Newark, N.Y.; June 4, 2019. The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has presented a Merit Award of Achievement for Research and Communication to the Green Infrastructure Retrofit Manual for the City of Rochester and Monroe County in New York State. Although the manual was developed for the City of Rochester and Monroe County, the overall guidance is applicable to communities elsewhere.
Green infrastructure is a design strategy that applies a natural systems approach to managing stormwater and creating healthier, more sustainable environments. Adding natural elements to developed areas can help reduce nuisance flooding and enhance property values. The illustrated 189-page, how-to guide and 109-page appendices manual includes information on the pollutant-removal efficiencies of green infrastructure practices, a cost calculator, soil testing protocols, recommended plants, and case studies.
"This project fills an information gap specifically focused on local guidance for green infrastructure retrofits. Stakeholder input sessions focused on designing a manual to help planners, municipal staff, design engineers, and maintenance personnel successfully incorporate green infrastructure practices in retrofit and redevelopment projects locally in New York State," said Mary Austerman, a coastal community development specialist with New York Sea Grant, Newark, N.Y.
Development of the manual was made possible through the Environmental Protection Fund under the New York Ocean and Great Lakes Ecosystem Conservation Act through the NY Great Lakes Small Grants Program administered by New York Sea Grant, and the Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes Restoration Initiative through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A partnership of the City of Rochester; Monroe County; Barton & Loguidice, D.P.A.; the Association of State Floodplain Managers; and New York Sea Grant produced the manual. A multi-disciplinary jury of the Pennsylvania/Delaware Chapter of ASLA determined the awards. The NY Upstate Chapter of ASLA entered the manual for judging.
In 2018, the Great Lakes Commission issued a report outlining steps to increase the adoption of green infrastructure in communities across the Great Lakes region. More recently, on May 30, NYSG and local partners: the Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and Monroe County teamed with the GLC to hold a Green Infrastructure (GI) Champions workshop in North Chili, N.Y.
The GLC GI Program helps communities overcome physical and institutional barriers to achieve more effective stormwater management by providing communities with tools they typically lack: funding and expertise. To learn more about the program, visit www.glc.org/work/champions.
The Green Infrastructure Retrofit Manual is available online at http://seagrant.sunysb.edu/articles/r/2147.
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