Green infrastructure is defined as the natural vegetative systems and green technologies that collectively provide society with a multitude of economic, environmental and social benefits. One of the essential things about green infrastructure is that it is multi-functional, and this makes green infrastructure particularly good at providing resilience.

In municipalities across Ontario there is a developing interest in, and experience with, the co-benefits that green infrastructure provides, which include:

• cost-effective infrastructure/ecosystem services
• human health
• community well-being
• carbon sequestration
• biodiversity
• increased property values

Clean Air Council municipal members are looking to integrate green infrastructure with asset management. The first step towards natural asset management is to evaluate the green infrastructure base starting by answering these questions:

• What green infrastructure assets does the municipality have?
• How much do these assets cost (to acquire, maintain, or replace)?
• What ecosystem services and co-benefit values do they provide?
• What maintenance is needed?
• How long will they function? and
  
• What risks are they exposed to?

We will be updating this one-stop-shop with new resources on an ongoing basis. If you have any suggestions for resources that you have found useful and think would be of value to others, please send them via email to Desi Stefanova at DStefanova@cleanairpartnership.org