New Report Analyzes the Cost-Effectiveness of Green Infrastructure

A new report, Delivering Urban Resilience, looks at the cost-effectiveness of adopting citywide smart surface technologies that help manage sunlight and rain, including solar PV roofs, green roofs, reflective pavements and urban trees. The report examines in detail El Paso, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., and is built on more than two years of data collection and research in collaboration with 15 organizations, including Enterprise Community Partners. The findings suggest that cities would realize significant savings if they adopt city-wide smart surface features. According to the report, El Paso would save $540 million, Washington, D.C. would save $1.8 billion and Philadelphia would save $3.5 billion – even factoring in the cost of investing in adding new, green infrastructure.