By AYA DIAB and ALEXA ST. JOHN
Updated 9:03 AM EDT, May 22, 2026

At the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission headquarters in Virginia, staff knew their crumbling asphalt parking lot was in desperate need of repair. But instead of replacing the lot with more dark blacktop, the group chose an alternative.

The new parking lot, completed last year, includes porous concrete panels and areas with native plants and recycled materials to make the lot cooler and less prone to flooding.

With the new panels, “the rain infiltrates faster than it can puddle and stop on the surface,” said Jill Sunderland, the commission’s senior water resources planner.

“You notice too, that it’s cooler,” Sunderland added. “You really can tell a difference out there ... not to mention it’s just more inviting.”

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