Green stormwater infrastructure - Alliance for the Great Lakes

Alexandra Novak – Green Infrastructure

Michelle Farley — Tue, 24 May 2022 15:09:00 +0000

Alex, based in Detroit, came to the Alliance in 2019 with a professional background in urban planning and community development. In her role as Community Planning Manager, Alex collaborates with leaders from local community organizations, city officials, and planning initiatives to advance green infrastructure and equitable community development goals.

Resources

Buffalo Niagra Waterkeeper

Friends of the Chicago River

Friends of the Rouge

Case Study
Green Stormwater Infrastructure in the Right-of-Way: 5 Case Studies

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Green Stormwater Infrastructure in the Right-of-Way: 5 Case Studies

Judy Freed — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 20:37:16 +0000

Detroit is piloting green infrastructure projects in the right-of-way and engaging in deeper learning with peer cities.

Cities across the country are investing in their water infrastructure systems with hopes of achieving triple bottom line benefits – for people, the environment, and economic return. In the face of a changing climate that brings more extreme wet weather, a combination of gray infrastructure (pipes and tunnels) and green stormwater infrastructure (plants and soil) is a recipe for resilience that many cities are trying to perfect.

Alliance for the Great Lakes, in partnership with the City of Detroit Department of Public Works, identified five cities that have had success implementing green and gray water infrastructure improvements in their cities, with a focus on the public rights-of-way (streets). Streets are ideal for green stormwater management practices because they are already designed to move water, and streets make up a vast majority – up to half – of impervious surfaces in cities.

Check out our case studies on green stormwater infrastructure in the right-of-way to learn more about how these five cities have created policies, programs, design guidelines, and more to help them achieve their triple bottom line goals.

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Global Talent Finds Local Solutions to Protect the Lakes

Anna-Lisa Castle — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 22:01:09 +0000

IBM Corporate Service Corps “USA1” members comprise four project teams embedded in nonprofits around Chicago this summer.

Last month, a team of four women from around the world joined the Alliance for the Great Lakes to contribute their expertise to a special project. Their mission? To develop innovative solutions for maintaining green infrastructure — solutions that create local jobs, source locally, and protect the Great Lakes by better managing stormwater.

“It was an ‘aha’ moment to realize that there are challenges here, even in a developed market like the U.S. and a progressive city like Chicago,” said Kim Cham Siang Fen, of IBM Malaysia.

Kim, Gomi Rajan, Kelem Jordao, and Kat Jucaban are IBM employees from India, Brazil, Malaysia, and the Philippines, respectively. Together they made up one of four IBM Corporate Service Corps teams in Chicago this summer. Theirs was the first-ever U.S.-based cohort, which they’ve affectionately named USA1. The Corps has traditionally sent members to support nonprofits in developing countries. USA1 represents the beginning of the Corps’ work in developed countries, and Great Lakes protection was front and center.

Partners From Around the World Protect the Great Lakes

A unique partnership brought this team together. The Alliance connected with IBM Corporate Service Corps through Earthwatch, an international nonprofit that brings people together from all walks of life to help solve pressing environmental problems.

“We protect the environment by connecting people and building networks through education, science, and a range of projects that help Chicago become a resilient city,” said Gitte Venicx, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Earthwatch. She worked with IBM to bring the team to Chicago to lend their expertise by developing green infrastructure solutions.

Commercial Avenue, future green infrastructure site. Photo credit: Julia Hunter of Work2gether4peace

In an effort to better control stormwater that could otherwise end up polluting the Great Lakes, the City of Chicago is planning to install green infrastructure along Commercial Avenue on Chicago’s southeast side. Like many municipalities that pursue this nature-based approach, the city has struggled to maintain green infrastructure in the past.

So, the Alliance teamed up with Earthwatch and IBM Corporate Service Corps to come up with solutions for an improved maintenance plan. Their focus was Commercial Avenue on Chicago’s southeast side. But the team’s work could be a model for the region.

How Green Infrastructure Protects the Lakes

Water systems are failing in many Great Lakes communities. Aging and outdated, the systems are overwhelmed by heavy storms, sending polluted water into the lakes and surrounding waterways. Communities are turning to nature-based solutions, also known as “green infrastructure,” to help deal with this problem.

