A good hard rain in the Pacific Northwest’s
urban areas can be bad news for the environment. Storm water
draining off rooftops and through gutters can carry pollutants,
damaging streams and wildlife habitat. Now, a group of planners may
have a solution. Called low-impact development (LID), it focuses on
innovative ways to manage storm water by preserving or restoring
native vegetation and soils, minimizing impervious surfaces and
reducing runoff. Some LID engineering techniques use rooftop
gardens, pervious pavement and localized bio-retention ponds –
facilities that process and filter runoff on-site.
Builders and some planners in the West have been skeptical
of the idea because it promotes development that in some cases
contradicts local regulations, such as building wider roads. But
state and local governments are introducing LID language in their
regulations, and developers in cities like Olympia, Wash., and
Portland, Ore., are focusing on projects that incorporate LID. “The
biggest obstacle now is defining what’s feasible for a specific
community – technically, financially, legally,” says Andy Haub, a
project manager with the City of Olympia.
For more
information about low-impact development, go to
www.psat.wa.gov/Programs/LID.htm
Copyright
© 2002 HCN and Rodika Tollefson
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Alternative development goes mainstream.
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