The Kortright Centre parking lot showcases green building features and materials that make it more environmentally friendly than a typical one. As a demonstration of green parking design the original asphalt lot is being renovated to feature permeable pavements, rain gardens and infiltration trenches to manage rainwater and snowmelt in a cleaner, more natural way.

The original 3 year study of the performance of different types of permeable pavements is a research collaboration between STEP and the University of Guelph.  It evaluated the hydrologic, water quality and functional performance of 3 different permeable pavements (2 permeable interlocking concrete pavers and a pervious concrete) relative to a conventional asphalt pavement in the parking lot.  Monitoring included surface infiltration rates, water quality and quantity, temperature, surface surveys and the effects of different maintenance practices.  A second phase of the study extended the earlier study with a focus on evaluating the long term performance of the pavements and documenting the direction and magnitude of changes in performance over time.

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