Resilient Green Infrastructure to Manage Stormwater in Longmeadow
When the Town of Longmeadow, MA, set out to address frequent flooding challenges, it engaged our firm to develop a Town-wide Green Infrastructure Resiliency Strategy. By focuses on advancing stormwater management practices, this approach allows the Town to select cost-effective strategies to protect natural resources, improve water quality, and enhance community spaces. This work has led to conceptual designs for stormwater management at three Town-owned parcels, as well as Town-wide Green Infrastructure Guidelines and an ArcGIS StoryMap to allow for the visualization of green infrastructure across the Town.
Green Infrastructure Design
We collaborated with the Town to identify three municipal properties that experience persistent stormwater issues. At each site, the team developed conceptual designs that integrate nature-based Best Management Practices (BMPs)—such as rain gardens, bioswales, and vegetated swales—to capture and filter runoff while adding beauty and biodiversity to the landscape.
Green Infrastructure Guidelines & GIS StoryMap
These guidelines provide practical tools and fact sheets to guide developers, planners, and municipal staff in selecting the most effective BMPs for different conditions, while emphasizing the Town’s preference for green over traditional grey infrastructure approaches.
To make the strategy accessible to all, the team created an interactive ArcGIS StoryMap—a digital platform combining maps, visuals, and narratives that showcase the project’s designs and empower the community to explore stormwater solutions virtually.