Exploring Strategies for LID Implementation in Marginalized Communities and Urbanizing Watersheds

Increasing urbanization augments impervious surface area which results in increased run off volumes and peak flows. Low impact development (LID) approaches present a decentralized alternative for sustainable urban stormwater and provide water conservation opportunities. They also provide a wide array of ecosystem services and foster community building by enhancing neighborhood aesthetics, increasing property value, and providing shared green spaces. While projects involving sustainability concepts and environmental design are favored in privileged communities, marginalized communities have historically been located in areas that suffer from environmental degradation. Underprivileged communities typically do not receive as many social and environmental services as advantaged communities. This research develops a participatory decision-making approach to address environmental justice for marginalized communities and explore LID strategies at the watershed scale for improving hydrological performance and mitigating flooding. Focus groups are designed and conducted to solicit input from community members, stakeholders, and community advocates about sustainable stormwater management alternatives. Input will be used to develop LID strategies that meet community goals, such as maximizing the provision of ecosystem services, providing water conservation opportunities, and fostering community building. A hydrologic/hydraulic stormwater modeling system will be developed using HEC-HMS and SWMM to simulate the stormwater impacts of rain water harvesting systems, green roofs, and bioretention cells. This approach will be implemented for a marginalized community within the Walnut Creek Watershed in Raleigh, North Carolina. On-going research will seek further feedback from the community about LID strategies that are developed using the hydrologic/hydraulic modeling system to assess preferences about LID decisions and tradeoffs among design goals.