What is Low Impact Development?

Low Impact Development (LID) is a new, comprehensive land planning and engineering design approach with a goal of maintaining and enhancing the pre-development hydrologic regime of urban and developing watersheds. The Low Impact Development Center has a number of resources available to assist the design of LID projects and the development of LID programs. 

Low Impact Development for the North Carolina Coast -- The staff of the N.C. Coastal Federation put together this easy-to-understand booklet on the LID techniques best suited for our coastal environment. The 8-page booklet covers residential and commercial development and offers homeowners tips on inexpensive LID methods they can use around their homes. The publications features many LID projects completed by NCCF and its partners.

LID Clearinghouse - The LID Clearinghouse is a forum that allows researchers, practitioners, and program managers to collaborate and efficiently disseminate and share information with local governments, states, builders, developers, stakeholders, and environmental groups. The administrative and technical information available through this clearinghouse will be useful to permit writers, local government officials, watershed managers, and stakeholders.

LID Urban Design Tools - This site provides watershed managers with a new set of tools and techniques that can be used to meet regulatory and receiving water protection program goals for urban retrofits, re-development projects, and new development sites.

LID Integrated Management Practices (IMP) Standards and Specifications - This project includes specifications for four (4) commonly used LID IMP's. The purpose of these specifications are to provide public works agencies with a foundation to develop their own LID standards and specifications. The specifications are written using AASHTO and or ASTM criteria wherever possible in order to allow for communities to prepare consistent bid packages with commonly available materials. Standard drawings have also been provided in Autocadd© and PDF format for ease of adaptation to local standards. EPA Assistance Agreement Project

Standards and Specifications

• Bioretention Cell

• Bioretention Swale

• Permeable Pavement Blocks

• Soil Amendments

Local Government LID measures - Read more about how Brunswick County, one of the fastest growing in the nation, worked with citizens to develop comprehensive strategies to protect the Lockwood Folly, an imperiled local river.

Sustainable School Projects Website - This site provides instruction and information on how schools can learn about, design, construct, and monitor several types of LID school projects. It is meant as a resource for all grade levels. For example, the rain gardens project contains separate programs for elementary, middle, and senior high schools. EPA Assistance Agreement Project

LID Training Program for Linear Transportation Projects - This presentation has been developed as an interactive training program for federal, state, and local transportation agencies. It was developed by the Center in association with GKY Associates (http://www.gky.com/). The slides include the basic materials for each module and the instructor notes. The manual was developed in National Highway Institute format in order to be consistent with other transportation programs.  EPA Assistance Agreement Project