Low Impact Development

Low Impact Development (LID) strategies use careful site design and decentralized stormwater management to reduce the environmental footprint of new growth. This approach improves water quality, minimizes the need for expensive pipe-and-pond stormwater systems, and creates more attractive developments.

What is Low Impact Development?

According to the EPA, LID is an approach to land development (or re-development) that works with nature to manage stormwater as close to its source as possible. LID employs principles such as preserving and recreating natural landscape features, minimizing effective imperviousness to create functional and appealing site drainage that treat stormwater as a resource rather than a waste product. There are many practices that have been used to adhere to these principles such as bioretention facilities, rain gardens, vegetated rooftops, rain barrels, and permeable pavements. By implementing LID principles and practices, water can be managed in a way that reduces the impact of built areas and promotes the natural movement of water within an ecosystem or watershed. Applied on a broad scale, LID can maintain or restore a watershed's hydrologic and ecological functions. LID has been characterized as a sustainable stormwater practice by the Water Environment Research Foundation and others.

What We Did at Fairview Office Park

The owners of Syvantis Technologies have followed as many best practices in low impact development as possible in the design and maintenance of Fairview Office Park. The development demonstrates the use of permeable asphalt, rain gardens, and rain barrels. In addition, the site demonstrates how utilizing 100% native plant species creates an inviting, natural environment for office workers and visitors. There is no mowing or sprinkling done on the site.