In source parameter estimation, improper arrangement of detectors may lead to ineffective concentration measurement or even failure in leakage detection, which would hold back emergency response efforts. However, current methods for optimizing detector configuration have inherent flaws and thus cannot be ideally applied in real-world scenarios. To address their limitations, this paper develops the method for optimizing detector configuration by considering response time. A novel cost function is proposed to balance response time and estimation accuracy based on specific demands. The optimum configuration is then obtained by genetic algorithm iteration. The wind tunnel test of an urban environment with buildings of varying heights is conducted for the research purpose. The superiority of the proposed method is demonstrated by comparing spatial source parameter estimations using optimum, uniform, and random configurations respectively. The results show that our method avoids placing detectors at locations with low concentrations, i.e., places where readings are invalid. It enables more detectors to obtain readings quickly, generating more accurate estimations in a shorter time. Only with the optimum configuration do detectors show readings for all 15 sources, with each unknown source having the highest number of detectors with readings. In contrast, the uniform configuration results in no readings for 4 sources and the random configuration results in no readings for 11 sources when leaking happens. The proposed method optimizes the detector configuration in three-dimensional space with complex flows, making it more feasible in practical applications.