Greening the Corporate Capital: A Vision for the City of Wilmington, Delaware
Date
2022-05
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Description
Wilmington, Delaware, is a historical city with an incredible legacy of innovations, one of the first industrial cities in the world. Like more than 100 other post-industrial communities in the northeast United States, Wilmington has a combined sewer and stormwater system (CSS).
In a CSS, stormwater runoff and sanitary sewers use the same underground infrastructure to convey wastewater to a wastewater treatment plant. These systems are adequate under dry conditions and during an average rainfall event. Unfortunately, during a heavy rain event,
the CSS is often overwhelmed by the volume of stormwater runoff draining from the streets, discharging raw sewage into the Delaware River in a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) event.This occurrence will only become more problematic as climate change increases storm intensity. Wilmington is in a period of change. Wilmington’s 2028 Comprehensive Plan, Downtown Development District Plan, and various other measures propose redevelopment and improvements across the city. The Department of Public Works has recognized green infrastructure as an essential tool for urban revitalization and stormwater management. Green infrastructure is a sustainable approach to managing stormwater by reducing and treating stormwater at its source.Green Streets are designed streetscapes that infiltrate and filter stormwater while creating
more lively, livable communities. Green Street components make the city more beautiful, are associated with nearby residents’ better mental and physical health, and are less costly over
the system’s lifespan. This book is intended to inform and inspire city workers and community members alike about the benefits of Green Streets and how they might apply to the 11th Street Bridge neighborhood and beyond. Many cities around the country are becoming aware of the benefits of Green Streets and are beginning to implement these systems across the urban landscape. The hope of this project is that armed with the right information, Wilmington will join the Green Streets movement, adopt these systems, reap the benefits, and continue its legacy as a city of innovation.
Keywords
Wilmington, DE, Stormwater management, Green streets, Landscape architecture, Green infrastructure, Complete streets, Placemaking