Green parking lot
Parking facility designed to be environmentally more sustainable
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- 5 chapters
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Through Sustainability
Minimized impervious surfaces
The largest feature of the parking lot is its paved area, hence, by changing this surface to be more permeable to water the parking lot will drain better. Some surface options are open joint pavers, porous asphalt, pervious concrete, or a turf grid. Drainage may be an important part of a green parking lot because runoff is often a serious concern. In addition to using a more porous surface, a more porous subsurface may be used to maximize drainage through the parking lot surface. Drains and low-lying areas for water retention can also be components of a green parking lot.
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Bicycles
Another component of green parking lots, according to Toronto's guide, is locations for bicycle storage. As bicycles are more environmentally friendly than cars it is important for a green parking lot to contain a bicycle rack.
Lighting
Minimizing energy consumption is another possible envonmental feature. Green parking lots often use scaled lighting; shorter light poles and less intense lighting where pedestrians or bicycles will be, and higher intensity lighting in areas where cars are, to minimize over-lighting of areas that don't need to be lit. Green parking lots may also power the lighting using solar or wind among other renewable forms of energy.
Solar canopy
A solar canopy or carport is a structure that elevates an array of photovoltaic panels above ground level so that the area under the panels can be used for other purposes. Many solar canopies are built over parking lots, where in addition to generating renewable power, they also protect the cars from sun, rain and snow. When the lot is not needed for parking, the covered area can be used for other purposes.
Vegetation
Vegetation used surrounding and within green parking lots varies with location. For this reason grasses like Kentucky Blue Grass should not be used in many areas as this grass requires large amounts of water. Trees are also good vegetation as they provide shade and generally have lower water requirements.