Low impact urban design and development: scope, founding principles and collaborative learning
This paper clarifies many facets of this nationwide research and implementation programme titled ‘Low impact urban design and development: making it mainstream’. Now two years into a six year programme we report on not only the programme scope but its underlying quadruple bottom line principles and the implementation methods associated with those principles. Most conspicuous among those implementation methods are those related to changing urban design and stormwater management practices to ensure hydrological neutrality of the development transition, which in turn is complementary to enhancement of terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity. Implementation requires education, buy-in from all stakeholders and changes to plans, policies and practices. We will report on methods for enhancing collaborative learning and adaptive management that are considered essential for ensuring uptake and positive outcomes.
Low Impact Urban Design and Development (LIUDD) is funded by the New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science and Technology. The research team is drawn from several public institutions and private companies encompassing researchers with expertise in environmental sciences, engineering, social sciences, economics and planning. The programme represents the first major funded research for the newly created Centre for Urban Ecosystem Sustainability (CUES), a joint centre of Landcare Research Ltd and the University of Auckland.
The research methodology has been underpinned by an interdisciplinary approach that recognises the need to not only integrate knowledge of natural environmental systems, technologies, physical infrastructure, social sciences and planning but also that successful implementation and outcomes rest with the willingness of stakeholders to implement new techniques and practices. Thus, the programme is intended to draw together understandings of environmental science, public policy and practice and disseminate this in readily accessible ways to achieve practical outcomes.
The programme has four key themes:
1. Getting buy-in: the human and social dimension - identifying ways of overcoming social and institutional barriers to LIUDD.
2. Innovative science and design - integrating natural features and treatment processes in urban development and catchment management to reduce stormwater impacts and enhance biodiversity.
3. Economic tools for LIUDD - comparing cost-benefits of different approaches to underpin rational choices.
Changing plans and practices: making it happen - improving processes and guidelines for council plans, codes and developing incentives for implementation
This paper includes definition of the principles and actions that make possible the implementation of LIUDD. We create the means, by which all stakeholders involved in development processes can generate checklists using the codes we have provided, to document implementation achievements. It is hoped that this will bring greater clarity to stakeholders wishing to introduce LIUDD into everyday practice.
The principles form a hierarchy of importance. The single primary principle seeks recognition that human activity should respect and operate within natural cycles (van Roon and Knight, 2004) in order to minimize negative effects and optimize internalization of materials, contaminants and energy. The secondary principle, concerning site selection, emphasises that the greatest achievements in LIUDD are derived from choosing the optimum location within a region for urban development (van Roon and Knight, 2004, p92). Without this essential step, even if the tertiary principles are applied consistently, there are unlikely to be acceptable outcomes. The justification for, and implementation of, tertiary principles are supported by an array of publications from this LIUDD programme and from parallel or complimentary programmes in LID and WSUD. Tertiary principles include the use of alternative development forms; localisation and naturalisation of water, soil and nutrient cycles; reduction and containment of contaminants; ecosystem and biodiversity management; reduction in mobility of people and goods; and reduction of local energy demands.
Collaborative learning approaches are being used as part of the LIUDD programme to support research on stormwater management in New Zealand. This approach is designed to increase the opportunities for reflective practice for a range of people involved. By providing spaces for reflective practice we aim to support the building of knowledge across scientists, first nation peoples, development professionals, urban regulators and community organizations. Also adaptive management incorporating strong community development perspectives offers opportunities for long-term transformation away from conventional stormwater management practices that have a high impact on the environment (Johnson, 1999). We discuss organizational and community capacity building plus reflective practice as critical elements of these approaches to urban stormwater management.
References:
Johnson, B.L. (1999) Introduction to the special feature: adaptive management, scientifically sound, socially challenged?. Conservation Ecology, 3, 1. URL: http://www.consecol.org/vol3/iss1/art10/
van Roon, M.R. and S.J. Knight (2004) Ecological Context of Development: New Zealand Perspectives. Oxford University Press, Melbourne.