Chapter 27 - WSUD “Best in Class”—Case Studies From Australia, New Zealand, United States, Europe, and Asia

Abstract

Over the last three decades, there has been a growing recognition of the need to ensure that the design and management of the built environment is sensitive to minimizing disturbance to natural hydrology and the water quality of the receiving environments. The practice of water sensitive urban design (WSUD) has emerged along with a number of other approaches to mitigate risks such as flash flooding, pollution of fresh and marine receiving waters, and water scarcity. The drivers for adopting WSUD practices, and the approaches used, depend on the specific context. Practices have continued to evolve and be refined, which has in large part been due to lessons learnt from pioneering developments that trialled innovative WSUD approaches. The cases reviewed in this chapter discuss some examples of leading-edge WSUD approaches that have provided the practical demonstration of the challenges and benefits to implementing WSUD. They can be used not only to refine standards and guidelines but also to build confidence in the WSUD approaches. A synthesis of findings from the case studies revealed the importance of WSUD being integrated across different urban functions, stakeholders, and levels of government. It is also shown that the benefits of WSUD often extend beyond the primary objective of improved urban stormwater management, reflecting the multifunctional nature of many WSUD approaches. These co-benefits often help to build public understanding and engagement in the benefits of WSUD. The cases also identified the importance of using economic instruments that reflect the true cost of different stormwater management approaches, which in turn can create the financial incentives for the adoption of WSUD approaches.