Green infrastructure uses plants and soil to mimic how nature deals with water. It absorbs, slows down, and filters rainwater before the water reaches stormwater pipes or waterways. It can also beautify neighborhoods, create recreation space, and provide cost savings to communities. But maintaining green infrastructure and sourcing materials can be a challenge.

“Managing stormwater is critical to the Great Lakes, so developing a model for better, more sustainable practices around green infrastructure is really important,” said Charlie Corwin, the Building Resilience Fellow leading the Alliance’s work on Chicago’s Southeast side.

Meet the Team

So, who are these experts that IBM sent to help the Alliance protect the Great Lakes? The four women — all from different countries and each with a distinct set of expertise — had never met face-to-face before arriving in Chicago. Thanks to video conferencing sessions and a lot of hard prep work ahead of time, they were able to form a close-knit team and hit the ground running.

The IBMers hit the streets of Chicago to visit project sites and get to know the city. From left to right: Kelem, Kat, Gomi, and Kim

Katrina “Kat” Jucaban – Human Resources, Philippines

“Back home, one hour of rain causes thigh deep flooding,” Kat shared. “It was interesting to learn that even developed markets have these challenges — where projects aren’t always designed with maintenance in mind.”

“Here, there are resources available to maximize potential of green infrastructure as long as there’s a good plan in place. It’s been wonderful to help develop a plan that can be used in Chicago. This is a lovely city.”

Kimberly “Kim” Cham Siang Fen – Finance, Malaysia

“We’re creating a green infrastructure maintenance model for south Chicago, and we can take what we’ve learned and apply it back home,” said Kim, who has been working in finance and budgeting at IBM for 7 years.

“It’s been great to bring my skill set to designing a green infrastructure maintenance plan,” Kim said. “I have a new appreciation for the value of green infrastructure and it makes me want to contribute back to my country and apply insights we’re learning here, across the globe.”

Gomathi “Gomi” Rajan – Procurement, India

Gomi is an expert in procurement and supply chain analysis. She was excited to bring her expertise to the table to identify options for sourcing materials locally and supporting the local economy.

“One thing we all have in common coming out of this project is a new understanding of the stormwater issues facing Chicago, which all our countries also experience thanks to heavy rains,” Gomi said.

“It’s also been really valuable experience on a personal level,” said Gomi. “It was the first time for many of us that we’re away from our families for so long, it’s good to know they survived without us. It’s a learning experience for them and us.”

Kelem Jordao – Hardware Engineering, Brazil

“In the Brazil office, I am responsible for certifying equipment and products that IBM sells in the marketplace. So I’ve applied my skills to make sure we’re leaving the Alliance with a solid plan for developing green infrastructure,” said Kelem Jordao, who has been a civil engineer at IBM for 18 years and has a masters degree in smart cities.

“Smart cities have different types of challenges, and sustainability is one of them,” Kelem said. “This project has been enlightening and I’ve had the chance to work with colleagues from around the world that I never would have met otherwise.”

Walking Away with New Friends and a Strong Maintenance Strategy

By the end of their four weeks at the Alliance, the team had developed friendships with colleagues around the world who they would likely have never met otherwise — both at IBM and the Alliance. They also left behind a thorough assessment of green infrastructure maintenance strategies, and a set of solid recommendations. These include sourcing materials locally and creating local jobs for community members.

IBMers and Alliance staff, Charlie Corwin and Anna-Lisa Castle, take a celebratory selfie after completing a job well done.

“The IBMers’ work will help us sustain green infrastructure and ensure that our work supports local southeast Chicago communities through job creation, neighborhood beautification, and community input,” Charlie said. “Plus, the collaboration itself has been a lot of fun — it’s been wonderful working with Gomi, Kelem, Kat and Kim.”

“The Alliance for the Great Lakes has been a great home to us for the past four weeks,” Kelem added.

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Detroiters Explore Creative Options to Reduce Flooding, Improve Neighborhoods

Judy Freed — Mon, 20 Aug 2018 15:23:01 +0000

It was a moment for celebration. After months of effort, residents and community organizations along Detroit’s Conner Creek Greenway were about to see their first tangible results. A professional engineering firm was about to unveil designs for five green infrastructure projects that could start to address flooding and provide quality-of-life benefits to neighborhoods along the greenway.

Flooding Is a Problem in Detroit

Over the past year, the Alliance for the Great Lakes teamed up with residents living in the area and Detroit Greenways Coalition, the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc., and the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability to explore solutions.

