Cities around the world are crafting stormwater management policies that include natural and manmade methods to store and absorb runoff to reduce flooding.
A prime example is Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The low-lying city created an urban park that features a giant holding tank with a capacity of 450,000 gallons. This “water plaza” public space makes use of the stormwater in cascading channels with pools and fountains. During dry times, the public can make use of a basketball court, skate park, and an amphitheater.
The city is also planning more water storage areas in unused parking lots. To trap stormwater before it hits the ground, every municipal building is topped by a green roof.
Dutch specialists have helped New Orleans draft its Living with Water plan for stormwater, which supplements the city’s system of levies and pumps with new water storage sites and natural infrastructure to help contain and filter floodwater. The 50-year program for upgrades and retrofits to stormwater management incorporates the principals used in the Netherlands.
(http://grist.org/cities/to-make-our-cities-green-we-have-to-think-blue/)
(http://livingwithwater.com/)
Related Stories
| Jun 27, 2013
California legislators make push for prevailing wage law
California lawmakers introduced new legislation that would cut off state construction funds from charter cities that don’t mandate the equivalent of union-scale wages on public-works projects. Of the 482 cities in California, 121 are charter cities.
| Jun 27, 2013
Thermal, solar control designs can impact cooling loads by 200%, heating loads by 30%
Underestimating thermal bridging can greatly undermine a building’s performance contributing to heating load variances of up to 30% and cooling load variances of up to 200%, says the MMM Group.
| Jun 27, 2013
U.S. Conference of Mayors passes new sustainability resolutions
The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) passed a slate of sustainability resolutions that renew its commitment to local green building and clean energy efforts.
| Jun 19, 2013
NSF Sustainability begins verifying EPDs that can be used for LEED V4
NSF Sustainability has verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for nylon carpet styles and colors manufactured by Mannington Commercial and for J+J Flooring Group’s Kinetex® flooring product and Invision brand modular styles that use eKo® backing.
| Jun 19, 2013
Florida is latest battleground over LEED standards centered on certified wood
A nationwide battle over forest certification standards continues to be played out nationally and in Florida with legislation passed this month.
| Jun 19, 2013
Construction site safety improved in 2011
On-the-job construction fatalities dropped from 802 in 2010 to 781 in 2011, and recordable injuries fell from 4.7 per 100 workers in 2008 to 3.9 per 100 in 2011, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Jun 19, 2013
New York City considers new construction standards for hospitals, multifamily buildings
Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration has proposed new building codes for hospitals and multifamily dwellings in New York City to help them be more resilient in the event of severe weather resulting from climate change.
| Jun 12, 2013
Green Globes update complies with federal sustainability standards
The Green Building Initiative has updated its green building certification program to comply with the U.S. government’s standards for sustainability in federal buildings.
| Jun 12, 2013
Green Globes update complies with sustainability standards
The Green Building Initiative has updated its green building certification program to comply with the U.S. government’s standards for sustainability in federal buildings.
| May 31, 2013
OSHA will propose to extend crane operator certification compliance date
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says it will propose to extend the compliance date for the crane operator certification requirement by three years to Nov. 10, 2017.
