Purpose
The consortium’s purpose is to improve community resiliency by helping implement integrated green infrastructure projects, programs, and policies that make a significant, measurable impact, providing the expertise and orchestration needed to do so.
Enabling objectives:
- Inform key decision-makers and influencers about the value of using green infrastructure.
- Help implement specific projects, programs and policies that systematically apply green infrastructure in urban environments, with particular attention to communities of concern.
- Ensure stakeholder involvement and ownership, meaning residents and others who interact with the land in question, so they will steward the improvements.
- Further the methodological state-of-the-art.
Incorporating a green infrastructure approach into our region’s existing efforts to enhance sustainability requires action now. Examples include: (a) educate government staff and offer expert capacity and assistance; (b) substantially increase fundraising efforts from outside entities, e.g., regional, state and federal grants, private sector business investments, and private philanthropy; (c) adjust policies and plans, such as Climate Action Plans, to use integrated green infrastructure wherever it is cost-efficient and effective; (d) partner with organizations that help improve green infrastructure on both public and private property; (e) incorporate green infrastructure-related businesses into the region’s economic development programs.
The Green Infrastructure Consortium can assist on these recommendations, building upon the successful expertise of dozens of skilled practitioners with records of successful engagement with public sector, business, and community leaders.
Accomplishments thus far
o Creation of partnerships with other organizations, such as municipalities and non-profits
o Grant proposals submitted, primarily to state agencies.
o Active interest and engagement on the part of current and former government officials in supporting project ideas
o Project ideas formulated for locations in the Pueblo, Sweetwater, and San Dieguito Watersheds
ACCR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY—PG.1
BUILDING CLIMATE & COMMUNITY RESILIENCE WITH NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS & ROBUST COLLABORATION
However one defines the tipping point for the collapse of the earth’s current ecosystem, recent scientific and environmental trends confirm that we as a society are perched at the threshold, and that only vigorous efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions can slow if not curtail ecological collapse. While numerous efforts are underway in San Diego County to address the effects of climate change and build greater resilience, what distinguishes this project from others is it advocates for the use of green infrastructure or nature-based solutions within a highly robust, collaborative framework. Green infrastructure builds resilience by mitigating carbon pollution, reducing water use, managing flooding, reducing the impact of storm surges, and mitigating the urban heat island effect. Nature-based solutions include green space enhancements and acquisitions, place regeneration, water management and biodiversity enhancement, as well as more efficient energy sources. Green infrastructure alone, or appropriately coupled with more traditional gray infrastructure solutions, can dramatically improve progress toward addressing these threats to the communities in which we live, work, and play.
Another distinguishing feature of this approach is it focuses on the communities that surround watersheds, in this case, two of San Diego’s most prominent watersheds—San Dieguito and Otay. Watersheds have long been recognized as nature’s ecological neighborhoods, due to the fact that most natural resources— water, air, wildfire, soil, animals and plants—move primarily within watersheds. This unique approach is based on what is known as the Emerald Necklace Model—a proven technique championed by Frederick Law Olmsted—which guides the building and connecting of robust physical, social, and economic systems in ways that harmonize with and support existing natural systems instead of circumventing them.
While this research has identified numerous environmental initiatives and programs in these two watershed communities, like most projects, they are siloed in approach. This methodology seeks to leapfrog forward by knitting together the dozens and dozens of projects in each watershed community, thereby producing synergies that will maximize the effects and benefits. By dramatically increasing the use of nature-based solutions in these regional communities within this hyper-collaborative framework, the collective resources—financial, human, and intellectual capital—will be more effective and efficient, producing more benefits and co-benefits.
However one defines the tipping point for the collapse of the earth’s current ecosystem, recent scientific and environmental trends confirm that we as a society are perched at the threshold, and that only vigorous efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions can slow if not curtail ecological collapse. While numerous efforts are underway in San Diego County to address the effects of climate change and build greater resilience, what distinguishes this project from others is it advocates for the use of green infrastructure or nature-based solutions within a highly robust, collaborative framework. Green infrastructure builds resilience by mitigating carbon pollution, reducing water use, managing flooding, reducing the impact of storm surges, and mitigating the urban heat island effect. Nature-based solutions include green space enhancements and acquisitions, place regeneration, water management and biodiversity enhancement, as well as more efficient energy sources. Green infrastructure alone, or appropriately coupled with more traditional gray infrastructure solutions, can dramatically improve progress toward addressing these threats to the communities in which we live, work, and play.