Green Infrastructure Can Reduce Flooding and Improve Neighborhoods

The groups and area residents focused on using nature-based solutions — often referred to as “green infrastructure” — as one method to begin to address neighborhood flooding problems. In addition to helping to alleviate flooding, green infrastructure can provide quality-of-life benefits like neighborhood beautification, improved public health, and the creation of parks and green spaces. Green infrastructure uses plants and soil to mimic how nature deals with water. It absorbs, slows down, and filters rainwater before the water reaches stormwater pipes or waterways.

Detroit residents celebrate designs for green infrastructure projects along the Conner Creek Greenway.

Residents Explore Solutions

Beginning last September, the groups started gathering community input through surveys and community meetings. More than 45 area residents participated in meetings over the winter and spring, working with technical experts to identify sites along the greenway for green infrastructure projects and prioritizing benefits they want the projects to deliver.

Five possible sites along the greenway were selected to receive professional engineering designs: Conner Playfield, Lipke Park/SAY Detroit Play, Southeastern High School, St. John Medical Center-Outer Drive Campus, and a vacant lot owned by the Detroit Land Bank at Conner & Clairpointe.

Residents also worked with a 3-D green infrastructure computer modeling program developed by the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability. They used the model to create their own designs for additional sites, and the university researchers used resident feedback to improve the modeling program.

Design for a proposed green infrastructure project at Lipke Park/SAY Detroit Play.

5 Green Infrastructure Projects Are Designed

In July, the groups held a celebration to unveil the professional designs. Residents finally saw the results of their efforts: proposals for five projects along flood-prone areas of the greenway. The designs include a range of green infrastructure practices — such as rain gardens, bioretention ponds, trees, and permeable pavement — that could increase stormwater capture capacity and add desired amenities and aesthetic improvements at each site.

Residents viewed the designs, asked questions, and created their own designs at a 3-D modeling station. They learned how much stormwater each project could capture, the quality-of-life benefits each could provide — and how much each would cost.

“We’re excited that these project ideas were developed from the neighborhood up, and we’re excited that the momentum is building,” says Alliance for the Great Lakes Community Sustainability Planner Khalil Ligon. “Detroit has an incredible opportunity to become a leader in using green infrastructure in the Great Lakes region. Reducing stormwater problems helps our communities, the Detroit River, Lake Erie, and all the waterways flowing into the lakes.”

What’s Next?

Now the next phase of the work begins. Community groups are seeking funding to implement the five projects and monitor results. And the Alliance for the Great Lakes will be advocating for city-wide policies to help install more green infrastructure throughout Detroit. Improved quality of life and reduced flooding at sites throughout the city — that will be another outcome worth celebrating!

This project was funded in part by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation.

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Community Celebration to Showcase Creative Options for Reducing Flooding, Improving Neighborhoods along Conner Creek Greenway

Jennifer Caddick — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 15:25:49 +0000

Joint Press Release from Alliance for the Great Lakes, Detroit Greenways Coalition, Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc., Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability

Detroit, MI (July 10, 2018) – New ideas for reducing flooding along Detroit’s Conner Creek Greenway utilizing nature-based solutions, often referred to as “green infrastructure”, will be unveiled at a community celebration later today at the Samaritan Center. Over the past year, environmental groups, researchers, and engineers teamed up with residents living near the greenway to identify and develop five green infrastructure project proposals. Tonight’s community celebration provides a first look at the proposals for community members, elected, and agency officials.

Flooding in streets and homes after heavy rain events is a consistent problem for Detroiters, causing safety issues and costing residents millions of dollars in repairs each year. Residents along the the Conner Creek Greenway, a recreation trail that courses along Conner Avenue from 8 Mile Road to the Detroit River, frequently experience flooding during heavy rain events. Over the past year, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Detroit Greenways Coalition, the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc., and the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability teamed up with residents living in the area to explore solutions.

The groups and area residents focused on using green infrastructure as one method to begin to address neighborhood flooding problems. In addition to helping to alleviate flooding, green infrastructure can provide community benefits like neighborhood beautification, improved public health, and creation of parks and green spaces. Green infrastructure uses plants and soil to mimic how nature deals with water. It absorbs, slows down, and filters rainwater before the water reaches stormwater pipes or waterways.

Beginning last September, the groups started gathering community input through surveys and community meetings. More than 45 area residents participated in community meetings over the winter and spring, working with technical experts to identify sites along the greenway for green infrastructure projects.

