The green spaces between the sidewalk and street can be adapted in order to capture and absorb stormwater runoff from the street and reduce municipal maintenance costs.

By incorporating rain gardens and/or tree plantings in the parkway, you can reduce the risk of runoff entering your building. Each parkway planting is typically connected to an inlet or opening cut into the curbline to direct rainwater from the street into the landscaped basin.

The parkway rain garden is constructed by digging a trench in the parkway and backfilling it with open-graded stone topped with mulch, plants, and a sandy, engineered soil mix. The garden is very permeable and can absorb the incoming rainwater until it infiltrates into the underlying soil.