What is Low Impact Development?

Low impact development (LID) uses a variety of practical techniques to manage stormwater runoff close to its source, where rain falls.  LID designs focus on implementing better site design practices and site-specific stormwater control options such as green roofs, stormwater capture and re-use, and landscape designs that increase the absorption and filtering of rainwater.

What are the Benefits?

LID is not a land-use control strategy. LID is an ecosystem-based approach in which water is the central focus. Albertans need spaces to work, live and play; and by applying LID principles, the built environment can be designed to function sustainably as part of the ecosystem. 

Innovative planning and engineering models help predict the impacts of stormwater before and after development occurs. These predictions enable better decision making about where LID techniques can be applied to reduce the impacts of development on the natural landscape. LID strategies work for new developments, including brownfield sites, and for retrofitting existing communities experiencing stormwater challenges.

Implementing LID techniques can promote the recharging of aquifers, the protection of riparian areas and wetlands, and the maintainance or improvement of the aquatic health of our water bodies. Aesthetics of the built environment can be improved, and the overall quality of life we all seek in our communities can be enhanced.

Articles Featuring LID Topics in Alberta

Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine, November 2006 Tackling Non-point Source Pollution in Alberta.

APEGGA's newsletter, the PEGG, April 2009 Gutters and Pipes Make Room for Bioswales and Built Wetlands.