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Low Impact Development's most powerful concepts are in the drainage planning of the entire site, at any scale.

• Reject dated ideas of concentrating all of the stormwater together in one corner.
• Argue against levelling every site into a generic, difficult to drain flatness.

When water is permitted to flow in a greater number of directions, each structural practice or BMP becomes much more efficient and cost effective. Ideas for contemporary site planning strategies can be found in:

• Existing hydrology
• Natural drainage

Public lands site conditions

Low impact development is a stormwater management and land development strategy applied at the parcel and subdivision scale that emphasizes conservation and use of on-site natural features integrated with engineered, small scale hydrologic controls to more closely mimic pre-development hydrologic functions.

A stormwater management strategy that seeks to mitigate the impacts of increased urban runoff and stormwater pollution by managing it as close to its source as possible. It comprises a set of site design approaches and small scale stormwater management practices that promote the use of natural systems for infiltration and evapotranspiration, and rainwater harvesting.

Best management practice. State of the art methods or techniques used to manage the quantity and improve the quality of wet weather flow. BMPs include: source, conveyance and end-of-pipe controls.