Perspectives on green parking lots
New report calls for more Colorado success stories
By Laurie DiBattista, Colorado NPS Connection associate editor
Many experts in the South Platte River Basin are aware of the importance of stormwater management in their communities and recognize the benefits of low-impact development (LID) strategies, according to recent research report by AWARE Colorado (Addressing Water And Natural Resource Education).
The report, “Preventing Polluted Runoff From Parking Lots: Benefits, Barriers and Opportunities,” can be viewed at www.awarecolorado.org/resources/report.pdf.
Participants in four focus groups and 21 phone interviews pointed to hurdles that stand in the way of taking a green approach to protect water quality when it comes to parking lots.
AWARE’s research concentrated on parking lot design, construction and maintenance because its previous surveys showed that an important core of LID strategies, such as using porous/pervious materials and landscape design, center on parking lots. While parking lots provided a manageable scope for this research, the results also will be used to address broader, related community development activities.
The research participants – landscape contractors, landscape architects, engineers, planners, stormwater managers and engineers, developers and appointed and elected officials – said there is a need to demonstrate that water-protective LID strategies will be successful given Colorado’s climate and geology. And, they called for more information about benchmarks and best management practices.
“This is the kind of information that will help us target our community outreach efforts in order to maximize actions that protect water quality,” said Cynthia Peterson, program director of AWARE, a statewide educational project working to help communities prevent polluted runoff through land use choices.
Other barriers mentioned most often by participants include 1) the cost to implement new strategies, 2) a general lack of technical information and 3) inertia inherent in organizational and community processes.
When it comes to being in a position to support LID parking lot design, many participants thought they could, “but few felt powerful enough to bring about significant community change because they were involved late in the development process or felt they had little authority,” according to the report. Elected officials responded with more confidence in their ability to create change, particularly with regulations.
To shift from current development patterns, which often lack green parking lot strategies, it was widely agreed that there is a need for information about more immediate benefits for developers and consumers alike.
When asked for one message to relay to AWARE regarding the topics discussed during the focus groups and interviews, the need for more education and solid examples was top of mind for most participants.
Boulder, Colo.-based National Research Center Inc. conducted the focus groups and phone interviews, and wrote the research report for AWARE.
For more information, contact AWARE Colorado program director Cynthia Peterson at info@awarecolorado.org.