Recommended Citation
Reynolds, Heather; Brandt, Leslie; Widhalm, Melissa; Fei, Songlin; Fischer, Burnell; Hardiman, Brady; Moxley, Donovan; Sandweiss, Eric; Speer, James; and Dukes, Jeffrey, "Maintaining Indiana's Urban Green Spaces: A Report from the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment" (2018). Urban Green Spaces Reports. Paper 1.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284316653
DOI
10.5703/1288284316653
Description
Cities use green infrastructure, including forests, community gardens, lawns and prairies, to improve the quality of life for residents, promote sustainability and mitigate the effects of climate change. These and other kinds of green spaces can decrease energy consumption, increase carbon storage and improve water quality, among other benefits.
More than 70 percent of Hoosiers reside in urban settings, and green infrastructure can provide significant economic advantages. In Indianapolis, for example, urban forests provide a $10 million annual benefit through stormwater control, carbon sequestration, energy reduction and air pollution filtration.
However, just like human-built infrastructure, urban green infrastructure will be subject to the impacts of a changing climate, and its management must be considered as Indiana gets warmer and precipitation patterns change. This report from the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment (IN CCIA) applies climate projections for the state to explore the potential threats to urban green infrastructure, and considers potential management implications and opportunities.
Keywords
Indiana, climate, climate change, urban, green infrastructure, ecosystem
Date of this Version
5-15-2018
Sponsoring Organization
Purdue Climate Change Research Center