Five possible sites along the greenway – Conner Playfield, Lipke Park/SAY Detroit Play, Southeastern High School, St. John Medical Center-Outer Drive Campus, and a vacant lot owned by the Detroit Land Bank at Conner & Clairpointe – were selected. The proposed projects at these sites include a range of green infrastructure practices, including rain gardens, bioretention ponds, trees, and permeable pavement, that increase stormwater capture capacity at the site and add desired amenities and aesthetic improvements along flood-prone areas of the greenway. Community groups are currently seeking funding to implement these projects and monitor results.

Residents also worked with a 3-D green infrastructure computer modeling program developed by the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability. They used the model to create their own designs for additional sites and the university researchers used resident feedback to improve the modeling program.

“Detroit has an incredible opportunity to become a leader in using green infrastructure in the Great Lakes region. Reducing stormwater problems helps our communities and all of the waterways flowing into the lakes,” said Alliance for the Great Lakes Community Sustainability Planner Khalil Ligon. “We’re excited that these project ideas were developed from the neighborhood up. Thank you to the community members who participated in the project development workshops.”

“We believe there is tremendous synergy when greenways and green infrastructure are planned and built together, “ said Detroit Greenways Coalition Executive Director Todd Scott. “We look forward to implementing the many green infrastructure candidate projects along the Conner Creek Greenway and helping Detroit become a more mobile and more sustainable city.”

“Detroit has an amazing opportunity to be a leader in green infrastructure that, apart from effectively managing stormwater, also provides quality of life benefits to neighborhoods that need and deserve it,” said Great Lakes Environmental Law Center Executive Director & Managing Attorney Oday Salim.

“Green infrastructure plays an increasingly important role in improving urban environmental quality, the health and well-being of city residents, and is an essential ingredient in resilient urban centers like Detroit.” said University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture Mark Lindquist. “Our collaboration with the Alliance for the Great Lakes and communities from along the Conner Creek Greenway helped us develop a computer-based landscape visualization tool that places green infrastructure planning firmly into the hands of community members.”

“We have appreciated the opportunity to assist the Alliance for the Great Lakes in this project, which aims to thoughtfully move Detroit through water resiliency planning and into implementation of sound technical green stormwater infrastructure. It was especially rewarding to the ECT team to have this opportunity to collaborate with the diverse group of partners and stakeholders that represent broad interests on green stormwater management solutions,” said Environmental Consulting & Technology Director of Landscape Architecture/Green Infrastructure Studio Patrick Judd.

The project was funded in part by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation.

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For more information contact: Jennifer Caddick, (312) 445-9760, jcaddick@greatlakes.org

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Greening Gary from the Ground Up

Judy Freed — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 20:15:30 +0000

“I have seen and have played a part in my neighborhood developing into a family-friendly place where neighbors know each other and have a vested interest in the neighborhood. We voice our concerns and address issues and the result is that more families have moved in. It’s such a nice feeling to see children playing in the streets, ride bikes, people walk their pets. We have a lot more challenges to overcome, but the neighborhood is the place we call our home!”
— Joelle Gamble, resident of the Aetna neighborhood in Gary, Indiana

Gary, Indiana is situated in the heart of the globally rare dunes on the southern end of Lake Michigan, about 25 miles from downtown Chicago and just west of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Two low-banked rivers flow through the city before emptying into Lake Michigan. Within the city limits are nature preserves and parks where we can find unique plants and creatures like the blue spotted salamander. Gary has some amazing assets.

But the people of Gary are the city’s strongest assets. Sometimes called The Steel City, Gary was founded by U.S. Steel Corporation in the early 1900’s and developed on drained wetlands. Gary, along with Memphis and Chicago, was the end of the line for many African Americans during the Great Migration. Its jazz and blues scene was inseparable from Chicago’s, and many legendary artists preceded the Jackson Five as important artists who came out of Gary. Today, the people of Gary are committed to their city. Like Joelle, many residents put time and care into figuring out how to make it even better.

A legacy city

Like many Great Lakes legacy cities, Gary has a rich culture and history but faces major challenges that all too often come with deindustrialization and disinvestment. At the Alliance for the Great Lakes, we know that our region’s cities have a direct impact on the health of the Great Lakes, and the health of the lakes has a direct impact on the cities. We believe that everyone in the Great Lakes region should benefit from safe, clean water and all that the lakes have to offer. Unfortunately, this has not always been the case in Gary.

