There are options for concrete that are more environmentally friendly: some decorative concrete colors have higher SRI (solar reflectivity indexes) than plain gray concrete so they reflect more infrared light which results in lower temperatures. They can actually be used to help achieve LEED certification in building projects.

Also, there is pervious concrete which has many voids in the mix which allows water to percolate down into the ground instead of running off into storm drains!

Concrete is an environmentally friendly building material in all stages of its life span, from raw material production to demolition, making it a natural choice for sustainable construction.

Some reasons:

Resource efficiency - The predominant raw material for the cement in concrete is limestone, the most abundant mineral on earth. Concrete can also be made with fly ash, slag cement, and silica fume, all waste byproducts from power plants, steel mills, and other manufacturing facilities.

Durability - Concrete builds durable, long-lasting structures that will not rust, rot, or burn. Life spans for concrete building products can be double or triple those of other common building materials.

Thermal mass - Structures built with concrete walls, foundations, and floors are highly energy efficient because they take advantage of concrete’s inherent thermal mass or ability to absorb and retain heat. This means significantly lowered heating and cooling bills with smaller-capacity HVAC equipment.

Reflectivity - Concrete minimizes the effects that produce urban heat islands. Light-colored concrete pavements and roofs absorb less heat and reflect more solar radiation than dark-colored materials, such as asphalt, reducing air conditioning demands in the summer.

Minimal waste - Concrete can be produced in the quantities needed for each project, reducing waste. After a concrete structure has served its original purpose, the concrete can be crushed and recycled into aggregate for use in new concrete pavements or as backfill or road base.

I admire your sense of environmental stewardship! But if you dig a little deeper you'll find that your statements are only scratching the surface on this issue.

pfiddle:

those were good suggestions to put empty and underutilized parking lots to use to serve the community better. unfortunately, the impact of so much pavement on the environment remains. i would never call myself a tree hugger (although i think what a lot of environmentalists do is terrific), but i think there are so many ways we can reduce the negative impact our modern society can have on the environment. now that i have kids, i live in the suburbs (which is something i said i'd never do!) and try to use businesses and services within 5 minutes of my home. i wish i could walk more places, but kids and logistics often makes that impossible.

i love being American, but i think, no, i KNOW, that we can look to other countries for ideas on how to be more environmentally friendly. those suggestions such as underground parking, cobble stone, etc. are all really great ideas!

I forgot to mention water-runoff. We use stone "cobble" locally. Stone set in sand has a natural runoff so storm drains are redundant.

Factory/school roofs are seen a bigger problem (where the water isn't used for toilets or irrigation). In Germany now there's a special tax if a building needs storm drains. Grass roofs and other innovative ideas are granted financial help (provided by the tax) so the local drainage system is not put under extra pressure.

Howzzat!!

I cannot agree that car-parks/parking lots are bad for the environment. It's the PLANNING of such that's bad.

Well designed carparks that use underground water-filled piping to heat the the office/houses/school etc are being used in Ireland. Avenues of trees breaks up the visual image and gives shelter from sun and wind AND provides living space for wildlife.

Well regulated parking can even be used at quiet times to allow children (Of ALL ages !!) space to play football/tennis/basket ball. A couple of signs asking drivers to respect the space and only use designated areas if ALL else is full. Parking areas such as sports grounds are ideal for this arrangement. Empty areas can be used to teach (motor)cyclists, learner-drivers, fly-fishing, kite-flying and lots of other activities including occasional (fresh-food) markets and marching band practice. It just takes a little forward planning and the greatest art of all; common sense.