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Green Infrastructure

Communities are rethinking infrastructure – turning to solutions that work with nature, not against it. Green infrastructure harnesses vegetation, soils, and natural processes to reduce runoff, improve water quality, and create more resilient, livable environments while easing pressure on aging stormwater and wastewater systems. The result is high-performing infrastructure that lasts longer, protects resources, and lowers the carbon footprint of critical investments.

At DLZ, we design innovative green infrastructure solutions that manage stormwater where it falls – capturing, filtering, and retaining water at its source. From feasibility through construction, we integrate these practices into new development, roadway, and retrofit projects, delivering sustainable, results-driven solutions with the proven technical rigor our clients expect.

Featured Capabilities

Site-Specific Planning & Feasibility

Effective green infrastructure starts with understanding the landscape. DLZ evaluates watershed, parcel, and corridor-level opportunities to identify where green infrastructure can perform best. We assess soil and drainage conditions, develop concept layouts and determine what options work best for the client looking at costs related to both construction and long-term maintenance needs.

Stormwater Volume Reduction & BMP Design

Bioretention systems, rain gardens, bioswales, permeable pavements, and infiltration practices are among the tools DLZ uses to reduce runoff volume and meet local, state, and Federal permit requirements. Our designs integrate green practices into conventional drainage systems where hybrid solutions offer the best performance and value.

Low Impact Development (LID) Integration

Low impact development strategies distribute runoff control across a site rather than concentrating it at the end of a pipe. DLZ incorporates LID into site development, roadway reconstruction, and utility projects — minimizing impervious surface impacts while balancing regulatory compliance, constructability, and lifecycle cost.

Green Infrastructure Retrofits & Redevelopment

Existing developed areas offer more green infrastructure opportunity than they might appear. DLZ identifies retrofit solutions within constrained urban corridors, repurposing underutilized spaces like medians, parking lots, and rights-of-way for stormwater management — and phases improvements to align with funding cycles and infrastructure replacement schedules.

Water Quality Improvement & Pollutant Load Reduction

Green infrastructure is a powerful tool for improving water quality at the watershed scale. DLZ designs systems that target suspended solids, nutrients, and other pollutants of concern, supporting TMDL compliance strategies and quantifying load reductions to strengthen regulatory reporting and funding applications.

Construction Documentation & Implementation Support

Getting green infrastructure built right requires attention to details that conventional drainage projects don’t always demand. DLZ prepares construction plans, specifications, and cost opinions tailored to green infrastructure practices, and provides bidding support, contractor coordination, and construction observation to address the soil, groundwater, and utility challenges that often arise in the field.

Related Work

Blueprint Near South – Morrill Ann Area Green Infrastructure

Columbus

, Ohio

Upper Pogues Run CSO Abatement Project

Indianapolis

, Indiana

East Franklinton Improvements

Columbus

, Ohio

Related Capabilities

Nathan

Dickman, PE

Project Manager

Ohio