by Kristopher Houle, P.E. In the face of today’s regulatory environment, it is important to consider the many different green infrastructure practice alternatives available for use in urban site design….
Managing Water in the Landscape
Clean water is a basic requirement of life, and the choices we make in our lives and in our landscapes can help or harm both above- and below-ground water supplies. Keeping water on site, preventing erosion, and reducing use of pesticides and fertilizers all contribute to improved water quality.
The Structure of Green Infrastructure
by David Smith This article first appeared in the Fall 2013 issue of Interlock Design, the official publication of Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI), and is reprinted with permission of…
Ecological Hardscape Choices for Today’s Landscapes
by Jesse Harris Today’s landscape professionals have many choices when it comes to choosing ecological hardscapes for their designs. Proper design, installation, and maintenance are critical to their effectiveness. The…
The Green Alley, the Water Table, and the Ostrich
by Heather Heimarck Boston Architectural College’s “Green Alley” was built with the intention of creating a replicable model that would ameliorate negative environmental impacts caused by urban streets and high…
Good Medicine: The Benefits of Green Infrastructure
by Thomas Benjamin The evolution of Kent Hospital’s Sustainable Campus Landscape Initiative was both capital project and Master Plan driven. In the early 2000s, Kent, located in Warwick, RI, embarked…
Native Plant Selection for Biofilters and Rain Gardens
by Catherine Neal Modern storm water management systems rely on vegetation to hold the soil, filter contaminants, absorb nutrients, intercept and transpire water, and support healthy and diverse soil biology….
Drip It!
by John Swaringen We’ve heard it all before, haven’t we? Drip lines clog and stop working. They take too much time and labor to install. It’s harder to complete bed…
Greywater Made Clear: The Basics
by Ken Foster It is called “greywater” for a reason, and whether you spell it greywater or graywater obviously it is not one of those black and white solutions to…
Landscape Water Sourcing for Irrigation
by Jeff Bowman Here in the northeastern United States, there are three commonly used sources of water for irrigation. These are domestic (city) water, surface water, and groundwater. Each of…
Ecological Design along the Blackstone: Creating a Clean River…within a River
by Max Rome, Nick Bernat, and Lauren Valle In precolonial times the Blackstone River was a large and ecologically-rich tidal river. As it meandered 49 miles from present day Worcester,…
Native Plant Selection for Biofilters and Rain Gardens
by Catherine Neal Modern storm water management systems rely on vegetation to hold the soil, filter contaminants, absorb nutrients, intercept and transpire water, and support healthy and diverse soil biology….
Practical Application of Tree Filter Systems
by Paul Iorio I recently brought to completion a large parking lot project that illustrates the applications as well as adaptability of tree filter systems in an urban environment. Tree…