The Equity Guide for Green Stormwater Infrastructure Practitioners (the Guide) is a comprehensive resource for public sector stormwater management organizations to advance and measure equity in their green stormwater infrastructure policies, programs, and projects. Collaboratively developed with, and on behalf of, the Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange, a network of local public sector green infrastructure program leaders, the Guide reflects a year-long process of consultation and workshopping with members of the Exchange. It is grounded in a literature review that features insights from 80 published sources and interviews with more than 60 practitioners and community based organizations across North America.
“Green infrastructure can elevate the power frontline communities have to shape their own future and build their economic vitality and resilience.”
April Mendez, CEO
How Green Infrastructure Can Drive Equity
When thoughtfully designed, green infrastructure can simultaneously reduce communities’ exposure to harm and increase their opportunities to thrive. “It is an approach that — when developed with community as the co-authors and co-builders — can elevate the power frontline communities have to shape their own future and build their economic vitality and resilience” said April Mendez, CEO of Greenprint Partners, the lead author of the Guide. “The Guide illuminates a shared path to help our industry make tangible progress.”
Forging Community Partnerships for Equitable Development
The Guide’s intended audience — green infrastructure program managers at public sector stormwater management organizations — now have access to a framework, research, and tools that will help facilitate stronger partnerships between their organizations and the communities they serve. The Guide offers resources around seven core Goals. It helps strengthen each organization’s Internal Readiness to advance equity, and to hone internal Policies and Programs, as well pathways to collaboratively advance goals related to Centering Community, Siting and Investment, Benefits-Driven Project Development, Economic Stability, and Preventing Displacement.
The Guide’s Origins
Exchange members who manage programs on behalf of public sector stormwater management organizations across the US and Canada informed the vision and execution of the Guide. Paula Conolly, former Director of the Exchange, stated, “Our hope is that the collaborative process of organizing the big, complex topic of equity in green infrastructure into seven concrete goals, and offering clear guidance and tools to help our members, we have delivered on a core desires of our industry: building staff capacity, enriching the community of practice, and contributing to research and socialization of findings.” The collaborative grant that funded this initiative was provided by Global Philanthropic Partnership.
equity in action
Greenprint’s commitment to racial equity and social justice is not just part of our values, but is built directly into our business model and internal operations. Our team believes that a truly equitable approach ensures that frontline communities not only share in the environmental, social, and economic benefits of green infrastructure, but also directly participate in the decision-making processes that inform the green infrastructure built in their communities.
We hold ourselves to high standards set in the Guide, folding in best practices in Centering Community, Siting + Investment, and Benefits-Driven Project Development. Check out our work to learn how we get the most good out of green infrastructure.
the Seven equity Goals
The Guide distills insights from from 80 published sources and interviews with more than 60 practitioners and community based organizations across North America into seven equity goals:
Internal Readiness
Centering Community
Siting and Investment
Benefits-Driven Project Development
Economic Stability
Preventing Displacement
Programs and Policies
Get Help using the Guide
As lead author of the Guide, Greenprint helps public sector stormwater management organizations and service providers put the Guide’s content into action.
Reach out to us to learn how we can help your organization:
define and build consensus around shared long-term equity goals,
apply best practices that will move the needle,
select sample metrics that help track progress toward those goals over time,
develop community-informed Equity Work Plans and Evaluation Plans specific to your local contexts.
