Allow me to introduce a concept which is gaining a tremendous amount of traction amongst governments, urban designers, urban planners, environmental agencies and organizations around the world — that is, the replacement of significant portions of grey infrastructure with green infrastructure.
So, what are grey and green infrastructure?
Grey infrastructure refers to human-engineered infrastructure for water resources, such as water and wastewater treatment plants, pipelines, pumps and dams. In other words, all the engineered and installed components of a centralized mechanical approach to water management.
Green infrastructure conversely, is the “strategic use of networks of natural lands, working landscapes and other open spaces to conserve ecosystem values and functions and provide associated benefits to human populations,” (W. Allen, 2012), augmented by designed natural installations such as rain gardens or reed beds that treat wastewater.
The United States’ Environmental Protection Agency states that there are environmental, social and economic benefits that result from green infrastructure.
On the environmental front, these benefits include improving climate resiliency, increasing water quality, reducing localized flooding, reducing the demand on the potable water supply by capturing stormwater for reuse, improving air quality, reducing the heat island effect in urban settings and achieving the habitat connectivity required by many natural species.
Supported by multiple academic studies, the social benefits cited include improved health and well-being of human populations, an enhanced sense of community and an increase in public engagement leading to greater community cohesion.
From an economic perspective, green infrastructure decreases grey infrastructure investment and operating costs, has a salutary impact on neighbourhood property values, generates new, generally better paying “green” jobs for people with all levels of education and work experience and reduces the costs associated with flood damage.
Examples of green infrastructure projects proliferate around the world.
Consider the High Line in New York City, a 2.34-kilometre long biodiverse urban park supporting over 500 species that was built on an abandoned raised railroad thoroughfare in the heart of Manhattan.
In the City of Calgary, Alta., the constructed 385-acre Shepard Wetland functions as both a stormwater storage facility and a treatment wetland that naturally filters stormwater, improving its quality before it is discharged into the Bow River. Interestingly, its capacity is such that it can successfully manage a one-in-100-year flood.
Most notably, green infrastructure is actually cheaper to construct, maintain and operate than grey infrastructure.
In a presentation given to the American Public Works Association in October 2017, the authors of “Green vs. Grey Infrastructure Cost,” Rosa A. Fernández and Ryan Dupont, made the following statement regarding green infrastructure’s life cycle analysis cost:
“Green infrastructure is 24 per cent more cost effective than gray infrastructure over a 30-year period.”
Note that others have suggested life cycle savings in the 30 per cent range.
It is internationally recognized that cost effective green infrastructure not only delivers defined benefits with urban and growth areas, but also underwrites, maintains, preserves and protects the biodiversity and ecosystem relationships in the natural heritage systems of the wider landscape.
The province defines a natural heritage system as “a system made up of natural heritage features and areas, and linkages intended to provide connectivity (at the regional or site level) and support natural processes which are necessary to maintain biological and geological diversity, natural functions, viable populations of indigenous species and ecosystems. These systems can include natural heritage features and areas, federal and provincial parks and conservation reserves, other natural heritage features, lands that have been restored or have the potential to be restored to a natural state, areas that support hydrologic functions, and working landscapes that enable ecological functions to continue.”
In short, watersheds and ravine systems, agricultural areas including farmland, interconnected water bodies such as lakes and significant land forms like the Niagara Escarpment.
Moreover, Chapter 3 of the Niagara Region’s official plan — “Sustainable Region” — states, “The establishment of these natural systems is required by Provincial policy. These systems have been integrated in this Plan and are known together as the Region’s natural environment system.”
And, in Chapter 5.2 — “Connected Region: Infrastructure” — speaks to green infrastructure “marching orders” in clauses 5.2.1.8 to 5.2.1.10 and specifically in 5.2.1.11 which reads:
“The region will promote the use of green infrastructure and low impact development by considering green infrastructure in public works projects and encouraging its use through review of development applications.”
Folks, this is not “merely tree-hugger” stuff … it is the international, national, provincial and regional recognition that green infrastructure supporting natural heritage systems are intrinsic to ensuring a fiscally responsible address to ensuring our communities will prosper into the foreseeable future.
Drilling down on one specific objective in the region’s official plan, namely, 3.1.g, wherein it states: “Protect woodlands and their biodiversity, restore ecological functions, and enhance woodland cover through reforestation and restoration,” the Town of Lincoln has undertaken a brilliant address to this challenge.
In November of 2023, Lincoln’s council created a working group with a mandate to examine various municipal tree policies across the province, detail best practices and develop the framework for such a policy in Lincoln — a framework that would include community engagement and participation.
I was fortunate to be able to chat with a member of this working group, Liz Benneian, an environmental educator and advocate who has received numerous local, provincial and national awards for her work, who highlighted a few of the many accomplishments by this group.
Not only in one short year have they been able to provide town staff with all the necessary information and framework to allow Lincoln’s policy to be written, but they have also developed community tree “giveaways,” facilitated the planting of 1,000 trees in the town, and their first Miyawaki mini-forest in a Beamsville park. Further, they anticipate the completion of a native species list — trees, understory plants and ground covers — by next month.
As Benneian observed, this record of success in such a short time was made possible because the project rested in the hands of a working group, operating outside of the political milieu, and was able to draw on the deep expertise of various town residents.
Would that mean more town councils utilize working groups to get the job done?
The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is cited in the region’s Feb. 7, 2024 “Tree and Forest Canopy Project” report (https://pub-niagararegion.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=35809 ) — even when combining orchards and natural trees — as having the lowest level tree and forest canopy of the municipalities in the region at only 18 per cent.
This in the face of Environment Canada’s statement in their publication “How Much Habitat is Enough” (3rd Ed) that 30 per cent is the minimum forest cover threshold and still considered “high-risk,” 40 per cent cover is classified as “medium-risk,” and a 50 per cent canopy is suggested as “low-risk regarding the maintenance of a healthy environment.”
Meanwhile, our town seemingly ignores the imperative recognized by other jurisdictions (including our region) and continues to do business as used to be normal — evidenced by recently granting permission to a developer for the clear-cutting of several acres of mature trees in Virgil.
The protection and expansion of our natural heritage system supported by green infrastructure has become the proven order of the day and necessary to our future.
Let’s get with the agenda, NOTL.
