Establish urban greening factor requirements for new developments that quantify how projects contribute to urban greening for reduced stormwater runoff and urban heat island improvements.
Vegetation and green space help to reduce and/or slow stormwater runoff (and therefore flooding) and can reduce urban heat islands, provide wildlife habitat, and provide other social and environmental benefits. The City will establish urban greening factor requirements for new developments around rainwater infiltration that will ensure a minimum level of runoff reduction and “greening” is achieved in the city. Guidance will be provided around the range of urban greening options are available, such as planting street trees, installing green roofs, or incorporating rain gardens; each has a different greening factor based on its potential for rainwater infiltration. The City will partner with stakeholder groups, including neighborhood organizations and the development community, to define urban greening factor thresholds for different project types (e.g., residential, commercial).
Ensure the guidance only allows for trees suitable for planting along streets so they don't create additional maintenance issues (example https://www.landscapepros.com/select-best-trees-city-street-plantings/)
https://www.cityofirving.org/DocumentCenter/View/939/Tree-Planting-Guide-PDF?bidId=
https://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu/ViewAllTrees.aspx
http://www.txsmartscape.com/design-tools/index.php
then eliminate all this concrete, start using cobble so water can filtrate-specially in parking lots.- Europe does this.plus promotes native green spaces.
Not just cobble, but use limestone fines (a cheap waste product that nourishes the soil) for pathways - like they do in Paris.
A great resource to follow for these "urban greening" standards would be the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SSI) Sites V2 rating system, which is supported by the USGBC's LEED Green Building system. The focus for SITES is on enhancing/supporting ecosystem services through the design of exterior spaces, while LEED emphasizes sustainability within structures. The American Society of Landscape Architects has compiled resources and case studies for how projects can achieve a SITES certification.
https://www.asla.org/sites/
http://www.sustainablesites.org/certification-guide
Cool or green roofs should be an initiative that is pulled out and be a singular CECAP initiative. This initiative can have a big impact on a building's energy usage. See the Atlanta Climate Plan....
Engage the local AIA (architechs) in a study to recommend modern best practices to green the city. Use this to upgrade knowledge about how best to design (and purchase) green spaces.