The Wu administration’s looking to the sidewalks to curb flooding and other environmental impacts.
“Today we are announcing Boston’s first ever green infrastructure policy and in doing so setting a new standard for safer, more sustainable roadway infrastructure throughout the city,” Wu said in a statement. “Together these elements will improve community safety, foster community engagement, and boost our climate resilience.”
The new policy applies to the colorfully named “neckdowns, bulb-outs, or bumpouts” of the corner’s of the city’s sidewalks. The idea is to put “small-scale green infrastructure installations,” or “GI” in these areas with an eye on reducing runoff and flooding as compared with the normal impervious materials that these areas normally are made with.
These might involve trees, rain gardens, stone filtrations areas, wildflowers or porous asphalt, plus the assorted green-planing descriptions such as “Infiltration Tree Pits or Infiltration Tree Trenches” and “Bioswales,” the latter of which are depressions of vegetation that direct runoff.
The ciy’s also establishing a volunteer program to “assist in the maintenance of select GI sites.” Through this, people can “adopt” one of these GI tracts and then aid in litter removal and seasonal cleanups.
Wu has long said that she wants Boston to be a “Green New Deal” city, using the language of national progressives.
Read More: Boston looks to add green infrastructure to sidewalks