Green infrastructure is a new approach to combat traditional building designs. Though mostly focused on stormwater management, green infrastructure provides numerous benefits to communities and mitigates problems commonly found in urbanized areas.

Green Infrastructure Highlights

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  The Claxton Rain Garden encompasses a 3,500-square-foot space with five native shrubs and small tree species along with twelve species of native perennial herbaceous plants in the selected plant assemblage, each native to the ridge and valley ecoregion.
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  Located along Volunteer Boulevard, native vegetation, bioswales, and tree wells absorb rainwater and naturally filter our pollutants while recharging groundwater supplies.
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  The Andy Holt Mall Extension project represents a major step toward a pedestrian-centered campus that prioritizes the health and well-being of its community and the ecological health of its environment.

Where To Find Stormwater Features on Campus

Chances are that when you’re walking around campus, you’ve encountered a few types of green infrastructure. Among the most common are permeable pavers that run across Pedestrian and a string of bioswales that run throughout Volunteer Blvd. However, other systems tend to go unnoticed. Silva cells, rain gardens, and cisterns also populate parts of the University of Tennessee’s campus in an effort to reduce the environmental impact the university has on surrounding areas.

Learn more about where green infrastructure systems are located at UTK using our interactive map.