This piece was produced in collaboration with our partner, the Great Lakes Commission through the Greater Lakes project, with support from the Great Lakes Protection Fund.



Across the Great Lakes, water resource systems in urban areas have been heavily altered by human development. Traditional engineering methods use pipes and concrete to separate and manage stormwater, wastewater, and drinking water, leaving ecosystems disconnected and fragmented in the process. 
 
But forward-thinking citizen advocates, conservationists and government officials are blazing a new path—one that is turning the dominant water management paradigm on its head. A new vision is emerging; one in which cities move from fragmentation to integration, treating water as a single, holistic resource. This approach can restore urban ecosystems while also saving money for cash-strapped municipalities. The Greater Lakes Initiative is leading that effort to being municipalities together to manage water resources in a holistic manner that benefits everyone.

This video tells that story.

(This video was originally published in Yonge Street's sister site, Model D. Check out the other stories in our Greater Lakes series!)