Green Infrastructure

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Green Infrastructure

• Planning for working landscapes, natural
  resources and other open spaces

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Green Infrastructure Fosters Sense of Place

• Helps us define quality of life
• Helps us define community
• Facilitates and contains the activities that
  create community
• Defines the visual character of rural working
  landscapes
• Vegetation and open space have a quieting effect

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Green Infrastructure Enhances Property Values

• Monon Trail and other greenways in Indianapolis
  have increased value of homes (CUPE study)
• Average premium paid for house within ½ mile of
  greenway trail 4,384.
• Average premium paid for house within ½ mile of
  conservation corridor 5,317.

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Green Infrastructure Enhances Property Values

• 2001 Indiana Trails Study
• 86-95 of trail neighbors indicated they felt the
  trail had either no impact or a positive impact
  on their property value
• 81-93 indicated trail had no negative effect or
  made it easier to sell property

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Green Infrastructure Provides Economic Benefits

• Owners of small businesses rank recreation, parks
  and open space as the highest priority in
  choosing a location for their new business
  (Crompton, 1997)
• 1999 Economic Impact of Open Space in New
  Hampshire study shows that each acre of open
  space provides 1500 of economic benefit to the
  state and communities

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Green Infrastructure is Critical for
Environmental Health

• Health of our environment depends on how land is
  used
• Plants and animals need space
• These spaces must be connected
• Natural areas also absorb and neutralize
  pollutants

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Green Infrastructure Has Positive Fiscal Impact

• Numerous studies have found that tax and other
  revenues from open space more than cover the
  public service costs these lands incur.
• Average cost of community services per dollar of
  property tax revenue raised
• 0.27 for commercial/industrial land uses
• 0.36 for farmland, forest, open natural areas
• 1.15 for residential development

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Green Infrastructure Helps with Stormwater
Management

• Increases filtration of stormwater
• Filters and removes pollutants
• Provides valuable aquifer recharge areas
• Protects integrity of streambeds and rivers
• Mitigates flooding

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Green Infrastructure Supports Local Business /
Ecotourism

• Landscapes attract tourism
• Farm land needed for agri-business
• Forest land needed to support Forest Products
  industry
• Habitat for wildlife
• Hunting fishing opportunities

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Green Infrastructure is Critical to Other
Community Objectives

• Economic Development
• Farmland protection
• Preservation / enhancement of water quality
• Rural character
• Natural or scenic views
• Historical or archaeological value
• Floodplains, streams, and wetlands
• Wildlife and forestland
• Minimizes soil erosion
• Cultural arts and attractions

quality of life
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Additional Thoughts

• Open space does not equal open access
• Open space is not wasted space
• Green infrastructure is appropriate for all
  levels of urbanization
• Increased density with great design means more
  open space for everyone

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Harrison County, Indiana

• Increasing development pressure from Louisville
  metropolitan area
• Citizen driven initiative led to the creation of
  the Farm, Forest and Open Space Task Force by
  County Commissioners in 2003

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• Task Force composed of 17 residents, representing
  diverse stakeholder interests of farmers,
  developers, and private citizens
• Additional appointees (ex-officio members)
  represent the County Planning Department,
  Agricultural Extension Agency, the Nature
  Conservancy, and County Government

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Purchase of Development Rights Program

• Farm, Forest and Open Space Task Force developed
  an ordinance that would establish a PDR program
  for the county Ordinance received first reading
  at the December 20, 2005 County Commissioners
  Meeting.

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• Voluntary program
• Individual land owners receive compensation for
  restricting future development on property
• Development rights are permanently removed from
  the property in the form of a deed restriction
• Allows for continued farming and timbering
  operations on the property
• Task force currently pursuing partnership with
  non-profit land trust to monitor properties,
  ensuring that land is permanently protected

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Hendricks County

• Formed a Planning with Power group.
• Subcommittee to county plan commission
• Developed conservation design subdivision
  ordinance
• Keys to success
• Formation of diverse planning group
• Daily involvement of planner or plan department
  director
• Regular communication
• Key leadership to initiate / advocates

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Land Use Team Module

• Available for dissemination to variety of
  audiences
• Covers issues such as
• Importance of green infrastructure
• Common misconceptions
• Examples of green infrastructure
• A subsequent module will focus on nuts and bolts
  of implementing a green infrastructure program in
  your community
• For more information contact Linda Prokopy,
  lprokopy_at_purdue.edu, 765-496-2221