Performance monitoring and adaptive management of as-built green infrastructure systems

Abstract

Green roofs, rain gardens and permeable pavements are increasingly becoming green infrastructure systems, which are used to enhance urban resiliency, water quality, and curb effects of climate change. Nevertheless, the actual results of these systems tend to be different than the design ones once built and exposed to reality. This is a research paper on the monitoring of the performance and adaptive management of the as-built green infrastructure systems to guarantee long term functionality and viability. It offers a unified model, which incorporates field-based observations, data processing as well as adaptive decision making to assess the performance indicators in hydrology, ecology as well as structure. The study (based on empirical monitoring data) finds out frequent performance divides, investigates the role of maintenance regimes and environmental variability, and shows that adaptive management techniques can promote the resilience of systems. The results suggest that there is a need to have constant feedback loops between monitoring and management to maintain the success of GI systems. The paper ends with a conclusion and recommendations of a data-driven adaptive management model that can inform policy makers, urban planners and engineers to optimize the lifecycle performance of as-built urban green infrastructure.