09/01/2026
Imagine if concrete medians throughout Fairhaven could be visually beautiful green spaces that also help manage storm water.
Some of New York City’s concrete medians in Queens are being reimagined as planted “sponges” that quietly help manage heavy rain. 🌿🌧️
New York City is replacing hard roadway medians in neighborhoods including Whitestone, Forest Hills and Queens Village with engineered green spaces designed to absorb stormwater before it overwhelms drains and sewers. Instead of sending rainwater rushing straight off concrete, the new medians use specially designed soils, underground storage layers and native plantings to capture runoff from nearby streets. City officials say the Queens projects are expected to manage about five million gallons of stormwater each year. Along with helping reduce pressure on the sewer system, the planted corridors can also improve local water quality, add greenery to the streetscape and make these everyday traffic islands more useful than they were before. It is a smart example of how even small pieces of city infrastructure can be redesigned to do much more.
References:
New York City Department of Environmental Protection: To Better Manage Extreme Rainfall, Large Concrete Medians in Queens Village Are Being Transformed into Resilient Green Infrastructure Sponges.
