NYC Dept of Parks and Recreation

Green Infrastructure
Green infrastructure utilizes natural systems to absorb and filter stormwater, relying on soil and plant life to remove toxins and recharge ground water supplies.  Green Infrastructure advances PlaNYC, a multi-pronged sustainability effort that will reduce the urban heat island effect, enhance recreational opportunities, improve quality-of-life, restore ecosystems, improve air quality, save energy, and mitigate climate change.

Martinez Playground
The goal of the Martinez Playground Green Infrastructure project is to create a more sustainable playground. Currently, when it rains a lot in NYC, storm drains tend to overflow, combine with sewage, and discharge into local waterways.  The Martinez Playground Green Infrastructure project will reduce sewage overflows by using permeable surfaces on the playground. Permeable surfaces include various types of pavements, pavers, and other devices that provide stormwater infiltration (the water passes through the surface into the underlying soils rather than running off into storm drains).

Sources
-friendsofgoetheschool.org. 21st Century Sustainable Schoolyard Project.
-Gotham Gazette.  5/2011. Trying to Create a More Permeable New York.
-State of the Planet.  1/13/2012. Building NYC’s Resilience to Climate Change With Green Infrastructure