A Green Path Forward
Too frequently, nature in the city of Detroit has become associated with abandonment, blight and decay. Our goal is for nature to be associated with health and prosperity.
The path forward is through green stormwater infrastructure: green space and natural plants that absorb and slow stormwater runoff, reducing overflows and flooding, while also creating much-needed public access to nature.
Click the black labels below for a quick look at how cities can use green infrastructure to manage stormwater.
Ways Cities Are Capturing Stormwater
Cities and landowners are using a variety of techniques to trap stormwater and help it seep into the ground quickly. Some of the most cost-effective methods bring more greenery and nature into cities.
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Permeable pavement
Parking lots, sidewalks and streets that are paved with interlocking bricks allow stormwater to drain down from the surface and into the ground, rather than routing it to storm drains.
Rain gardens and Bioretention planters
Rain gardens are designed to capture and disperse water into soil. Bioretention planters, placed along sidewalks, do the same thing but at a smaller scale.
Green Roofs
By integrating gardens or grasses into the roofs of new buildings, most stormwater is stored, captured and evaporated or used before it ever reaches the ground.
Larger underground pipes to capture stormwater
This is expensive infrastructure that uses larger underground stormwater pipes to store more stormwater and allow time for water-processing facilities to treat it.
Pocket Parks
Cities are turning unused property of all sizes into small parks. They replace paved areas with green space that can trap rain and provide habitat for native pollinators.
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Access to the benefits nature provides — such as clean water, cool air and protection from flooding — should not be a luxury available to those who can afford it. It’s a right that goes to the core of human health and well-being.
North America Cities Network
Cities are home to more than 62% of the U.S. population. To fulfill our mission The Nature Conservancy must address the conservation needs of urban areas.
Program Overview
Conserving the Great Lakes State
From forests to wetlands, dunes to prairies, and cities to farms, TNC is working to protect the lands and waters on which Michigan depends.
More Cities Stories
Former General Motors site becomes a 334-acre natural area.
From a city park to a vast forest, trees deliver for us when we help them thrive. Here are 6 ways.
Tangible, on-the-ground projects like the Sacred Heart Church parking lot retofit demonstrate the value of green infrastructure, which is crucial to building support for this work across the city of Detroit.