High Performance Infrastructure Guidelines: Best Practices for the Public Right-of-Way

This publication provides a roadmap for incorporating 'best management practices' into New York City's right-of-way infrastructure capital program.

This publication, High Performance Infrastructure Guidelines (Guidelines), provides a roadmap for incorporating 'best management practices' (BMPs) into New York City's right-of-way infrastructure capital program. The Guidelines are written for the Department of Design and Construction (DDC), but they are also intended for use by planners, designers, engineers, public officials, and anyone else involved in constructing, operating, or maintaining the right-of-way.

Through publishing these Guidelines, the City and the Design Trust for Public Space seek improved environmental, social, and economic outcomes for the City's infrastructure investments. Furthermore, the Guidelines consider improving natural system and human health an essential part of an infrastructure capital project.

The High Performance Infrastructure Guidelines allow for a practical, incremental approach to implementing best management practices. The BMPs that are described in Part Three of the document are applicable to a wide range of maintenance and capital construction work, including minor structural roadbed work, street resurfacing projects, sewer or water main rehabilitation, sidewalk construction projects, and major right-of-way reconstruction or new construction - all undertakings of the Department of Design and Construction. DDC's implementation of best practices in a series of pilot projects over time, coupled with the agency's ongoing upgrading of standards through research and development, represents a measured but committed approach to enhancing the performance of right-of-way infrastructure.