Climate Change: Designing for the Future-Climate Change Designing for the Future Slides 3

Climate Change Designing for the Future Slides 3

Pdf Summary

This presentation, led by Amanda Ludlow and Amy Seek, addresses Climate Adaptive Stormwater Management through nature-based systems. It starts by identifying key climate challenges: increasing heavy rainfall events leading to frequent floods, overwhelmed sewer infrastructure, and compromised transportation networks. Traditional engineering solutions like pumping, elevating roads, and erecting barriers often cause ecological disruption, community displacement, and social inequalities.<br /><br />The presentation advocates for green infrastructure as a resilient alternative, highlighting Philadelphia’s $2.4 billion investment aiming to reduce combined sewer overflow (CSO) volumes by 85% through 9,500 “greened acres” – urban areas designed to manage initial stormwater runoff using tools like tree trenches, rain gardens, bioswales, and porous pavements.<br /><br />Specific projects are showcased including wetland restoration at Eisenhower Park in Milford, CT, where a 2.5-acre wetland was created to attenuate floods and improve water storage, and stream stabilization in Buchanan, VA, restoring creek banks to reduce flood frequency, protect roadways, and enhance habitat.<br /><br />A significant case study is New Orleans, a coastal city threatened by sea-level rise, subsidence, and extreme weather. With a $14.6 billion federal investment, its resilience initiatives combine traditional levee and pump upgrades with community-focused, multi-scale blue-green infrastructure projects in the Gentilly Resilience District. These include stormwater parks, improved drainage corridors, tree plantings, complete streets, and neighborhood amenities aimed at managing urban flooding, slowing subsidence, enhancing public spaces, and driving economic development.<br /><br />The presentation emphasizes that blue and green infrastructure solutions must be custom-tailored to local conditions—soil, drainage, water quality, heat island effect, and community needs—and integrated across disciplines for holistic, equitable resilience. Such nature-based strategies provide adaptable, multi-benefit approaches to stormwater management in diverse communities facing climate impacts.

Keywords

Climate Adaptive Stormwater Management

Nature-based Systems

Green Infrastructure

Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Reduction

Urban Stormwater Runoff

Wetland Restoration

Stream Stabilization

Blue-Green Infrastructure

Resilience Initiatives

Community-focused Flood Management