Incorporating consideration of green infrastructure into the comprehensive planning process for land use, traditional grey infrastructure (transportation and utility systems), and agricultural preservation, can produce benefits related to: Stormwater management and flood reduction

• Surface and ground water quality
• Air quality
• Wildlife habitat and protection of threatened and endangered species
• Quality and accessibility of open space and recreation
• Reduction of vehicle miles of travel through incorporation of bicycle and pedestrian trails within green corridors
• Enhancement of the function and quality of natural ecosystems
• Preservation of prime farmland and rural character
• Esthetic character and identity of the built environment
• Climate moderation

The specific elements and functions of green infrastructure will vary as the scale of planning shifts from a specific site, to a municipality, a region, a state or a continent.

Green Planning
The growing interest in sustainability and green planning is sometimes dismissed as just the current hot topic in planning or just good planning. However, I believe the interest reflects a fundamental need to expand the breadth and depth of consideration given to environmental resources and elements at all levels of planning.

When I use the term green planning, I am referring to the planning and design of the built environment in a manner which harmoniously connects and relates all relevant human, natural, and man-made components. The human environment includes personal, social, cultural, political, and economic aspects. The natural environment includes the character of the landscape, natural resources, and ecosystems. The man-made or built environment includes structures, machines, and utility systems.

My view is that the unique role of planners is to take a broad and long term view of all relevant factors and to balance competing demands of the human, natural, and man made elements of the environment in their plans. For instance, planning must balance: short and long term objectives; private property rights, and public needs; and, ideal and more cost effective and politically acceptable alternatives. The role of the planner should not be subverted or dominated by any one factor, any one audience, nor an oversimplified “silver bullet” answer.

Put another way, green planning is good planning with a greater consideration of natural environmental elements during every phase of plan development. This goes beyond: permitting requirements relative to stormwater and wetlands; energy saving buildings; and, best management practices for site engineering and grey infrastructure. Green planning sees the big picture and should strive for each planning decision to contribute to more environmentally sensitive and sustainable projects.

Planning Roles
There is a need for planning education and career paths for those whose focus and specialty is sustainability, at various scales, considering: carbon footprints; reduction of green house gasses; energy conservation; alternative energy systems; storm water management and waste water treatment; sustainable agriculture; and preservation of unique ecosystems and landscapes. There is also a need for educational programs for persons in communication where they focus on public awareness of the relationship between individual actions and life styles and social consequences relative to environmental sustainability and public decision making. However, we should not lose sight of a critical role played by planners in dealing with land use and development at the local level. Land use and development is the meat and potatoes of what the planning profession deals with but planners must understand and integrate the contribution from other professionals -- engineers, architects, landscape architects and ecologists.

Key Principles
I believe there are fundamental principles related to land use and development that will lead to more sustainable and nourishing human communities. These include:

• Balance jobs and housing
• Create multi-modal transportation opportunities and implement a functional classification system for roadways
• Reduce and filter stormwater run-off and recharge aquifers
• Implement a comprehensive green infrastructure network by planting trees and by preserving prime farm land, natural and cultural resources and open space
• Implement efficient mixed use land use patterns in proximity to municipal services and facilities, relating housing to daily needs within walking distance

The degree to which we become more aware and capable of following these principles is important. No one has a computer model that will balance the many factors faced by a planner in a real world situation and yield a project that satisfies perfectly all of the competing objectives. What is needed are principles and processes that assist planners and related disciplines to connect all relevant factors and identify a balance among them that best accomplishes the objective of planning noted above.

Tools and Guidance
The American Planning Association’s (APA) “National Infrastructure Investment Task Force and its initiative, Rebuilding America, is working to engage members, APA components, and its allies and partners in a national conversation about how to address our infrastructure crisis and increase investment in building communities of lasting value”¹. In 2008-2009, the Task Force held workshops nationwide to examine infrastructure issues and to make recommendations on policies and capital investments for the United States. After the Task Force had been in operation for approximately one year, APA created 6 infrastructure subcommittees, one of which was designated to address the concept of green infrastructure (this subcommittee is composed of 28 members including this author). The report is intended to provide valuable tools and policy guidance for planners in their own organizations and in dealing with state and federal legislative initiatives. The report is structured to address green infrastructure by scale of planning area from the international level down to individual projects and sites. Those interested in more information will find the following topics covered in the Green Infrastructure Subcommittee’s report (draft report is scheduled to be completed summer 2010):

• Current conditions and practices
• Benefits and beneficiaries
• Policy recommendations
• References

APA will be holding a series of town hall meetings throughout the country during 2010 and 2011 “to engage local leaders and highlight needed policy changes”².


If you are interested in environmentally based planning and context sensitive design, see www.planningconnections.com which also contains a description of the book, Planning Connections, by "Pete" Pointner.




¹ American Planning Association National Infrastructure Investment Task Force, “National Infrastructure Investment Task Force Status Report,” (presented at the APA Board of Directors Board Meeting, April 25, 2009), http://www.planning.org/policy/infrastructure/pdf/taskforceupdate.pdf (accessed May 10, 2010).
² American Planning Association, “Infrastructure”, American Planning Association, http://www.planning.org/policy/infrastructure/