Depaving cities refers to the process of removing urban pavement to create more green spaces and reduce the negative environmental impact of pavement. Benefits of depaving include reducing stormwater run-off and treatment, rebuilding natural climate buffers in cities, releasing soil from confinement, making space to plant trees, sequestering carbon, and allowing people to breathe fresh air, not asphalt. Some cities, including Portland, charge impervious pavement fees to cover the cost of dealing with runoff, which incentivizes depaving. Eindhoven, Netherlands and Leuven, Belgium have depaved parts of their areas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depaving
https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2021/08/02/depaving-cities-greener-future