include goals and processes for capturing and infiltrating stormwater at transportation facilities.

Local Standards & Guidance

The adoption of standard drawings, stormwater manuals and design guidelines have been a critical step in the advancement of GSI implementation in the right-of-way.

Local Design Guidelines provide recommendations for implementing green practices in street projects. Integrating stormwater management into project development and review, including in Complete Streets design guides or checklists, codifies goals and responsibilities for implementing green infrastructure.

Local Standards & Guidance

Stormwater Manuals have also been instrumental in compliance with regulatory and policy requirements. Design manuals can codify detailed local knowledge and best practices into a rigorous toolkit, and may include sizing and modeling criteria, preferred vegetation and media, and maintenance strategies.

Adopting standard GSI drawings as part of a city’s standard drawing set ensures planning, design, and construction are in alignment among agencies, project goals, and construction standards.

Green Street Design Standards

Cities may take complete street design and green street priniciples a step further by developing a green infrastructure design toolkit specifically catered to local street contexts. Green street design manuals can provide detailed strategies for merging multi-modal design with ecological performance.

Stormwater Code/Regulations/Ordinance/Zoning

Most cities have codes, regulations and ordinances that regulate stormwater runoff. Policies remove obstacles and create incentives for reducing stormwater runoff on both private property and public rights-of-way.

Development Fee/Incentive

Development incentives are offered to private developers who proactively use enhanced sustainable and green building and site design practices. These incentives can provide not only site-level benefits but neighborhood benefits as well, adding green features and placemaking amenities. Additionally, developers have an opportunity to realize potential tax credits, expedited permitting, or a floor area ratio bonus, depending on the structure of the incentive.

Stormwater Fee Discount/Credit

Stormwater fee discounts and credits are offered to property owners to reduce impermeable surfaces or use GSI practices to reduce stormwater runoff. Cities and jurisdictions that levy stormwater utility fees may offer discounts to incentivize on-site stormwater management.

References