Another distinguishing feature of this approach is it focuses on the communities that surround watersheds, in this case, two of San Diego’s most prominent watersheds—San Dieguito and Otay. Watersheds have long been recognized as nature’s ecological neighborhoods, due to the fact that most natural resources— water, air, wildfire, soil, animals and plants—move primarily within watersheds. This unique approach is based on what is known as the Emerald Necklace Model—a proven technique championed by Frederick Law Olmsted—which guides the building and connecting of robust physical, social, and economic systems in ways that harmonize with and support existing natural systems instead of circumventing them.
While this research has identified numerous environmental initiatives and programs in these two watershed communities, like most projects, they are siloed in approach. This methodology seeks to leapfrog forward by knitting together the dozens and dozens of projects in each watershed community, thereby producing synergies that will maximize the effects and benefits. By dramatically increasing the use of nature-based solutions in these regional communities within this hyper-collaborative framework, the collective resources—financial, human, and intellectual capital—will be more effective and efficient, producing more benefits and co-benefits.
ACCR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY—PG. 2
A FEASIBLE & TRANSFORMATIVE APPROACH
The purpose of this project was to determine the feasibility of using this transformative approach to leapfrog forward in building climate and community resilience. We also hoped to document a methodology for accelerating progress with these two watershed areas, and establish a prototype that would be feasible within the San Diego region’s nine additional western-draining watershed areas.
This project provides an innovative and proven blueprint for building climate and community resilience, and succeeded in identifying and connecting more than 60 environmental projects, programs, and initiatives in the San Dieguito and Otay watersheds.
CALL TO ACTION
While these initial steps toward creating a collaborative network of community stakeholders in the San Dieguito and Otay regions have yielded a workable model for other San Diego watershed regions, additional funding is needed to effectively build and capitalize on the community networks established in the San Dieguito and Otay regions. What is still needed is to enhance and expand these community networks beyond the mostly environmental organizations that have been identified. Social programs, businesses, and employment sources are also needed to build the desired level of community and climate resilience.
Unfortunately, there is a dearth of funding available to directly support community collaboration activities among various projects, programs and initiatives. In spite of this lack of funding, a critical mass of community stakeholders in the San Dieguito and Otay watershed regions perceive the value and benefits of breaking down silos and working collaboratively. In fact, some stakeholder groups have already begun to actively collaborate on specific synergistic opportunities.
While there does appear to be a new trend toward more grants that are regional in character and require collaboration across entities, our goal is to identify the needed funding and support to continue building and expanding on the organizing models and methods we have established with this project.
The purpose of this project was to determine the feasibility of using this transformative approach to leapfrog forward in building climate and community resilience. We also hoped to document a methodology for accelerating progress with these two watershed areas, and establish a prototype that would be feasible within the San Diego region’s nine additional western-draining watershed areas.
This project provides an innovative and proven blueprint for building climate and community resilience, and succeeded in identifying and connecting more than 60 environmental projects, programs, and initiatives in the San Dieguito and Otay watersheds.
CALL TO ACTION
While these initial steps toward creating a collaborative network of community stakeholders in the San Dieguito and Otay regions have yielded a workable model for other San Diego watershed regions, additional funding is needed to effectively build and capitalize on the community networks established in the San Dieguito and Otay regions. What is still needed is to enhance and expand these community networks beyond the mostly environmental organizations that have been identified. Social programs, businesses, and employment sources are also needed to build the desired level of community and climate resilience.
Unfortunately, there is a dearth of funding available to directly support community collaboration activities among various projects, programs and initiatives. In spite of this lack of funding, a critical mass of community stakeholders in the San Dieguito and Otay watershed regions perceive the value and benefits of breaking down silos and working collaboratively. In fact, some stakeholder groups have already begun to actively collaborate on specific synergistic opportunities.
While there does appear to be a new trend toward more grants that are regional in character and require collaboration across entities, our goal is to identify the needed funding and support to continue building and expanding on the organizing models and methods we have established with this project.