Green infrastructure are foundational services that use natural elements such as vegetation or that are relatively environmentally friendly as compared to conventional infrastructure. This can be contrasted with "grey infrastructure" made with industrial materials such as concrete that has dominated in the past. Green infrastructure includes the simplest of infrastructure such as an urban forest and the most complex of infrastructure such as modern buildings with maintainable greenwalls. The following are common types of green infrastructure.
Bioengineering for stabilizing slopes and reducing soil erosion
Bioswales
Blue roofs
Community gardens
Composing
Constructed wetlands
Fish passages
Green alleys
Green railway tracks
Green roofs
Green school yards
Green walls
Greenways
Habitat corridors
Habitat restoration projects
Living shorelines
Pedestrian-friendly streets
Permeable pavement
Protected conservation areas
Rain barrels
Rain gardens
Rainwater harvesting
Reforestation & afforestation
Riparian buffers
Stream restoration
Terracing
Tree-lined streets
Urban forests
Urban parks
Urban wetlands
Water management infrastructure
Wildlife crossings
Below is an example of a green roof made with moss. This is lightweight and low maintenance but provides insulation and cooling effects. This would also be viewed as a blue roof because the moss will reduce and delay the flow of stormwater from the roof.
Summary
Green infrastructure are foundational structures and services that are literally green such that they are made with natural elements. This term is also used for infrastructure that is relatively environmentally friendly such as cycling infrastructure.
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