Streets make up more than 80 percent of all public space in cities and their design can support—or degrade—the overall health of an urban area. Excess asphalt contributes to stormwater runoff, which can carry pollutants into water bodies and overwhelm sewer systems. As more and more cities reclaim street space for human life and habitat and enact far-reaching plans to address climate change, there is need for guidance on how to integrate valuable ecological processes into urban streets.  

Building on their successful series of street design guides, NACTO’s Urban Street Stormwater Guide provides practitioners, leaders, and other advocates with the tools to design streets for successful stormwater management. It shows how Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) can bolster strategies to provide a safe and pleasant walking and biking experience, and safer streets for all users.

Developed through a first-of-its-kind collaboration between city transportation, public works, and water departments, and thanks to the generous support of the Summit Foundation, the Urban Street Stormwater Guide provides design guidance based on innovative strategies tested on the ground in cities nationwide. 

Example case studies include roadside rain gardens in Seattle, WA; green transitways in Minneapolis, MN; multi-way boulevards in Nashville, TN; stormwater greenways in Los Angeles, CA; permeable pavers in Atlanta, GA; and citywide green infrastructure planning in New York, NY. Topics addressed include regional climate and ecology; bioretention design considerations; street design, character and use; zoning; collaboration and partnerships; and performance measures.

Streets make up more than 80 percent of all public space in cities and their design can support—or degrade—the overall health of an urban area. Excess asphalt contributes to stormwater runoff, which can carry pollutants into water bodies and overwhelm sewer systems. As more and more cities reclaim street space for human life and habitat and enact far-reaching plans to address climate change, there is need for guidance on how to integrate valuable ecological processes into urban streets.  

Building on their successful series of street design guides, NACTO’s Urban Street Stormwater Guide provides practitioners, leaders, and other advocates with the tools to design streets for successful stormwater management. It shows how Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) can bolster strategies to provide a safe and pleasant walking and biking experience, and safer streets for all users.

Developed through a first-of-its-kind collaboration between city transportation, public works, and water departments, and thanks to the generous support of the Summit Foundation, the Urban Street Stormwater Guide provides design guidance based on innovative strategies tested on the ground in cities nationwide. 

Example case studies include roadside rain gardens in Seattle, WA; green transitways in Minneapolis, MN; multi-way boulevards in Nashville, TN; stormwater greenways in Los Angeles, CA; permeable pavers in Atlanta, GA; and citywide green infrastructure planning in New York, NY. Topics addressed include regional climate and ecology; bioretention design considerations; street design, character and use; zoning; collaboration and partnerships; and performance measures.