As cities increasingly turn to green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) to meet federal Clean Water Act requirements, questions persist over if and how equitably these interventions are planned and implemented. This study examines how equity has been conceptualized and operationalized in the compliance-driven GSI programs of Cleveland, Philadelphia, and St. Louis. Drawing on analysis of 40 planning documents and 23 practitioner interviews, we show that equity is often subordinated to hydrologic performance and cost-effectiveness, reflecting the dominance of regulatory mandates. While planning documents from the early 2010s offered limited and technocratic treatments of equity, practitioners today frame equity as a dynamic, negotiated process shaped by governance roles, community trust, and institutional constraints. The findings also demonstrate significant opportunities for integrating equity into stormwater management. The results suggest that equity is not a binary achievement, but a dynamic and iterative practice shaped by institutional roles, regulatory mandates, and community partnerships. We argue that achieving equitable outcomes through GSI requires moving beyond compliance-oriented planning towards collaborative, cross-sectoral and community-centered approaches that center social and economic equity. While this study focuses on a specific approach within urban greening, it offers broader insights into the dynamics of urban sustainability and resilience planning, particularly in contexts governed by top-down planning frameworks. In doing so, we contribute to scholarly conversations on how equity can be integrated into institutional planning and environmental governance.
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