The Depave Movement: Transforming Pavement into Urban Green Space
The depave movement unites communities to turn asphalt and concrete into green, vibrant spaces, combatting climate change and inequality.
The Rise of the Depave Movement
Across North America and beyond, a groundswell is reimagining our urban environment by removing unnecessary asphalt and concrete—a process known as depaving. This movement seeks to replace underutilized and ecologically damaging pavement with living landscapes that not only beautify neighborhoods but also provide vital environmental and social benefits. It’s a shift from gray, impervious expanses to thriving community green spaces, and it’s happening in cities from Portland, Oregon, to Chicago, and beyond.
Why Pavement Is a Problem
Nearly every city is dominated by impervious surfaces—roads, parking lots, and driveways that prevent rainwater from seeping into the ground. The legacy of car-centric urban planning in the 19th and 20th centuries has left more than 43,000 square miles of the United States covered in pavement, a figure that continues to rise as cities grow and sprawl. But all that hardscape comes at a price.
- Stormwater Runoff: Rain landing on pavement rushes toward storm drains, picking up oil, debris, and chemicals. These contaminants end up in rivers and streams, harming water quality and aquatic habitats.
- Flooding: Because pavement prevents absorption, rainfall accumulates quickly, increasing flash flood risks during storms, particularly in low-lying urban areas.
- Urban Heat Island: Without cooling greenery, pavement can heat up to 150°F in summer, warming surrounding air and stormwater, worsening health impacts and threatening sensitive aquatic life when that heated water enters local waterways.
- Loss of Habitat: Paved land displaces trees, gardens, and wild areas crucial for pollinators and urban wildlife.
- Inequity: Marginalized communities often have the highest density of pavement, leading to disproportionate impacts from heat, flooding, and pollution.
The Concept of Depaving
Depaving is a community-led process to systematically remove unnecessary sections of concrete and asphalt and replace them with green space. The movement was born in Portland, Oregon, in 2008. Leaders saw firsthand the need to counterbalance decades of unchecked paving, especially in underserved areas.
Since its inception, the depave movement has steadily spread to other cities such as Chicago, Cleveland, Somerville, and Nashville, with each adapting the core idea to local conditions. The main steps involved in a depave project include:
- Identifying and selecting paved sites with limited utility.
- Partnering with residents, schools, religious organizations, and local governments.
- Organizing community ‘depaving days’ where volunteers physically remove sections of pavement.
- Landscaping the cleared area using native plants, trees, and permeable surfaces to encourage biodiversity and stormwater absorption.
How Depaving Benefits Communities and Climate
Depaving has measurable and cascading benefits for neighborhoods and municipal environments. Some of the key outcomes include:
- Reduced Flooding: Natural infiltration of rainwater helps manage stormwater sustainably, reducing flash flooding risks.
- Improved Water Quality: Soil and plants naturally filter contaminants before they enter waterways, unlike storm drains that funnel pollutants directly to rivers.
- Lower Urban Temperatures: Replacing pavement with vegetation provides shade and evapotranspiration, cooling neighborhoods and reducing heat risk.
- Enhanced Biodiversity: Native flora attract pollinators (bees, butterflies) and provide habitat for birds and small mammals.
- Community Empowerment: Depave projects foster collaboration, civic pride, and hands-on environmental education. They often address green-space inequities by prioritizing work in marginalized communities.
Table: Comparing Paved Surfaces vs. Depaved Green Spaces
| Factor | Paved Surface | Depaved Green Space |
|---|---|---|
| Stormwater Management | Water runs off, increases flooding | Water absorbs naturally, reduces flood risk |
| Temperature Effect | Heat island, raises local temp | Cools area through shade and plants |
| Biodiversity | Little to none | Supports pollinators and urban wildlife |
| Community Health | Higher pollution, heat-related illness | Cleaner air, cooler temps, recreational space |
| Equity | Disproportionate negative impacts | Targets underserved areas for green equity |
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The Depave Process in Action
Site Selection and Community Engagement
Each depave project begins with identifying underused or obsolete paved sites—such as excess parking lots, schoolyards, or alleyways. Local residents, nonprofits, and city departments work together to select spaces that will maximize impact. Crucially, community input shapes project goals so that new green spaces truly serve neighborhood needs, whether that’s play areas, gardens, or gathering places.
Removal: How Pavement Is Depaved
On depave days, volunteers—sometimes numbering in the dozens—gather with sledgehammers and prybars to break up pavement and haul away chunks of asphalt or concrete. This hands-on, collective action builds a sense of ownership and pride in the transformation. Safety protocols, city permits, and recycling plans are key to ensuring smooth, responsible removal.
Greening and Maintenance
The newly exposed soil is planted with native trees, shrubs, and perennial flowers. These plants have deep root systems that help break up compacted soil, absorb stormwater, and provide varied habitats. Teams plan for ongoing maintenance, often working with local schools, volunteers, or municipal workers to ensure survival and growth. Some projects incorporate rain gardens or bioswales, further enhancing infiltration and biodiversity.
