Roles for government and other sectors in the governance of green infrastructure in the U.S.

Abstract

This paper argues that government leadership both at the federal and local levels remains central to implementing green infrastructure for stormwater management. We conducted interviews with more than forty city, federal, and regional staff on how and why they work to implement green infrastructure, and interpreted the material using literature from environmental governance and water management. We found that government and non-governmental actors tend to act in different ways to support green infrastructure. Government actors at federal and local levels often take the lead role in driving green infrastructure via policy and political support, and coordinating measurement of green infrastructure practices, while non-governmental actors lead in information sharing. We also found that government and non-governmental actors work together to build local capacity by providing resources to support local collaboration and partnerships. We conclude by highlighting key areas of collaboration between government and non-governmental actors to enhance the implementation of green infrastructure.