Low impact design

Introduction

Low impact design is a simple concept - designing and undertaking land redevelopment in a way that minimises and mitigates the effect of rain water run-off and contaminants that modify and pollute our rivers, streams and harbours.

The methods can be simple and effective:

• minimise by - clustering buildings, minimising impervious areas (reducing road widths, driveway sizes and building footprints) and maintaining dispersed flow rather than concentrating it (eliminating kerbing, pipe flow, etc.)
• mitigate by - collecting rain-water from roofs for garden use, use of rain gardens and green roofs to reduce contaminants and volumes of runoff.
  

Breathing Space: creating memorable places with living infrastructure

We've developed a simple presentation to illustrate how Low Impact Design, as a stormwater management solution, can add value to urban design and provide a more holistic approach to urban development. The structure of this document allows you to change text and add your own images, enabling you to create your own presentation.

If you would like to receive a CD containing the adaptable PowerPoint version of Breathing Space please contact info@arc.govt.nz. 

Low impact design manual (TP124)

Low Impact Design Manual

Download a copy

The Low impact design manual (TP124) is available for download below. The document is in pdf format, for which you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. Visit the Adobe website for further information.

Content overview