Explore the Green Places Tools below. Roll over each Tool to see its name and click to pull up details. You can also search by the categories above. Each Tool includes definitions and resources, such as links to case studies, standard plans, funding, and partnership opportunities. Also be sure to look at the detailed resources in Get Funding and Resource Library.
Rain gardens are bowl-shaped areas in a landscape designed to capture and soak in rainwater or slow the rate of runoff and filter pollutants. Special plants are chosen that can have “wet feet” for a few hours. These gardens filter pollutants and help protect against erosion and flooding by reducing the surge of water that rushes to streams during a storm. Lined rain gardens provide filtration and then discharge to the storm drain or other infiltration area while unlined rain gardens provide filtration and infiltration.
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Light fixtures that only turn on when the movement of people is detected, thereby saving energy.
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Using recycled and reclaimed materials in the construction of physical improvements, and finding ways to reuse existing on-site materials.
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Canopies, trellises, other shade structures, and landscaping that reduce heat absorption, lower ambient temperatures, and create a more comfortable environment.
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Photovoltaic modules or panels that absorb the sun’s rays as a source of energy. Solar installation systems generate energy that can be used on-site and/or feed into the power grid.
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An electric generator that converts energy from the wind into electrical power.
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Energy-harvesting paving tiles that, when stepped on, generate electricity that can be used for applications such as lighting or light art. When illuminated with a quick flash of light when stepped on, kinetic pavers provide an enhanced opportunity to encourage public interaction and to showcase emerging technologies.
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A piece of land gardened collectively by a group of participants, producing fruit, vegetables, herbs and/or ornamental plantings for gardeners and their community.
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Reflective pavement – typically composed of modified asphalt, light-colored concrete, or a light-colored coating -- that reduces the amount of heat absorbed into the pavement, lowering surface and ambient air temperatures.
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Landscapes that have low water requirements, which may incorporate native plants and trees. Planting for increased biodiversity and native habitat restoration should be a primary goal.
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Design Guidance
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An alley comfortable for pedestrians and people on bikes, as well as for vehicles. A green alley is built with materials and features that capture stormwater, reduce heat, and provide a more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing environment.
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A vertical wall partially or completely covered with vegetation, typically consisting of a structure, growing media (soil), and integrated water delivery system.
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Planting new trees or transplanting existing established trees in order to provide shade and aesthetic benefits.
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A roof surface designed to reflect radiation from the sun and absorb less heat, thereby reducing heat transfer into the building/structure.
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A party for the residents of a block or neighborhood, typically held on a closed-off city street. Could also occur in a vacant or underutilized parcel.
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An event where community members come to donate blood or to receive general health screenings.
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A group of people who gather to participate in an organized activity or group workshop led by an instructor.
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A community-led event centering on and celebrating a unique aspect of that community and its traditions.
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The use of space for recreation or physical fitness purposes, either organized or impromptu. Fitness uses can also include permanent installations of fitness equipment.
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A brief public gathering at which people perform a seemingly random act that is typically organized formally beforehand through social media and/or email, in order to improve social networks, engage with public spaces, call attention to an issue, etc.
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(Adapted from Spriral16)
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A temporary event such as a pumpkin patch, hayride, craft fair, or Christmas Tree lot.
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A gathering of employers with available jobs and related training, who interface with interested job-seekers.
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Music, dancing, films, or other forms of arts and entertainment in the public realm.
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A community event during which people gather to clean the urban realm.
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A temporary exhibit for objects of historical, scientific, artistic or cultural interest. It often takes the form of a one-time event during which participants share based on a theme.
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Concerts and other musical activities to enliven spaces for transit riders.
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A kiosk or small structure that offers charging for cell phones, computers, or other electronic devices.
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A mini-park within the street right-of-way which extends the sidewalk, usually created by eliminating one or two parking spaces. Parklets may include a variety of uses including seating, tables, planting, and play elements.
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Temporary public open space created by closing a portion of the street to vehicular traffic and introducing street furniture and programming.
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Informal structures that allow community members to borrow and leave books and other forms of print media.
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Short-term sales spaces for goods and services. Although these spaces are often small and temporary, they can build up high levels of consumer interest based on location and exposure to customers.
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Chairs, tables and benches placed on sidewalks or other public rights-of-way. Placement can be temporary or permanent, fixed or movable, depending on location and use. Businesses with active storefronts, such as restaurants or cafés, can sometimes place seats and tables in the public realm outside of their businesses.