The Roots of Depaving: History and Origins
The concept of reclamation from excessive hardscape traces back to urban ecology and community garden movements, but the formal Depave initiative started in Portland, Oregon, in 2008. Since then, the original organization and its partners have removed over 200,000 square feet of impervious surfaces citywide. Their approach—grassroots, volunteer-driven, and equity-focused—has inspired similar programs in Chicago, Cleveland, Nashville, and Somerville, Massachusetts. Each city now adapts the blueprint to its own unique challenges and opportunities.
Environmental Justice and Equity
Marginalized and low-income neighborhoods historically endure the greatest burdens from urban paving: hotter microclimates, depleted tree cover, poorer air quality, and increased flood risk. These communities, often with limited resources, face compounding challenges exacerbated by climate change. Depave organizations intentionally prioritize work in these areas to:
- Increase green space access for those most affected by environmental inequities.
- Strengthen climate resilience where vulnerability is highest.
- Promote environmental justice by redistributing the benefits of urban nature.
Policy, Partnerships, and Scaling the Movement
While much depaving happens at the grassroots, the movement depends on alliances with city governments, schools, faith organizations, and philanthropies. Forward-looking policies can accelerate depaving by:
- Incorporating green infrastructure guidelines into urban planning.
- Providing grants and technical support for depaving projects.
- Encouraging private landowners and businesses to reduce unnecessary pavement.
- Prioritizing projects in census tracts most affected by environmental injustice and the urban heat island effect.
As communities see the value of reclaimed green space, enthusiasm grows. Many local governments are now actively seeking depaving opportunities, especially when paired with broader climate action strategies.
Challenges Faced by the Depave Movement
- Funding: While volunteers contribute labor, materials and ongoing maintenance require sustained investment.
- Infrastructure Concerns: In some sites, utilities or drainage systems underlie pavement, complicating removal.
- Community Buy-In: Success depends on collaboration, clear communication, and ensuring new spaces meet real needs.
- Policy Hurdles: Permits, liability, and code compliance can slow projects without strong municipal support.
- Maintenance: Green spaces require long-term care to thrive, making stewardship plans essential.
Success Stories and Ongoing Projects
Depave projects often become beloved neighborhood centers. In Portland, a former parking lot at a local school now blooms with native plants and provides both outdoor classroom space and stormwater management. In Nashville, partnerships with faith communities and environmental groups have converted church lots into community gardens and green play areas.
One Chicago project transformed an unused stretch of asphalt into a pollinator corridor, drawing bees and butterflies to what was previously a wasteland. These spaces also serve as living demonstrations for sustainability and resilience, inspiring cities far beyond their immediate geography.
How to Get Involved: Steps to Start Depaving
Anyone can contribute to the depave movement, whether as a volunteer, advocate, or sponsor. Here’s how to begin:
- Identify an underutilized paved area in your community.
- Connect with local depave organizations or city sustainability offices.
- Engage neighbors, schools, and stakeholders to build support.
- Work with experts to plan the removal and landscaping.
- Join or organize a depaving event—and help maintain the new green space year-round.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What types of pavement can be removed?
A: Depaving projects often target asphalt or concrete surfaces that are no longer serving their intended use, such as old parking lots, redundant sidewalks, or vacant lots. Removal is planned carefully to avoid disturbing utilities or vital infrastructure below the surface.
Q: How does depaving help with climate resilience?
A: By creating permeable, green areas, depaving reduces stormwater runoff, mitigates local heat islands, and fosters biodiversity. These factors help buffer cities from the worst impacts of climate change, such as flash flooding, heatwaves, and deteriorating air quality.
Q: How are new green spaces maintained after depaving?
A: Maintenance plans vary by project but often involve neighborhood volunteers, school groups, or municipal landscaping teams. Native plants are usually chosen for their resilience and minimal water needs, reducing long-term care demands.
Q: Who can start or participate in a depaving project?
A: Anyone can initiate or join a depave project, including residents, students, nonprofits, and business owners. Collaboration with city authorities and environmental organizations is encouraged to ensure success.
Q: What is the future of the depave movement?
A: The movement is gaining momentum as more cities recognize the multiple benefits of green infrastructure. With urban populations growing and climate risks rising, depaving offers a scalable, community-driven solution for transforming our cities into healthier, more resilient places.
Conclusion: Paving the Way for Greener Cities
Reimagining the urban landscape—one slab of concrete at a time—is more urgent than ever. The depave movement stands as a shining example of constructive destruction: removing what no longer serves to make room for what nurtures. As more communities unite to tear up the unnecessary, we edge closer to cities where health, resilience, and equity can take root and flourish for generations to come.
References
- https://www.depavechicago.org/whatwherewhy
- https://cumberlandrivercompact.org/2024/01/16/free-the-soil-with-depave/
- https://www.depave.org/what-we-do
- https://www.alleghenyfront.org/depaving-climate-change-flooding/
- https://www.depave.org
- https://floodlist.com/protection/depave-community-based-approach-storm-water-management
- https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2021/08/02/depaving-cities-greener-future
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