Nature-based Solutions: Designing to Span Generations

Infrastructure projects are often constructed in a few years, have a design life expectancy that is shorter than the average human lifespan, and sometimes are built and deconstructed within a career. But nature-based solutions (NbS) are different – they are self-correcting and adapting. They can get stronger over time, rather than depreciate. They offer the potential to span generations. And they present the opportunity to improve the resilience of our communities, to enable adaptation and to be planned, designed and constructed in a way that empowers, educates and uplifts. This presentation will highlight two distinct NbS case studies that offer lessons about adaptation – with a glimpse of the physical sciences that inform design, and the social sciences that inform the process. Designing for Adaptation: As we look to future climate uncertainties, restoration lessons learned in ecosystems that experience extreme weather offer profound insight to help design projects across the country. We'll focus on a case study of a tidally influenced stream in the City of Jacksonville, Florida that provides inspiration and lessons about partnerships, funding access, and the integration of natural and engineered systems to re-imagine the potential of drainage ditches across urban core areas. The integrated benefits include flood hazard mitigation, water quality, sediment management, fisheries development, biodiversity, recreation, protection of infrastructure, and economic stimulus. This case study will highlight how streams can be designed to accommodate a range of flow conditions, shifting salinity gradients, extreme weather events, and adaptive habitat requirements. Community Informed Design: The approach to project design and delivery influences a community's resilience, and is as important as the asset itself. KC Water's Daniel Morgan Boone Park Green Infrastructure Project exemplifies how water utilities can advance climate resilience through community-centered approaches that transform traditional stormwater management into multifunctional assets. KC Water developed this project in response to a federal consent decree requiring combined sewer overflow (CSO) reduction throughout Kansas City. Rather than pursuing conventional gray infrastructure solutions, the utility embraced an integrated approach incorporating green infrastructure across the Town Fork Creek watershed. This strategic shift demonstrates how water reuse and management systems can simultaneously address regulatory compliance, climate adaptation, and community enhancement goals. The project's development process centered on robust alternatives evaluation and meaningful community engagement. The multidisciplinary team collaborated with neighborhood groups and stakeholders to understand local priorities and conceptualize amenities complementing utility objectives. Through comprehensive analysis using ISI Envision infrastructure sustainability screening, the team compared multiple implementation approaches, considering technical effectiveness, environmental impact, community benefit, and long-term resilience. The project demonstrates how nature-based solutions can address cascading climate impacts, including increased precipitation intensity, urban flooding, water quality degradation, and extreme heat events that disproportionately affect vulnerable communities. Key features include the integration of ecosystem sciences with engineering analysis, development of metrics for quantifying co-benefits across environmental and social domains, and assessment of financing strategies that leverage multiple funding sources for climate-resilient infrastructure. Both case studies showcase how utilities can move beyond single-purpose infrastructure toward regenerative systems that enhance community and ecological health.