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Improve the walkability, visibility and safety of a highway underpass or overpass.
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Public water fountains that allow for the refilling of reusable water bottles, often with filtered water, encouraging reduced consumption of plastic water bottles.
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Providing visual and other sensory cues to orient people to locations, landmarks and destinations.
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A free facility allowing computers, smartphones, tablets, etc. to connect to the internet in a public space.
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Onsite treatment and use of wastewater from indoor water use, used as irrigation water and, in some cases, for use as toilet flushing water.
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Sewer Mining is the extraction and treatment of wastewater, typically for irrigation use, before it reaches the wastewater treatment plant.
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Storm drain mining is the extraction and treatment of stormwater from drainage channels servicing large areas, typically for irrigation use, before it reaches the ocean. Instead of collecting the rainwater from a single property (rainwater harvesting), stormwater, including dry-weather runoff, can be collected from drainage channels with more consistent flows.
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Innovative techniques and products that utilize real-time onsite weather data, locally broadcast weather data, and/or soil moisture data to automatically adjust the irrigation schedules based upon climate and soil moisture adjusted water demands of the landscape. Irrigation control technologies can significantly reduce overwatering by applying water only when plants need it.
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Innovative techniques and products that increase irrigation efficiency and minimize water use. Examples include drip irrigation, micro-spray irrigation and deep watering of trees.
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A shaft or cylinder constructed in the ground to dissipate stormwater runoff into the ground.
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An infiltration basin is a shallow earthen basin constructed in naturally-permeable soil designed for retaining and infiltrating stormwater runoff into the underlying native soils and the groundwater table. The bottoms of the basins are typically vegetated with dry-land grasses or irrigated turf grass.
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Site Planning & Design
A small- to large-scale system that collects and stores rainwater from a roof, impermeable, and/or permeable area that would otherwise be lost to runoff. The stormwater is used for non-potable water purposes such as irrigation, vehicle washing, and toilet flushing.
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A small-scale system for collecting and storing rainwater from a roof. The stormwater is used for irrigation. Water cannot be collected from a drain system or channel. The collected water cannot have been previously been put to use.
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Image: Abraham Sheppard
In order to maximize on-site use and capture of water; conserve natural areas, soils, vegetation; minimize disturbances to natural drainage patterns; minimize and disconnect impervious surfaces; minimize soil compaction; and direct runoff from impervious areas to pervious areas.
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Flow through planters are structures placed above-ground with impervious bottoms that are filled with soil and vegetation, allowing stormwater to infiltrate through the soil before being discharged. The bottom of a planter contains a porous pipe and/or gravel layer that drains the stormwater after it has filtered through the soil and vegetation. Planters are typically installed next to buildings or common open areas to treat stormwater from rooftops.
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Bioswales or vegetated swales are storm water runoff conveyance systems designed to infiltrate and remove silt and pollution from runoff water. The stormwater is used for irrigation and to recharge groundwater.
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Image: Abraham Sheppard
Infiltration planters are structures or containers with open bottoms to allow stormwater to slowly infiltrate into the ground. They contain a layer of gravel, soil, and vegetation. Stormwater runoff temporarily pools on top of the soil, and then slowly infiltrates through the planter into the ground. Infiltration planters come in many sizes and shapes, and are made of stone, concrete, brick, plastic lumber, or wood.
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Vegetated curb extensions, also called stormwater curb extensions, are landscaped areas within the parking zone of a street that capture stormwater runoff in a depressed planting bed. The landscaped area can be designed similar to a rain garden or vegetated swale, utilizing infiltration and evapotranspiration for stormwater management. Vegetated curb extensions can be used at a roadway intersection, midblock, or along the length or block of the roadway, and can be combined with pedestrian crosswalks to increase safety along a roadway.
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Art that is experienced in the public realm as a temporary or permanent installation or in an event-based format.
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Murals:
“Renewable Energy Art”:
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Pavements with a base that allow the movement of stormwater through the surface to reduce runoff and and filter pollutants from the water.
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Art, architecture, food, history, and other arts-related or cultural-related tours adjacent to transit that are educational and fun ways to experience and learn about a place's cultural asset.
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A temporary food market where local farmers and vendors sell directly to consumers, often including entertainment, food and drinks, and other activities.
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Open Street events are temporary one-day events that close the streets to automotive traffic and open them to people to walk, bike and roll.
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