Currents

An Energy Newsletter for Local Governments

New Report Examines Low Impact Development Practices

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently released The Practice of Low Impact Development. This new publication that presents a land development process, Low Impact Development (LID), that uses various land planning and design practices and technologies to conserve and protect natural resource systems and reduce infrastructure costs. By incorporating both economic and environmental considerations, LID allows land to be developed, but in a cost-effective manner that helps mitigate potential environmental impacts.

Best suited for new, suburban development, LID can offer developers both infrastructure savings and a way to respond to increasingly stringent environmental regulations. For municipalities, LID can help contain burgeoning street and storm water management costs. For community residents, LID encourages local environmental stewardship. In terms of the environment, the benefits speak for themselves. Some of the key LID recommendations include:

• Project Planning & Design;
• Storm Water Management;
• Wastewater Management; and
• Circulation & Design.

The Practice of Low Impact Development is available as a free download (http://www.huduser.org/publications/destech/lowImpactDevl.htm) or in printed form for a nominal charge by calling HUD USER at 800/245-2691.

From the LGEAN Newsletter 10/27/03. To subscribe to LGEAN Update: http://www.lgean.org/html/updateservice.cfm.

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