**Joowon Im**

Program of Landscape Architecture, College of Architecture, Planning and Public A ffairs, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76010, USA; joowon.im@uta.edu

Received: 1 September 2019; Accepted: 13 November 2019; Published: 18 November 2019

**Abstract:** Urbanization and climate change have impacted the ecosystems of the US cities. Impervious surfaces in the urbanized areas are a critical issue for both challenges and green infrastructure can be an alternative solution to achieve urban sustainability. Green infrastructure protects urban ecosystems by reducing imperviousness as treating stormwater runo ff and providing other multifaceted benefits. However, even with the grea<sup>t</sup> potential, its adoption is still discouraged due to limited understanding and guidance especially for the cities with a growth-driven policy. This paper proposes that green infrastructure, particularly green streets in relation to impervious surfaces, can deliver urban sustainability by providing a better understanding to promote the acceptance and successful adoption of green streets through literature review and case studies in the US. Green streets are primarily implemented within the right-of-way and facilitate stormwater treatment along with diverse street designs providing multiple benefits such as flood management, wildlife habitat and natural pathway creation, neighborhood beautification, cost-e ffective solution, and more. The defined green street typology in this paper is an important tool for communicating among planners and the public by providing form-based standardized classification. Green streets can be utilized as a sustainable development approach, fulfilling a variety of environmental, social, and economic objectives.

**Keywords:** green street; green infrastructure; urban sustainability
