Local governments are becoming increasingly strategic about infrastructure investment, improving fiscal performance, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and protecting human and ecosystem health. There are several general approaches to green infrastructure:

1. Efficiency: Improve the energy efficiency of building and maintaining infrastructure. For example, reducing leaks and consumption in water systems minimizes pumping requirements.
2. Recovery: Recover energy with strategic infrastructure. For example, methane from landfills or water treatment can be captured and combusted for power and heat.
3. Optimized Infrastructure: Optimize infrastructure use. For example, district energy systems can provide electricity, heating and cooling to large groups of buildings more efficiently than either a large electric utility or dozens of individual HVAC systems.
4. Natural Infrastructure: Reduce the infrastructure intensive approach to development by using natural infrastructure systems that perform the same services.  For example, rain gardens and permeable pavement reduce stormwater, minimize conventional infrastructure needs, and improve resilience to extreme precipitation events.
5. Integrated Land Use: Reduce the infrastructure intensive approach to development through integrated land use and infrastructure planning. Higher density, mixed-use development, for example, reduces infrastructure needs.  Today’s sprawling developments require extensive road, water, sewage and traffic infrastructure that are not paid for in development fees and property taxes.