WHAT IS DEPAVING?

Depaving is the process of removing unused or underutilized asphalt and pavement — from driveways, parking lots, schoolyards or street segments — using tools like sledgehammers and pry bars. The broken pavement is cleared away for recycling, opening up the compacted earth for soil regeneration, stormwater infiltration and regreening with native plants. This helps mitigate urban heat islands and reduce flooding by replacing heat-trapping, impervious surfaces with shade-casting, biodiverse plantings to support pollinators, birds and other wildlife.

Key Benefits of Depaving

• Stormwater Management: Allows rainwater to soak naturally into the ground instead of pooling or rushing into storm drains, reducing urban flooding and Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs).

• Pollution & Carbon Reduction: Prevents rainwater from washing automotive fluids, heavy metals and litter off pavement and straight into local creeks, rivers and drinking water sources. Native trees and other plantings absorb carbon and improve air quality. Improved soils sequester more carbon.

• Urban Cooling: Combats the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, as dark asphalt traps and radiates heat while plants and shade trees cool and purify the air.

• Biodiversity & Habitat: Restores living soil, creating new green spaces, food gardens and habitat for birds, bees and other wildlife.

• Community & Aesthetics: Transforms neglected or oversized paved tracts into neighborhood gathering spaces, gardens and/or urban farms through volunteer-led depave parties.