St. Petersburg wants engineers to consider rain gardens, living shorelines and other natural features before settling on traditional pipes, pumps and concrete for public infrastructure projects.
City Council unanimously approved a resolution Thursday supporting the Resilient by Nature program, an effort to make natural approaches a routine consideration when planning and designing city projects.
The move follows weeks of discussion about how vegetation, soil and other natural features could help manage stormwater, slow erosion and reduce flooding without replacing the drainage systems the city relies on during heavy storms…