Presentation by Hazen & Sawyer at Baltimore Urban Waters Partnership summer 2015 meeting on Green Infrastructure co-benefits study and calculator they developed for NYC Green Infrastructure program led by NYC DEP: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/stormwater/using_green_infra_to_manage_stormwater.shtml

1. WaterJAM2010
Green Infrastructure Co-Benefits
Study and Calculator
Matthew Jones, PhD, PE
mjones@hazenandsawyer.com
Baltimore Urban Waters Partnership
June 9, 2015

2. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
NYC Green Infrastructure Overview
 Managing 1” of runoff from 10% of
impervious surfaces with GI
 Co-benefits noted as an advantage of GI
 Comprehensive pilot program informing
adaptive management
2
Design
ImplementEvaluate
Plan

3. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Goals of Co-Benefits Study
 Identify and quantify green infrastructure co-benefits
 Conduct monitoring for co-benefits validation
 Develop a tool to calculate, compare, and track co-
benefits and triple bottom line costs

4. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Co-Benefit Parameters
Environmental
 Carbon Sequestration
 Urban Heat Island Mitigation
 Reduced Building Energy
Demand
 Urban Habitat
 Improved Air Quality
Social
 Improved Quality of Life
Economic
 Reduced Stormwater Treatment Need
 Green Jobs

5. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Co-Benefits Study Approach
Summary
Co-Benefits Calculator
Triple Bottom Line Costs and Benefits
Environmental Social Economic
Analysis
Literature Review Monitoring
Life Cycle
Analysis

6. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Co-Benefits Monitoring Program
Remote and On-Site Field
Monitoring of Co-Benefits

7. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Field Monitoring
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Field Measurements:
• Temperature differences
between control and green
infrastructure (air and surface)
• Observations of pollinators,
animal species, bloom periods
and fruiting
• Observations of vegetative
coverage and correlation with
success of planting schemes
• Soil investigations to correlate
with vegetation health
(nutrients, respiration,
gasoline)

8. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
 Temperature
 Confirmed that green
infrastructure surfaces generally
cooler than nearby pavement
 In limited applications, cooler
ambient air temperatures were
not confirmed
 Pollinators
 Confirmed presence at GI with
flowering vegetation, even when
isolated in highly urbanized areas
 Green Infrastructure Soils
 Observed higher level of soil
biological activity at GI than
typical City soils, as well as some
accumulation of pollutants
Monitoring Results
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9. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Time-Lapse Camera Evaluations

10. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Literature Review
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What?
A comprehensive review of literature on similar work performed
elsewhere, focused on quantitative results and analysis methods
Why?
Available literature provides insight into prior efforts on co-benefits
identification and quantification, supplementing monitoring results
How?
Review of over 100 reports, journal articles, and other publications
on green infrastructure and urban vegetation

11. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Example Co-benefit Calculation
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Carbon Sequestration
• Published annualized sequestration rates:
• Carbon Sequestration Calculation
Carbon Sequestered = Soil Sequestration Rate * Control Area + Shrub and Herbaceous
Sequestration Rate * Shrub and Herbaceous Coverage * Control Area + Tree
Sequestration Rate * Number of Trees * 3.67 lb CO2 / lb C
Carbon Sequestered (lb CO2/yr) = 0.1402 lb/yr/ft² * Control Area + 0.0181 lb/yr/ft² *
Shrub and Herbaceous Coverage * Control Area + 8.0 lb/yr/tree * Number of Trees
* 3.67 lb CO2 / lb C
Type
Annual
Sequestration Rate Reference
Soil 0.1402 (lb/yr/ft2) Jo, H. K., & McPherson, G. E. 1995
Lawn 0.0181 (lb/yr/ft2) Jo, H. K., & McPherson, G. E. 1995
3-9” Diameter Tree 8.0 (lb/yr/Tree) Novak, 2007
Extensive Green Roof 0.06656 (lb/yr/ft2) Getter, 2009

12. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Life Cycle Analysis
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• An evaluation of energy and
materials needed to construct
and maintain green
infrastructure presents metrics
of environmental costs
• Conducting an LCA provides a
more comprehensive
evaluation of GI costs
• A life cycle analysis database
(Sima Pro) in conjunction with
construction and maintenance
details from implemented GI
quantifies GHG emissions

13. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Carbon Network: Continuous Green Roof (Bishop Loughlin)
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Continuous
Green Roof
Project
Soil
Other
Materials
Ceramic
HydRocks
Transport Transport Transport
Foam
Core
Note that only large
contributors to CF are visible.
Green Roof Carbon Network

14. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Environmental Life Cycle Analysis
Control
Scalable LCA
(kg CO2 / ft² GI)
Non-Scalable
LCA
(kg CO2)
Maintenance LCA
(kg CO2 / ft² GI / yr)
ROW Bioretention 33.81 151.93 0.31
Large Bioretention 12.90 123.17 0.09
Permeable Pavement 7.43 227.90 0.0004
Stormwater Wetland 6.03 398.20 0.07
Green Roof 3.62 75.97 0.0004
Blue Roof 4.89 104.02 ---
 The more complex the materials and larger the
practice, the higher the carbon footprint
 Results differ when scaled based upon GI area or
managed area

15. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Global Warming Potential per ft² of GI

16. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Global Warming Potential per Gallon Managed

17. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Co-Benefits Cost and Comparison Tool
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• A computer tool compiles information from the co-
benefits study into a centralized location, allowing
the user to perform assessments of proposed or
existing GI controls
• Unified tool needed to support quick assessments
and inform comparative decisions
• Normalized cost and co-benefit metrics calculated
based upon user inputs and study results
• Able to be customized for a specific geographic
location

18. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Co-Benefits Calculator
www.nycgicobenefits.net

19. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Co-Benefits Calculator

20. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Co-Benefits Calculator

21. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Co-Benefits Calculator

22. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Co-Benefits Calculator

23. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Co-Benefits Calculator

24. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Co-Benefits Calculator

25. WaterJAM2010NCAWWAWEA2011
Summary
 Green infrastructure widely assumed to provide co-
benefits
 Mechanisms exist to evaluate and quantify specific co-
benefits provided
 Quantified co-benefits can be an effective component
of public outreach and support stakeholder buy in
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26. WaterJAM2010
Green Infrastructure Co-Benefits
Study and Calculator
Matthew Jones, PhD, PE
mjones@hazenandsawyer.com
Baltimore Urban Waters Partnership
June 9, 2015