What is GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE?
The definition of green infrastructure is highly contested around the world and by different disciplines. We define green infrastructure as “...a system of interconnected ecosystems, ecological-technological hybrids, and built infrastructures providing contextual social, ecological, and technological functions and benefits. As a planning concept, green infrastructure brings attention to how diverse types of urban ecosystems and built infrastructures function in relation to one another to meet socially negotiated goals” (Grabowski et al. in press).
So, what does green infrastructure look like?
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Green infrastructure holds potential to be a critical tool toward obtaining a resilient urban future, but the processes surrounding GI design, implementation, and management need to be examined through robust interdisciplinarity lens, such as the social-ecological-technological framework. SETS may be defined as both 1) rigorous attention to multiple academic disciplines and 2) honest and genuine collaboration with urban practitioners, community groups, activists, and residents.
Figure 1 from Markolf, Samuel A., Mikhail V. Chester, Daniel A. Eisenberg, David M. Iwaniec, Cliff I. Davidson, Rae Zimmerman, Thaddeus R. Miller, Benjamin L. Ruddell, and Heejun Chang. 2018.
How can you apply SETS to GI?
The following video explores a case study of green infrastructure in Miami, FL: the Good Neighbor Stormwater Park. This video discusses how green infrastructure can address various social, ecological, and technological contexts in the "new climate normal." We highlight four speakers:
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Xavier Cortada, MPA, JD
Professor of Practice
Department of Art and Art History
University of Miami -
Irvans Augustin
Founding Partner and Executive Director of Operations
Urban Impact Lab -
Maggie Tsang
Co-founder and Urban Designer
Department Design Office -
Isaac Stein
Co-founder and Landscape Architect
Department Design Office
Check out this case study in Miami, FL!