Reclaiming our Cities by Depaving

NYC is full of paved surfaces – but does it have to be? We’ve designed our public spaces around asphalt and concrete for a long time, but it’s time to rethink that approach. Depaving provides us with the opportunity to reclaim our cities for people, plants, and biodiversity while tackling major climate issues such as urban flooding and extreme heat. By transforming these spaces into thriving green spaces, we can make our cities healthier and more ecologically resilient.

Cities like Portland have already embraced depaving efforts through organizations like Depave, which transforms over-paved areas into community greenspaces. Depave offers a useful guide to help communities start their own depaving projects, providing step-by-step instructions and valuable insights.

One positive impact of depaving is soil biodiversity. Paved surfaces block water and nutrients from getting through, leaving the soils ecosystem starved of life. By depaving, we can regenerate the soil and restore habitats with beneficial organisms like worms, fungi, and healthy bacteria. This revival of biodiversity will aid in water retention and plant growth, leading to a more balanced and resilient ecosystem in our cities.

Depaving also has an impact on the environmental and financial costs of stormwater management. The excess amounts of stormwater put pressure on drainage systems and can cause structural damage. Many U.S. cities have implemented stormwater fees that charge shifting costs to those who have the most impermeable surfaces causing run-off. Although NYC has not yet introduced this policy, depaving is a way to reduce potential stormwater costs.

Let’s depave NYC! By transforming underutilized parking lots or unused pavement into green spaces we can create healthier, cooler neighborhoods that reduce stormwater runoff.  The photos shown here are taken in Gowany, Brooklyn. Check out this Guidebook by Depave Portland for more information, and    if you are interested in depaving NYC – reach out and together we can work to make our city greener and more environmentally resilient.