Green Infrastructure
Kempton Street Green Infrastructure Project
A new green infrastructure project is proposed for the Kempton Street corridor. The goals of this project include:
- Improve stormwater treatment prior to discharge into Buttonwood Brook
- Increase permeable surfaces to promote infiltration
- Provide landscape improvements at several locations along Kempton Street and in Buttonwood Park
- Improve the appearance of the Kempton Street corridor
For more information, please see these latest 2024 plans and this 2023 presentation from a Community Input Meeting. To stay up to date or provide feedback on these proposed options, please email: KemptonGI@newbedford-ma.gov.
Green Infrastructure
Brooklawn Park Duck Pond Stormwater Management
What is Green Infrastructure?
What is Green Infrastructure?
More intense storms and increased precipitation caused by climate change means that some aging stormwater systems are no longer capable of handling the necessary volume of stormwater. This leads to urban flooding and harmful runoff flowing into waterways. Green infrastructure is one solution to this problem. Green infrastructure refers to a range of methods that use nature-based solutions to store or absorb stormwater to reduce flows to sewer systems or surface waters. Solutions include natural drainage systems (bioswales), rain gardens, permeable pavement, green roofs, and tree planting.
Green infrastructure is an essential strategy to protect our city from flooding, preserve our water quality by limiting runoff and combined sewer overflows, and enhance our tree canopy and biodiversity.
Learn more at the EPA's "What is Green Infrastructure" page.
What is Green Infrastructure?
What Benefits Does Green Infrastructure Provide?
As climate change leads to more intense precipitation events and flooding, green infrastructure is one solution with many benefits. Green infrastructure projects can improve water quality, reduce urban flooding, mitigate extreme heat, and enhance neighborhood livability. Read more about the community benefits green infrastructure provides and examples in action in the Green Infrastructure Factsheet!
What is Green Infrastructure?
What's the Challenge with "Grey" Infrastructure?
During periods of moderate rain, “grey” infrastructure—the human-engineered infrastructure for water management—is an efficient way to transport large volumes of stormwater away from developed areas. During heavy rain events, the volume of stormwater may exceed the capacity of the sewer system, leading to local flooding and discharge of contaminated water into nearby waterways. With ever increasing precipitation intensities resulting from climate change, the City can no longer continue to build its way out of urban flooding issues. Additionally, as we convert more land to hard surfaces, like concrete or asphalt, the volume of stormwater runoff increases, because there is less vegetation to infiltrate the water. Green infrastructure is a solution that can help take the burden off the city’s grey infrastructure by reducing the amount of stormwater entering the sewer system.
Citywide Master Strategy
Green Infrastructure Master Strategy and Implementation Roadmap
New Bedford launched a green infrastructure planning process in 2021 that concluded in 2022 in order to maximize the utilization of green infrastructure throughout the City in a deliberate and strategic manner. Through the Green Infrastructure Master Strategy and Implementation Roadmap, the City took a holistic look at all of the City’s major drainage areas by:
- Assessing existing and proposed future drainage and combined sewer system infrastructure outlined in the City’s current plans and projects
- Identifying green infrastructure opportunities
- Setting priority actions for implementation
The plan prioritizes environmental justice communities experiencing urban flooding where the additional community benefits from green infrastructure will bring the most value. The plan strives to preserve and enhance New Bedford’s coastal areas, rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands and other natural assets. The plan is part of the City's effort to lead by example by demonstrating the tangible benefits of green infrastructure with measurable results.
Green infrastructure opportunities were ranked in terms of maintenance, ease of installation, aesthetics, environmental impacts, volume managed, and cost. Learn more by reading the complete Green Infrastructure Master Strategy and Implementation Roadmap.
Citywide Master Strategy
Public Participation Meeting
The City of New Bedford held a public meeting on May 17th, 2022 to educate and gather feedback about the City's Green Infrastructure Master Strategy and Implementation Roadmap. Couldn't make it to the meeting? Check out the presentation slides to learn more about what New Bedford is doing to increase green infrastructure opportunities!
Citywide Master Strategy
Connection to Past Efforts
The focus on green infrastructure is not new for New Bedford. It has been a long-time priority that was only strengthened by the NB Resilient Climate Action & Resilience Plan. Specifically, this planning process will advance four priority actions from NB Resilient:
• Promote green infrastructure throughout NB parks, streets, and residential and commercial developments
• Find alternatives to pervious surfaces to improve stormwater flow and quality and reduce urban heat island effect
• Develop and implement an Urban Reforestation Plan to increase tree canopy coverage, reduce the urban heat island, and improve stormwater management
• Adopt a city-wide policy to use only native plant species, with a focus on pollinator plantings
Citywide Master Strategy
Environmental Justice
Of New Bedford's 30 census tracts, 93% are designated Environmental Justice (EJ) communities based on the percent of minority, low income, and/or English Isolation residents. Many of the city’s EJ communities are the hardest hit by urban flooding as most are densely developed with some of the oldest infrastructure in the city. EJ communities are also especially vulnerable to extreme heat. To combat these environmental injustices, the Green Infrastructure Master Strategy and Implementation Roadmap will include a special focus on green infrastructure strategies that will benefit EJ communities. Green infrastructure approaches that increase urban tree canopy, for example, will mitigate extreme heat, store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and improve air quality. The City is partnering with several community-based organizations, such as Groundwork SouthCoast and Old Bedford Village Development Corporation, that represent EJ populations to ensure their voices are centered in the planning process.
Actions You Can Take
Promote Green Infrastructure
Join in the City's efforts by implementing your own green infrastructure practices at home.
