GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING & PROJECTS
Green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and natural processes to manage water and create healthier urban environments. In conjunction with grey infrastructure, interconnected networks of green infrastructure can enhance community resiliency by increasing water supplies, reducing flooding, combatting urban heat island effect, and improving water quality.
Source: EPA Publication #8 3 2 F1 4 0 0 7
The 2025 City of Cambridge Green Infrastructure Plan is available for review.
Mill Street Nature Way
The Mill Street Nature Way includes the development of a stormwater park in place of where condominiums were originally planned. The City is actively working cooperatively with the developer and is in the process of securing grant funding to complete this project initiative.
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This project will reduce stormwater runoff so that it doesn’t overburden our existing grey stormwater infrastructure as we continue to experience sea level rise over the rest of this century. As we move forward with our Green Infrastructure planning, we will continually reduce the burden on our existing hard infrastructure and complement and even replace it with a more sustainable nature-based system that will be able to handle an increase in sea level and more severe storms due to warming of our oceans.
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Update
The grant application submitted in August 2023 to MD DNR for funding to purchase property under the MD DNR Community Parks and Recreation Grants program has been awarded, however we are awaiting recordation of the property (final property plat) for finalization.
A second grant application submitted in December 2023 to the MD DNR Chesapeake and Coastal Grant Program for the design of green infrastructure has been awarded.
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In order to ensure a collaborative design in which affected property owners and project designers could collectively brainstorm ideas, two design charrettes were held.
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Design Charrette #1
October 1, 2024. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Design Charrette #2
October 22, 2024.
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Additional information on the design process is included under the Mill Street Nature Way Extend Project.​​​
New Projects
We are reviewing opportunities for additional green infrastructure projects.
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Green Infrastructure (GI) projects were identified within the 2025 City of Cambridge Green Infrastructure Plan. Six GI priority projects identified in Step 4 of the GI Plan recommendations were further developed by the Center for Watershed Protection. These GI projects provided the most potential for onsite water retention. The City has recently submitted a grant application to FEMA under the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program to fund these projects.
Soak up the Rain: Rain Gardens
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a rain garden is a depressed area in the landscape that collects rain water from a roof, driveway or street and allows it to soak into the ground. Planted with grasses and flowering perennials, rain gardens can be a cost effective and beautiful way to reduce runoff from your property. Rain gardens can also help filter out pollutants in runoff and provide food and shelter for butterflies, song birds and other wildlife.
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Every time it rains, water runs off impervious surfaces such as roofs, driveways, roads and parking lots, collecting pollutants along the way. This runoff has been cited by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a major source of pollution to our nation's waterways. By building a rain garden at your home, you can reduce the amount of pollutants that leave your yard and enter nearby lakes, streams and ponds.
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Smaller gardens can be dug by hand with a shovel, or equipment can be rented for larger gardens. Most gardens for average sized homes can be dug by hand if you are in good health, or have some extra help. Once the shallow depression is dug for the rain garden, it won't take any more time or expense than planting other landscaped areas in your yard.
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Additional information source:
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As part of the Make Cambridge Resilient Initiative, development of the 2025 Cambridge Green Infrastructure (GI) Plan was initiated to identify and plan both short and long-term green infrastructure opportunities and projects. The plan is currently being reviewed and will soon be uploaded to this website for public review.
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​Strategically planning and designing Green Infrastructure throughout the City of Cambridge with an emphasis on mitigating flooding by slowing and reducing stormwater runoff is an integral part of the Make Cambridge Resilient Initiative. As seen in recent years, more frequent and severe storm events with heavy precipitation have caused significant issues for those who live, work, and visit the City of Cambridge. As localized flooding has continued to plague the city, the installation of green infrastructure can assist with the absorption of water thereby reducing pooling or flooding in streets. This water absorption will also serve to reduce pollutants within the storm water system, which eventually outlets to Cambridge Creek, Choptank River and other waterways, improving water quality. A city-wide approach that includes prioritizes neighborhoods that experience stormwater issues and may lack open green space and recreation areas has been undertaken as part of this strategic planning process.