Vancouver responded by creating structures to coordinate multiple stakeholders around shared asset management principles. The city established the Green Infrastructure Implementation branch to lead, coordinate and steward green infrastructure across departments, bringing clarity to ownership and responsibility. Today, Vancouver maintains more than 400 green infrastructure assets, ranging from small curb bulges that slow traffic and capture rainwater to larger systems like the St George Rainway. These assets are tracked, monitored and maintained using lifecycle planning that considers everything from soil health to plant replacement schedules. Beyond the business case Vancouver’s data-driven analysis of its green infrastructure portfolio has challenged long-held
assumptions about high operational costs. By tracking actual maintenance expenses over several years, the city found that costs were lower than early estimates. In part, this was because maintenance crews became more efficient as their experience and the asset inventory grew. Each green infrastructure project can defer significant investment in traditional pipe upgrades while delivering added community value. Beyond stormwater management, green infrastructure provides benefits that grey infrastructure cannot — beautification, biodiversity, improved community health, enhanced property value and urban cooling. Over time, cities will increasingly be able to assign monetary value to outcomes such as reduced hospital visits, energy savings from urban cooling and other positive impacts — further strengthening the case for integrating green infrastructure into asset management systems.
The implementation playbook For cities looking to replicate Vancouver’s approach, five prerequisites stand out:
Senior leadership and political support
Connect with peers
Clear policies
Integrated, multidisciplinary teams
Learn by doing
Vancouver’s progress was enabled by the creation of a dedicated branch focused solely on green infrastructure, providing the mandate, resources and continuity needed for systematic implementation.
Outcome-oriented framework such as the Rain City Strategy¹ and Healthy Waters Plan⁴ helped align projects with broader city objectives.
Success depends on collaboration among engineers, landscape architects, planners and other professionals, helping decisions
Rather than waiting for perfect solutions, Vancouver emphasised pilot projects. Starting small allows the city to test ideas, build confidence and refine approaches over time.
Engagement with global, national and regional networks such as the Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange⁵ enables faster learning and problem solving through shared experience.
reflect diverse expertise and perspectives.
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