Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Retrofiting Lid Practices Into Existing Neighborhoods: Is It Worth It?, Timothy Wright

Open Access Theses

Low impact development (LID) practices are gaining popularity as a way to manage stormwater close to the source. This reduces infrastructure requirements and helps to maintain hydrologic processes close to predevelopment conditions. Studies have shown LID practices to be effective in reducing runoff and improving water quality. However, little has been done to aid decision makers in selecting the most effective practices for their needs and budgets.

To this end, the L-THIA LID model has been applied. Using readily available data sources, multiple scenarios can quickly be examined, and then analyzed to determine the cost of implementation and the approximate …

Evaluating American Rainwater Harvesting Policy: A Case Study Of Three U.S. Cities, Russell J. Fricano, Alison Grass

Urban and Regional Studies Institute Publications

In spite of increasing support for rainwater harvesting by public agencies, environmental organizations and well-defined industry guidelines, the researchers found a strikingly limited number of municipalities with formal rainwater harvesting policies and programs. With literature on rainwater harvesting limited to mostly instructional material, the researchers were compelled to examine the feasibility of rainwater harvesting guidelines and practices. International and domestic rainwater harvesting guidelines were considered. The researchers surveyed municipalities which have implemented rainwater harvesting policies and ordinances to determine the extent to which industry prescribed guidelines are feasible. The subject jurisdictions commonly regulated rainwater harvesting through ancillary city codes or …