As cities across the U.S. grapple with increasingly severe and more frequent flooding from intense storms and climate change, a growing number of municipalities are recognizing that the century-old approach of mainly channeling rainwater into underground pipes and sewers is not enough. Adding to their flood fighting toolkit, they’re embracing green stormwater infrastructure — systems that work with nature.

Green stormwater infrastructure encompasses a range of techniques designed to capture, filter, and slowly release rainwater where it falls, mimicking natural processes that impervious concrete and asphalt have disrupted. These solutions include rain gardens filled with native plants, porous pavement that allows water to seep through, constructed wetlands, parks and green spaces, and green roofs that absorb rainfall like giant sponges.

The approach represents a fundamental shift in urban planning. Traditional “gray” infrastructure, which includes storm drains, pipes, and treatment plants, is often designed to move water away from cities as quickly as possible. Green infrastructure does it differently: it slows water down, allowing it to infiltrate into the ground or evaporate naturally. Both are critically important.

The benefits of green infrastructure extend beyond just flood control. Green infrastructure is not only cost effective, it reduces pollution entering waterways, creates urban habitat for wildlife, improves air quality and makes neighborhoods healthier and more attractive places to live and gather.

Cities like Philadelphia, Seattle, New York, and New Orleans have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in green infrastructure programs, driven by both environmental concerns and economic necessity.

In New Orleans, urban flooding is a chronic problem. Much of the city lies below sea level, and the city gets frequent, intense downpours, especially in warmer months. Like many cities, New Orleans has a lot of concrete, asphalt and rooftops, and existing infrastructure often can’t absorb or move water fast enough. This leads to flash flooding on streets and in low-lying, often lower wealth, neighborhoods.

But the city and its residents are taking steps to address the issue and incorporate climate-resilient grey and green infrastructure projects to prevent and combat flooding.

During a learning visit at the 2025 Grantmakers in Health conference, several organizations — Upper 9th Ward Bunny Friend Neighborhood Association, the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Groundwork New Orleans, Healthy Community Services, Sankofa Community Development Corporation, and Water Wise Gulf South — showed that some of the most effective climate solutions come from the communities that need them most.

“There’s no division of land and ownership in the real world. Water, land, ground systems and roots are all interconnected,” said Rashida Ferdinand, founder and executive director of Sankofa CDC.

Taking lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina 20 years ago, their work to incorporate green stormwater infrastructure spans New Orleans’ neighborhoods where flooding isn’t just an inconvenience, but a threat to survival, economic stability and community cohesion.

“Communities on the front lines of climate change develop the most effective multi-solving solutions,” said Kresge Environment Program Officer Yeou-Rong Jih. “Green stormwater projects can not only reduce flood risks, but also improve our health, create jobs, and build community wealth and well-being simultaneously.”

Three Types of Transformations

During the learning visit, community and nonprofit leaders demonstrated three different types and scales of green stormwater infrastructure projects (GSI), including:

The Sankofa Wetland Park & Nature Trail project is restoring 40 acres of deteriorated land adjacent to Bayou Bienvenue Triangle into a thriving bald cypress-water tupelo wetland habitat. This isn’t just environmental restoration and flood prevention, it’s turning a symbol of neglect into a source of pride and resilience for Lower Ninth Ward residents.

The Intercommunity Connection Stormwater Lot shows how residents can transform an abandoned urban space into a community asset. When the Bunny Friend Neighborhood Association acquired a triple lot in 2009, they didn’t just want to manage the 20,000+ gallons of stormwater it now handles. They wanted to create a gathering place. Today, four rain gardens and a bioswale serve double duty as flood protection and neighborhood event space, proving that infrastructure can help connect people in a community to one another.

The Vision To Reality Stormwater Management Park is named for the 7th Ward residents whose vision became a reality. This 35,000-gallon capacity park, developed through a unique collaboration with the Department of Transportation to address runoff and pollution from roads, includes native vegetation and trees, educational signage, real-time weather monitoring, community gathering spaces, and seating areas. Most significantly, Phase 2 of this unique project will be constructed entirely by participants from New Orleans youth workforce development programs.

According to data gathered from Water Wise Gulf South and Earth Economics, in partnership with the Greater Tremé Consortium, Healthy Community Services, Upper 9th Ward Bunny Friend Neighborhood Association, Hollygrove-Dixon Neighborhood Association, New Orleans East Green Infrastructure Collective, and the Lower 9th Ward Homeownership Association, community groups have planted more than 770 trees, installed 146 rain barrels, and implemented more than 113 other green infrastructure projects since 2013. Other projects include rain gardens, concrete removal, French drains, rain barrels, stormwater planter boxes, pervious pavement, and bioswales.

These projects have added more than 189,000 gallons of stormwater retention capacity to areas of New Orleans which are frequently flooded and provide $19.3 million in ecosystem services benefits each year.

“These projects, which all center the needs and visions of the communities, demonstrate the different types of GSI that are feasible and effective in urban spaces, and show how nature-based solutions can provide multiple benefits,” Jih said. “It’s possible to meaningfully uplift the voices and leadership of communities most impacted by flooding and climate change and build the muscle of working collaboratively with local and regional government to encourage them to incorporate more equitable and climate resilient decision-making in their policies and infrastructure.”

“Supporting equitable and community-led green stormwater infrastructure and nature-based solutions helps ensure that neighborhoods can be healthy, safe, and economically secure in the face of urban flooding. Climate change is an everything and everyone issue, and we all have a role to play in finding and supporting solutions,” Jih said.