Current Status
Ongoing
Activity In 2022
16 green stormwater infrastructure projects completed; 13 projects approved with GSI (Green stormwater infrastructure) features, and 3 riparian restoration projects completed by the City of Houston Parks Department.
Beyond 2022
Houston Public Works’ Transportation and Drainage Operations has two GSI projects underway with expected completion dates in 2023. These projects include construction of porous concrete sidewalk at Malone Park, porous pavement and sidewalk construction at Winter Street Park. The Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability is also supporting the development of two GSI projects in 2023.
Current Initiatives
- City of Houston Incentives for Green Development
- H-GAC Designing for Impact: A Regional Guide to Low Impact Development
What is the Importance of Green Stormwater Infrastructure?
Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) improves the adaptability of the overall drainage system, bringing additional benefits to all communities as a result. How GSI is integrated within existing traditional stormwater systems will define how well the city learns to live with and without water, especially as it confronts more intense but intermittent rain events as well as droughts. A GSI program will integrate nature into the built environment to reduce flooding, preserve green spaces, improve water and air quality, tackle extreme heat, and bring new investments into communities that need them the most. To do so, the City will continue to showcase GSI techniques via design, construction, and maintenance of demonstration projects that serve as examples to the broader Houston community. These projects could include green roofs, permeable pavement and Habiturf, rain gardens and bioswales, and rainwater capture systems that could be placed on public or private property. With 86 projects completed within the first three years, Houston is well underway to meeting its target by 2025. Over the next few years, as Houston pushes GSI implementation through demonstration projects and incentives, the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability will identify ways in which other external agency-led projects, such as the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Harris County Flood Control District, Harris County, and the Texas Department of Transportation, can be tracked within city limits.
Completed Green Stormwater Infrastructure Projects in 2022
- 2021 Data Source
- COH Office of Recovery