MIT Outfinite

Managing stormwater with green infrastructure is a key goal of the North Corridor project. This project harnesses the capacity of site systems such as trees, plants, and soil communities to provide multiple benefits including: decreased runoff and improved water quality; mitigation of flooding; water conservation; carbon sequestration in trees and soils; and mitigation of heat island effect through passive cooling provided by trees.

Using stormwater management systems designed with storage and detention capacity, the project reduces the impact of large rainfall events on existing drainage infrastructure and helps protect below-grade assets in the buildings surrounding North Corridor. Trench drains along the length of the Corridor collect and distribute water through subsurface pipes to landscape filters – planting beds designed to store and cleanse water through sandy soils and under-drainage. If the capacity of the trench drains and/or distribution pipes is exceeded in a storm, site grading directs surface runoff towards the landscape filters, reducing the potential for ponding in paved access areas. The planting of more than 75 new trees will shade, cool and beautify an important cross-campus link.