Atlanta Federal Executive Board
Leadership Government Program
PROPOSAL TO CREATE
A FEDERAL GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE
TO BENEFIT METRO ATLANTA
Atlanta Federal Center
August 15, 2012

Survey Distribution and Respondents
• 10 Federal Agencies with an impact on
Green Infrastructure (GI) in the Metro
Atlanta Area
• Respondents included:
– EPA - Brownfields, CDC, GSA, USDA
- Forrest Service, Federal Highway
Administration, U.S. Fish &Wildlife
Service, EPA- Stormwater, USDA –
National Resources Conservation
Service and HUD.
• Percentages were calculated from the
total number of respondents
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Participant GI Definition Analysis
• 9 Responses – 9 different
definitions of Green
Infrastructure
• All respondents have a 22%
11%
different view of what GI
Products
is and how to address it. Services
33% Environment
• Adopting a broader view Combination
of GI can help everyone 33%
work together to address
GI in a way that meets all
stakeholders needs.
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GI Continuum
Landscape Regional Site specific
EPA EPA
FS FWS FHWA CDC Brownfields HUD Stormwater GSA
Forest Service (FS)
Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS)
Federal Highway Administration (FWHA)
Centers For Disease Control (CDC)
EPA – Brownfields (EPA-BF)
Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD)
GSA
EPA – Stormwater
Preservation / Low Impact Site
Conservation Development
Note: Based on Initial Survey
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Current Needs Identified in Survey
• Continued Support and GI Education
• Help identifying other agencies and organizations with funding
and authority to apply GI
• “Spread the word”
• Leads on material, resources and ideas
• Water and Wetland Mitigation techniques
• Stable Funding
• Planning models that inventory sensitive lands and buffer them
to support synergistic public infrastructure
• Storm water detention designed as community space
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GI Essential Ecological Services -
The Basic Infrastructure of All Life
• Green Infrastructure is a critical and basic step to achieve
Sustainable Development
• Nature’s Ecological Services
–Recharge Groundwater
–Clean Air
–Clean Water
–Plants for Pollinators
–Etc.
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Is Our Current Land Development
Approach Sustainable?
As we develop, tracks of undisturbed nature become fragmented.
Ecosystem services are undermined in highly urbanized settings.
Undeveloped Land
95-100% nature
Developed Atlanta
85-95% Impervious
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Impacts of Current Land Development
Practices
Proctor Creek, Atlanta, GA
Urban Streams do not meet
Clean Water Act Goals
of Fishable and Swimmable
Incised, Unstable Banks - Commonplace with
Urban Streams - Substantial Erosion

Impacts of Current Land Development
Practices
Impacts of Metro Atlanta’s Growth and Increasing Impervious Surfaces
Historic Flooding of 2009
– Stress for Residents
– Damage to Metro Atlanta’s Economy
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Impacts of Current Land Development
Practices
• Lake Lanier - Reduced Infiltration (Imperviousness!)
• Less Groundwater Recharge
• Drought Conditions Worse
• Worries about Drinking Water Supply
10

Historical Trends (Population Density)
11

Historical Trends (Population Density)
12

Historical Trends (Population Density)
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What is Green Infrastructure?
 Green Infrastructure (GI) is strategically planned and
managed networks of green space that protect ecosystem
values and functions through an array of products,
technologies, and practices.
 GI conserves or mimics natural processes to ensure the
provision of basic services provided by nature.
 The continuum of GI includes practices at the individual
project site, neighborhood and regional scale.
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In Addition to Essential Ecological
Services: Social and Economic Benefits
GI Benefits to Metro Atlanta –“significant with tremendous opportunities”
Social Benefits Economic Benefits
• Improved quality of life • Reduced costs for treating
• Better public health drinking water
• Increased recreation • Increased efficiencies in
opportunities agencies working together
• Reduced flooding • Reduced Utility Bills
• Increased Real Estate Values
• Reduced Dependency on Cars
Triple Bottom Line Benefits: Environmental, Social and Economic
15

Green Infrastructure is
Not More Expensive

What is the Federal Green Infrastructure
Community of Practice?
• Self-selected federal staffs, informally come together, to share
expertise and passion for learning about and contributing to
efforts to incorporate GI at all scales to benefit the City of
Atlanta.
• The intrinsic value is in meeting to share information, discuss
and solve problems, develop new ideas, leverage resources, and
build relationships with peers who share common goals and
objectives.
• The community of practice continues as long as interest is
expressed.
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Why Develop a Green Infrastructure
Community of Practice?
Broaden discussion to educate practitioners about all scales of
Green Infrastructure
– All scales produce a similar outcome - "a place for nature -
natural system processes to provide ecological services”
Breakdown the stovepipe mentality
– Find and seek opportunities to tie different efforts together
Change in approach needs to be widespread.
– Atlanta's efforts will encourage others to adopt
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Bridge the Barriers of
Traditional Disciplinary Boundaries
Comprehensive, integrated and strategic approach to land use decision making
AIR WATER SOIL LIFE
Architects - Civil Engineers - Landscape Architects- Ecologists - Planners
Architects Civil Engineers Landscape Architects Ecologists Planners …
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Benefits of a Community of Practice
• Fosters peer to peer information exchange and
learning among members
• Promotes a consistent approach and terminology
• Encourages Federal coordination, collaboration and
cooperation on plans, strategies and policies
• Reduces duplication and increases partnerships
• Encourages new ideas and innovation
• Understanding funding sources
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Atlanta is Adopting
Green Infrastructure Practices
Atlanta City Hall Green Roof Atlanta Fire Station #16 Rain Garden
Fernbanks Rain Garden Serenbe Low Impact Community
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Next Steps
• Meet others working on this topic and create a network of
practitioners
• Identify Topics for Discussion including developing a common
terminology
• Educate federal agencies and their staffs about what GI is, how
it works
• Share information
• Develop a steering committee with rotating leadership so
ownership is shared
• Focus the COP on the City of Atlanta - gain experience working
together here will translate into working together in other
locations
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Next Steps – Website and Environmental
Directory
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Next Steps
• How to get involved – ideally it would be great for
one person from each agency to be on the team; the
hosting of the meeting would ideally rotate between
agencies involved
– Formulate how meetings would work…enjoyable,
meaningful, productive
– Create an agenda—what other agencies are doing
– Establish logistic for CoP and methods for
communication
– Quarterly Meetings
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