I am an urban planner by…

I am an urban planner by training and profession. I am concerned about the plan to prohibit municipalities from requiring green development standards, particularly with respect to bioswales and other SWM-mitigation elements. These types of environmental features are valuable for flood mitigation in urban areas, which is becoming more important than ever as we continue to see impacts of a changing climate. I understand the desire to streamline development standards, and I don't disagree with this goal. However, green development standards - particularly those which assist with SWM management - are important for creating urban areas which are viable for the future. The research on the utility of green roofs is mixed, so I don't care if those are scrapped, but other green development tools have strong research to demonstrate their value.

Please ensure bioswales, low-impact development, and similar tools can be required by municipalities. Changes to green development standards should be grounded in science. Sacrificing long-term sustainability for short-term financial gain is not worth it.