Green Infrastructure
The Greenway is New Orleans’ premier example of post-Katrina sustainable stormwater management known as “Green Infrastructure” that allow us to live with water.
trees
Since its opening in 2015, 500+ have been planted on the Greenway. A new tree consumes only a few gallons of water per day, but a mature cypress or live oak can consume 880 - 1,000 gallons of water per day.
The Greenway features live oaks, bald cypresses, southern magnolias, and pecan trees.
500 +
trees planted
1,000
gallons/day a mature oak can use
bioswales
One of the highest impact stormwater management features of the Greenway is hiding in plain sight - the bioswales. Bioswales are tracts of land, planted with native, hydrophilic plants, designed to hold water that will eventually be slowly released back into the landscape. By temporarily storing water, the bioswales help prevent flooding and subsidence.
1.45M
gallons held above ground — more than two Olympic pools
permeable pavement
The Greenway's permeable walkways, light-gray in color, also contribute to its stormwater management capacity. While water pools on the surface of ordinary pavement, permeable pavement allows it to pass through.
bioretention cells
Bioretention cells are small areas of land near storm drains that are designed to store, divert, and delay water from entering the drainage system. While most storm drains are covered by pavement and direct water from the street to the drainage system, bioretention cells, planted with tall hydrophilic plants, slow the drainage of the water and ease on the storm drain in heavy rainfall events.