Gary’s combined sewer and stormwater infrastructure was never really adequate to handle heavy rainfall on this naturally wet city. In fact, the past several years have been particularly disastrous — Gary has recorded unprecedented precipitation and flooding, which has led to substantial property damage and frequent combined sewer overflows.

To complicate matters, social and economic forces have led Gary’s population to plummet to about 80,000 residents, just 45% of its 1960s peak population. The remaining residents of Gary, while committed, are not equipped to pay for the needed updates to the city’s expansive and aging stormwater infrastructure. The median household income in Gary is just $28,020, with households in many areas of the city hovering just above $10,000.

From wastewater management to neighborhood stabilization, these issues require creative, collaborative solutions. The City of Gary has put together an aggressive strategy to begin addressing both issues. One piece of the plan is the adoption of the Vacant-to-Vibrant program, which uses green infrastructure to transform vacant lots into pocket parks. Over the past year, we’ve partnered with the city to scale up the program in all six of its districts, with residents at the helm.

Residents lead the way

At the Alliance, we work full-time to protect Great Lakes water and communities, but we know that no one knows their community, their piece of the shore, better than residents themselves. So, we focus on elevating the expertise and excitement that residents bring to revitalizing their neighborhood. We team up with local groups to knock on doors, get the word out at community events and host meetings where residents decide where to install a pocket park and what form it should take.

Leading up to the Vacant-to-Vibrant scale-up, the city used the federal Hardest Hit Fund to prepare potential sites. They demolished abandoned buildings and replaced six feet of topsoil. Last summer, we held an open, citywide meeting at which residents discussed how vacant properties might be transformed into vibrant, lot-sized parks that beautify their neighborhoods. People gathered around maps of their neighborhoods, considered the sites the city had prepared, and decided with their neighbors where the parks should go. This month, residents, city officials, and landscape architects reconvened to design the sites. The city will begin building the new parks this fall.

Looking ahead to a greener future

Even a small project, on just one lot, can have a positive impact on a neighborhood. In fact the benefits are manifold: residents taking ownership over their own neighborhood; grassroots involvement in municipal decision making; improved relationship between residents and their local government; neighborhood beautification; higher property values and neighborhood stabilization; green infrastructure to soak up extra water and ease the burden on the city’s struggling system. The list goes on.

These projects are small but scalable. As the city scales up the Vacant-to-Vibrant approach, Gary has an exciting opportunity to amplify these important gains. With strong partnerships and the development of grassroots leadership throughout the process, the transformative effect of green infrastructure efforts can extend beyond plots of land and make a lasting impact on the lives of residents and cities they call home.

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Local Action Brings Positive Change in Detroit

Judy Freed — Mon, 01 May 2017 22:21:51 +0000

The Great Lakes are vast. From the miles of coastline to the millions of people living in the basin, everything about the region seems monumental — and transforming it can seem like an insurmountable task. But the Gratiot Triangle is a welcome reminder that, thanks to local action, positive change is happening all the time.

The Gratiot Triangle bus stop used to be an ugly corner that often flooded. Now it’s covered with beautiful plants that can help soak up rainwater. Two trees will give cooling shade to people waiting for the bus on hot summer days. It’s an example of how natural infrastructure can reduce flooding, improve water quality for nearby streams and ultimately the Detroit River, which flows into Lake Erie, while improving daily life.

Located at the corner of Conner and Gratiot Avenues, the bus stop is part of a bigger water picture. It connects people to the Conner Creek Greenway, which connects neighborhoods to the Detroit River all the way from Eight Mile.

It also represents a successful collaboration — people came together, identified a problem and created a shared vision for how to improve their community while caring for their “piece of the shore.” To make this revitalization possible, the Alliance teamed up with the Detroit Eastside Community Collaborative, Greening of Detroit and community members who envisioned something better and worked to make it happen.

“We can’t be effective if we don’t have a solid understanding of what’s important to Detroiters,” said Khalil Ligon, a lifetime resident of Detroit and the Alliance’s Southeast Michigan Outreach Coordinator. “Transforming the bus stop was something the community cared about, so this project was a great way to meet their needs while addressing the stormwater issue.”

The Gratiot Triangle may be a small victory, but it’s an important one. And it’s only the beginning.

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