Which of the following best represents a characteristic of a green infrastructure?

Green infrastructure is characterized by its emphasis on utilizing natural and vegetated systems to manage stormwater, enhance biodiversity, and improve environmental quality. This approach focuses on integrating natural elements like trees, parks, gardens, wetlands, and green roofs into urban planning and design to mimic natural water cycles and processes. By doing so, green infrastructure promotes sustainable practices that help mitigate flooding, reduce urban heat, and improve air quality while also providing recreational spaces and wildlife habitat.

In contrast, the other options reflect traditional, more engineered approaches to infrastructure. Hard-lined engineered structures and large-scale concrete channels are typically rigid, artificial systems that can exacerbate issues such as urban runoff and habitat loss. Centralized water treatment facilities, while essential to water management, do not embody the principles of green infrastructure, which prioritize distributed, nature-based solutions over conventional, centralized methods.