Depaving Explained

Depaving, also known as desealing, is the act of removing impermeable surfaces such as parking lots and replacing with a permeable surface, especially green space.^{[1] [2]} Depaving can help manage stormwater runoff, ensuring that runoff is less polluted.^[3]

The Depave Portland group in Portland, United States says that it has depaved more than 70 parking lots and removed of paving since it was founded in 2008.^[4] Some cities, including Portland, charge impervious pavement fees to cover the cost of dealing with runoff, which incentivizes depaving.^[2] Eindhoven, Netherlands depaved parts of its area.^[5] The city of Leuven, Belgium is planning depaving as part of its Leuven2050 plan to become carbon-neutral and combat the urban heat island effect.^{[6] [7]} Other motivations for depaving include providing habitat for wildlife,^[8] combating climate change or increasing quality of life by replacing underutilized paved areas with green space.^[1] A 2020 study found that depaving had high effectiveness for increasing groundwater replenishment.^[5]

According to a 2016 study by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, depaving is common on rural roads as a cost-saving measure due to the high cost of maintaining paved surfaces.^[9]

Notes and References

1. Garda . Emanuele . Let's get dirty! Le azioni di depaving dei suoli urbani per la multifunzionalità degli spazi sottoutilizzati . Altre Modernità . 2019 . 2019: NUMERO SPECIALE: Scrivere la terra . 164–178 . 10.13130/2035-7680/12150 . 212871716 . it . 2035-7680.
2. Book: Douglas . Ian . Anderson . P. M. L. . Goode . David . Houck . Michael C. . Maddox . David . Nagendra . Harini . Tan . Puay Yok . The Routledge Handbook of Urban Ecology . 2020 . Routledge . 978-0-429-01526-7 . en . Depaving.
3. News: Nonpoint Source News-notes . 2004 . Terrene Institute . Over-paved? Group reduces impervious surfaces in Portland. en .
4. News: Depaving Paradise: Grassroots Portland Group Reclaims Parking Lots by Hand . 22 June 2022 . Streetsblog USA . 12 June 2019.
5. Augusto . Bruno . Roebeling . Peter . Rafael . Sandra . Ferreira . Joana . Ascenso . Ana . Bodilis . Carole . Short and medium- to long-term impacts of nature-based solutions on urban heat . Sustainable Cities and Society . 2020 . 57 . 102122 . 10.1016/j.scs.2020.102122. 214214713 . 10773/28254 . free .
6. Web site: Leuven 2030 - Roadmap 2025 · 2035 · 2050 . roadmap.leuven2030.be . 22 June 2022 . nl.
7. News: Daunton . Nichola . More people cycle than drive in this 'forward-thinking' European city . 22 June 2022 . euronews . 16 June 2022 . en.
8. Book: Brears . Robert C. . Blue and Green Cities: The Role of Blue-Green Infrastructure in Managing Urban Water Resources . 2018 . Springer . 978-1-137-59258-3 . 52 . en.
9. Book: Truscello . Michael . Infrastructural Brutalism: Art and the Necropolitics of Infrastructure . 1 September 2020 . MIT Press . 978-0-262-53904-3 . 255 . en.