The business case for green infrastructure: Resilient stormwater management in the Great Lakes Region

The business case in stormwater mitigation and maintenance is to reduce the cost of pumping and treating water, and the potential impacts of flooding. Effective stormwater management strategies can have a positive return on investment on these very real stormwater costs, and can be cheaper than increasing water treatment capacity and/or cleaning up after a stormwater event. Smart stormwater management is a low-cost alternative to traditional practices.

This report examined previous academic and peer group studies, municipal policies and case studies from developers, professional service firms and other institutions and have compiled key findings for developers and other real estate professionals, to highlight the need that our urbanized communities have and the potential for success that they already exhibit.

Beyond the chapters that address the status of this region, the cost benefit analysis, and the local policy climate that surrounds green infrastructure, the case studies feature projects and associated development partners and leaders who have made early strides to green and clean stormwater on their project’s site, before it reaches the connected wastewater system.