Green Design Standards

The Green Design Standards Manual is a guidance document intended to supplement the City’s stormwater design standards as outlined in the primary Design Standards Manual. It includes additional guidance for implementing green and sustainable design practices. The goal of this document is to introduce Low Impact Development (LID) techniques, as well as to provide sufficient information (description and applicability, advantages, disadvantages, technical guidance, and cost) on each practice. It helps demonstrate the strategies needed to integrate innovative and highly effective LID stormwater management techniques into stormwater design.

These standards will apply to stormwater management projects designed by and for the City and also to private development and redevelopment projects. The Green Design Standards are referenced in Book 1 GR2.08 Other Resources of the Design Standards Manual. All requirements in Book 2: Stormwater shall be met, however, this document functions as a supplement or an additional resource to SW 11 Stormwater Management.

All files below are in .pdf format:

• • Executive Summary and Table of Contents
  • 1.0 Introduction
  • 2.0 Low Impact Development
  • 3.0 Techniques to Reduce Impervious Cover
  • 4.0 Green Design Fact Sheets/Design Techniques
  • 4.1 Green Roofs
  • 4.2 Permeable Pavement Systems
  • 4.3 Cisterns and Rain Barrels
  • 4.4 Filter Strips
  • 4.5 Bioretention (rain gardens)
  • 4.6 Low Impact and Retentive Grading
  • 4.7 Swales
  • 4.8 Subsurface Infiltration
  • 4.9 Inlet & Outlet Controls
  • 4.10 Filters
  • 4.11 Subsurface Vaults
  • 4.12 Detention Basins
  • 5.0 and 5.1 Storm Water Landscape Guidance Introduction and Planting Recommendations
  • 5.2 Facility Specific Landscaping Guidance
  • Plant List (updated 2024)
  • 6.0 Comparison and Applicability
  • Appendix 1
  • Appendix 2
  • Appendix 3
  • Appendix 4
  • Appendix 5
  • Appendix 6
  • Additional Resources