Critical Conversations: bridging pathways forward to greater understanding and creative solutions.

Prioritizing Green Infrastructure in New York City: A Framework for Project Implementation and Co-Benefits Evaluation

Research Open House 2021

Pankti Mehta, MS Sustainable Environmental Systems ‘20
Ira Stern, Visiting Assistant Professor
Leonel Lima Ponce, Acting Academic Coordinator
School of Architecture, Graduate Center for Planning and Environment (GCPE) and Sustainable Environmental Systems (SES)

Green Infrastructure (GI) implementation is often prioritized based on a singular problem: stormwater runoff. GI, however, is argued to have multiple co-benefits, raising the question: why aren’t these co-benefits accounted for prior to implementation?

infographic of benefits and co-benefits evaluation
Environmental factors that would benefit and co-benefit from green infrastructure utilization

This research is an inquiry into ideal ways to identify, quantify and evaluate the co-benefits of GI practices and how city agencies can accommodate these co-benefits in their prioritization and expansion of Green Infrastructure implementation. Developing a feasibility framework can help in site selection and GI prioritization based on its benefits as well as co-benefits.

infographic of framework for project implementation and co-benefits evaluation