Low impact development (LID) is an attempt to mimic a site's pre-development hydrology, by using various components of Green Infrastructure to help conserve natural resources and reduce our impact on the environment. Examples of Low Impact Development measures includes green roofs, street trees, green spaces, rainwater harvesting, raingardens and swales, curbcuts and permeable pavement.
Street Trees
Street trees provide multiple benefits including improvement of air-, water- and soil quality and the reduction of stormwater run-off. Trees provide habitat and the canopy slows down the rain drops which gives the soil more time to absorb more rain water. Perhaps the most important benefit is the aesthetic values of trees.
Curb Cuts allows water to flow into planters, where the water will sustain plants and trees, instead of into storm drains, eventually reaching the ocean.
Green Roofs, or rooftop gardens, is a vegetative layer grown on a roof top. Green roofs provide shade and remove heat from the air through evapotranspiration, reducing heat island effect in cities. Other benefits of green roofs include:
Permeable Pavement is a range of sustainable materials and techniques for permeable pavements with a base and subbase that allow the movement of stormwater through the surface. In addition to reducing runoff, this effectively traps suspended solids and filters pollutants from the water.