Toward sustainable stormwater management: Understanding public appreciation and recognition of urban Low Impact Development (LID) in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Abstract

In the United States, regulators, planners, and designers have promoted Low Impact Development (LID) as a landscape-based approach to better manage urban stormwater for ecological benefits. However, the projects have often failed to achieve positive public responses due to their unattractive and unkempt appearances. This study provides empirical insights into public perception of urban LID practices by studying user reactions to 16 sites located in the San Francisco Bay Area-eight with LID design and eight with conventional landscape design. Most of the 502 respondents, although expressing some misconceptions and limited stormwater knowledge, showed their appreciation and recognition of the LID landscapes. This finding implies that the implementation of new LID facilities can be continued and expanded without serious concern about strong public resistance, and suggests that the design of these existing LID sites can serve as models for the future projects in the San Francisco Bay Area, along with other urban areas. The study confirms the important role of picturesque beauty, naturalness, and neatness in satisfying public expectations, especially for aesthetic and ecological landscapes. Interestingly, interpretive signs appeared to be the preferable means for motivating stormwater education and the powerful means for producing positive public reactions to LID sites, suggesting the potential of urban LID projects as the venues for public education and outreach. The study not only emphasizes the alignment of aesthetics and ecology to enhance public satisfaction, but also promotes the aesthetic qualities and didactic opportunities as the essential components of LID implementation.