Faced with the decline of urban trees, concerned group formed an initiative to enhance urban tree that help reduce the impact from urban heat, heavy rainfall, and local flooding. Partnering with expert from U.S. Forest Service, the group assessed vulnerability of over 150 tree species in the region and implemented a project to protect native trees from pests and climate change.

Galloway Creek, a tributary to the impaired Clinton River in Michigan, provides cold-water base flows that support trout species. Development led to a straightened, degraded, and disconnected creek that runs through a golf course. This project restored floodplain connectivity, improved geomorphic stability, and built in-stream habitat for fish species and aquatic wildlife. 

The City of Gary initiated the “Vacant to Vibrant” project in 2014, which aimed to mitigate flooding due to aging sewer system. The project completed the construction of three sites in the Aetna neighborhood by 2016, converting 0.37 acres of vacant land into green infrastructure featuring bat houses, rain gardens, and native plantings.

As temperatures and pests change, urban ecosystems will need to adjust and will become ever more important for public health and quality of life. In 2012, the City of Goshen completed an urban tree canopy inventory and assessment in order to understand what trees are in the community and how they will be impacted by environmental changes.

Tuscon, Arizona faced stormwater management problems, with increased flooding and runoff, and degraded water quality. To address these issues and improve the urban tree canopy and recycle rainwater for irrigation, the city developed the Green Streets Active Practice Guidelines. This program requires integrating green infrastructure into all publicly funded roadway projects. 

As Milwaukee’s population grew, it faced increased stormwater flooding and sewer system overflows. In 2001, the Conservation Fund and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) launched a flood management program called Greenseams. The program protects wetlands and other lands containing water-absorbing soils by purchasing land and conservation easements from willing landowners. 

The Harbor Brook CSO 018 Constructed Wetlands Pilot Project serves the dual purposes of treating overflows from CSO 018, currently discharged into Harbor Brook, while also acting as a demonstration project to test the effectiveness of three types of constructed wetland treatment systems (floating wetland island, vertical down flow, and surface water treatment wetlands).

Central Meriden, Connecticut, is continuously devastated by flooding due to urbanization and loss of wetland habitats. The city led a daylighting project to re-naturalized the river that had been covered by industrialization. Businesses in the Hub were relocated and 1700 linear feet of concrete culverts over 30 feet wide were demolished, excavated, and removed.

The Hassalo on Eighth community transformed a previously underdeveloped area—formerly a vast parking lot—into a vibrant, eco-friendly, 24-hour community minutes from downtown Portland. The development features green roofs, rainwater harvesting and treatment facilities, on-site wastewater treatment and reuse, infiltration systems, district energy, and natural daylighting.

Alachua County, Florida is facing increasing climate threats from flooding, storms, and droughts. The county government has worked to implement green infrastructure projects and policies to increase Alachua County’s resilience. The county has involved developers, landscapers, and community members to implement green stormwater projects on both public and private lands.  

Historical military-base landscape in Kansas introduced non-native ornamental shrubs and flowers that provide limited benefits to native pollinators and protection against flooding. In response to this, the USFWS partnered with McConnell Air Force Base (AFB) to plant native species and construct a nature-based stormwater management system.

The suburban city of Mount Rainer, Maryland aimed to restore the water quality Anacostia River, which was polluted by polluted stormwater runoff from urban and agricultural lands. The city developed Urban Green Infrastructure Plan to encourage community members to install nature-based stormwater control practices.

Clear Lake City, Texas is located south of Houston and experiences frequent flooding from hurricanes and urban runoff. After conducting an impact study on how to reduce flooding, the Clear Lake City Water Authority (CLCWA) worked to purchase a 200-acre golf course to transform it into a park and stormwater retention area. 

The City of Ann Arbor recognized stormwater runoff as a growing threat to the quality of their water supply in the Huron River. To protect the city’s drinking water and reduce downstream impact of the pollution, they designed two financial incentives.

Built very close to sea level, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston implemented innovative strategies to keep critical infrastructure and patient care above future flood levels. The hospital incorporated extensive green roofs as part of its feature to reduce stormwater runoff during heavy precipitation.

Jackson Park, along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Chicago, Illinois is a historic park and valuable green space for the city. The park was overrun with invasive species and degraded from poor geomorphology. This project restored 16 hectares of habitat while preserving and rehabilitating the cultural history of Jackson Park. 

In 2015, the Jennings County Soil and Water Conservation District launched the "Share Some Space" program to address the declining pollinator population by creating new habitats across the county. Over four and a half years, the district collaborated with local, state, and national partners to educate the public about the importance of pollinators.

Johnson Creek in Portland Oregon faces frequent nuisance flooding events due to urbanization and development-caused degradation. The city of Portland began purchasing vulnerable properties and moving people out of the floodplain, in order to begin reconnecting Johnson Creek to its floodplain and restoring wetland habitat. 

The Ed Pastor Kino Environmental Restoration Project (KERP) aimed to restore natural areas by redeveloping an unlined stormwater detention basin in Tucson, Arizona. KERP covers 125 acres and includes constructed stream courses, five vegetation-lined ponds, restored native vegetation communities, flood control structures, and a recreational path.

Local organizations in Knox County, Indiana, campaigned to raise awareness of the environmental and economic destruction that encroaching invasive species can have on communities. Representatives from the agriculture, horticulture and landscaping industries collaborated with conservation experts and the county attorney to determine the scope of an ordinance proposal that would ban 64 invasive plant species in the county.