Journal article
Exploring the Long‐Term Economic and Social Impact of Green Infrastructure in New York City
Water resources research, v 56(11), pn/a
Nov 2020
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Across the world, cities are spending billions of dollars to manage urban runoff through decentralized green infrastructure (GI). This research uses an agent‐based model to explore some of the physical, social, and economic consequences of one such urban GI programs. Using the Bronx, NY, as a case study, two alternative approaches to GI application are compared. The first (Model 1) mimics NYC's current GI program by opportunistically selecting sites for GI within the city's priority combined sewer watersheds; the second (Model 2) features a more spatially flexible approach to GI siting, in which the city attempts to maximize opportunities for co‐benefits within the geographic areas considered in Model 1. The effects of both approaches, measured in terms of stormwater captured and co‐benefits (e.g., carbon sequestered) provided, are tracked over 20‐year simulations. While both models suggest it will be difficult to meet the citywide stormwater capture goals (managing the first 2.5 cm of rainfall from 10% of impervious surfaces) in the Bronx solely through public investment in GI, Model 2 shows that by integrating GI with other city initiatives (e.g., sustainability goals and resilience planning), synergistic outcomes are possible. Specifically, Model 2 produces stormwater capture rates comparable to those obtained under Model 1, but these rates are accompanied by elevated co‐benefits for Bronx communities. The results are discussed in the context of future GI policy development in NYC.
Key Points
An agent model explores the impacts of NYC's current green infrastructure policy and an alternative that prioritizes socioeconomic goals
NYC can manage more stormwater if GI siting decisions align with broader community preferences and aren't confined by sewershed boundaries
Multifunctional GI siting captures more stormwater and provides more socioeconomic value than siting based on stormwater capture rates alone
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Exploring the Long‐Term Economic and Social Impact of Green Infrastructure in New York City
- Creators
- S. M. Wong - Drexel UniversityF. A. Montalto - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Water resources research, v 56(11), pn/a
- Number of pages
- 20
- Grant note
- National Science Foundation (CMMI: 1325328; CBET: 1150994) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) (NA15OAR4310147)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering; Center for Public Policy
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000595832300027
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85096481089
- Other Identifier
- 991019168435304721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Web of Science research areas
- Environmental Sciences
- Limnology
- Water Resources