Low Impact Development Strategies for Urban Stormwater Management

Low Impact Development (LID) encompasses a suite of site-scale practices designed to manage rainfall at its source, emulate pre-development hydrology and reduce the volume and velocity of stormwater runoff. Techniques such as permeable pavements, rain gardens, vegetated swales and green roofs promote infiltration, detention and evapotranspiration to mitigate flood risk, improve water quality and recharge groundwater. Beyond traditional ‘grey’ drainage networks, LID features often deliver ancillary benefits including urban cooling, biodiversity enhancement and community well-being. Their flexible integration into streetscapes and open spaces supports regulatory compliance and resilience against increasing rainfall intensity driven by climate change. Effective implementation requires multidisciplinary collaboration, hydrological modelling to predict performance and cost–benefit appraisal to inform decision-making. Globally, LID strategies are being adapted to diverse climates and urban morphologies, from temperate European cities to rapidly urbanising Asian metropolises, demonstrating scalable pathways to more sustainable water management.

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Low Impact Development Strategies for Urban Stormwater Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in low impact development strategies for urban stormwater management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Low Impact Development (LID): A set of practices that manage stormwater close to its origin, aiming to replicate natural hydrological processes and minimise runoff.

Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI): Engineered vegetated features—such as rain gardens, bioretention cells and green roofs—that capture, store and treat stormwater.

Sponge City: An urban water-management paradigm combining green, grey and blue elements to absorb, retain and reuse rainfall, reducing flood risk and improving water quality.

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS): Design approaches that control stormwater through infiltration, detention and conveyance techniques, promoting environmental and social co-benefits.

Bioretention Cell: A shallow, vegetated basin that filters pollutants and facilitates water infiltration through engineered soil media.

Permeable Pavement: A surface material designed to allow water to pass through, reducing surface runoff and enhancing groundwater recharge.

References

1. Lifecycle cost and benefit analysis for parcel-scale implementation of green stormwater infrastructure. Green Technologies and Sustainability (2025).
2. Performance assessment of coupled green-grey-blue systems for Sponge City construction. The Science of The Total Environment (2020).
3. Not all SuDS are created equal: Impact of different approaches on combined sewer overflows. Water Research (2020).