Green Infrastructure for Urban Stormwater Management

Catalog description

Stormwater runoff is a major cause of water pollution and associated ecological damage in urban areas. Green stormwater infrastructure offers cost-effective ways to manage urban stormwater while providing a broad range of other ecological, social, and economic benefits to urban residents. When coupled with more traditional "gray" storm water infrastructure strategies, green infrastructure for stormwater management purposes has the power to transform how we conceive of urban design in the future. This course will introduce students to the concepts, theories, and design methodologies specifically site engineering and grading techniques for green stormwater infrastructure aimed at managing urban stormwater. A particular area of focus will be the relationship of green stormwater infrastructure and site grading / system sizing design for improving hydrology as part of a comprehensive approach to creating more sustainable cities. Grading design vignettes will include bioswales, rain gardens, and blue roof / green roof techniques. The course will look at a range of "green" urban stormwater management strategies at a variety of scales ranging from building and site sized scales to neighborhood and city- wide scales. A case study approach will be used to study green infrastructure projects throughout the United States.