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Water-Protective Land Use:Barriers, Benefits and

Opportunities

Cynthia Peterson April 7, 2009

Water-Protective Land Use:Barriers, Benefits and

Opportunities

Cynthia Peterson April 7, 2009

ABOUT AWAREABOUT AWARE

League of Women Voters of Colorado Education Fund

League of Women Voters of Colorado Education Fund

Funded by: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency

Funded by: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency

Charter member of the National NEMO Network

Charter member of the National NEMO Network

AWARE advisory committee and project partners

AWARE advisory committee and project partners

AKA: low impact development, green AKA: low impact development, green infrastructure, better site designinfrastructure, better site design

Integrated site design – planners, engineers, Integrated site design – planners, engineers, landscape architects and otherslandscape architects and others

Reduce, capture and treat stormwater runoff Reduce, capture and treat stormwater runoff at its sourceat its source

Minimize directly connected impervious areaMinimize directly connected impervious area

Mimic pre-development hydrologyMimic pre-development hydrology

WATER-PROTECTIVE LAND USEWATER-PROTECTIVE LAND USE

Natural resource inventoryNatural resource inventory

Riparian buffersRiparian buffers

Reduce imperviousnessReduce imperviousness

Cluster developmentCluster development

Transportation infrastructureTransportation infrastructure

Parking lotsParking lots

LandscapingLandscaping

Green RoofsGreen Roofs

Rainwater HarvestingRainwater Harvesting

COMMON TECHNIQUESCOMMON TECHNIQUES

developed landdeveloped land

the hydrologic the hydrologic function of function of undeveloped landundeveloped land

==

DEVELOPMENT GOALSDEVELOPMENT GOALS

Multiple BenefitsMultiple Benefits

•Reduced and Delayed Stormwater Runoff VolumesReduced and Delayed Stormwater Runoff Volumes

•Enhanced Groundwater RechargeEnhanced Groundwater Recharge

•Stormwater Pollutant ReductionsStormwater Pollutant Reductions

•Reduced Combined Sewer Overflow EventsReduced Combined Sewer Overflow Events

•Additional Wildlife Habitat and Recreational SpaceAdditional Wildlife Habitat and Recreational Space

•Increased Land ValuesIncreased Land Values

SO WHY ISN’T IT USED?SO WHY ISN’T IT USED?

What are the barriers?What are the barriers?

•Keep It Clean Keep It Clean Partnership SurveyPartnership Survey

•AWARE Colorado AWARE Colorado Focus Group/Interview Focus Group/Interview ResearchResearch

FOCUS GROUP/INTERVIEW RESEARCH

FOCUS GROUP/INTERVIEW RESEARCH

•Four focus Four focus groups, 21 groups, 21 interviewsinterviews

•Diverse Diverse communities communities in South Platte in South Platte River BasinRiver Basin

FOCUS GROUP/INTERVIEW

RESEARCH

FOCUS GROUP/INTERVIEW

RESEARCH•Parking lot planning and Parking lot planning and structural BMPsstructural BMPs

•Effectiveness/likelihood of Effectiveness/likelihood of implementation researchimplementation research

•Visible to community and Visible to community and stakeholdersstakeholders

•TransferabilityTransferability

•ImpactImpact

KEY STAKEHOLDERSKEY STAKEHOLDERS

•Planning StaffPlanning Staff

•Elected/Appointed OfficialsElected/Appointed Officials

•DevelopersDevelopers

•EngineersEngineers

•Landscape ArchitectsLandscape Architects

•Stormwater ManagersStormwater Managers

•Landscape MaintenanceLandscape Maintenance

STRATEGIES?STRATEGIES?•Using porous/pervious paving Using porous/pervious paving materials materials

•Planting trees Planting trees

•Using landscaping designed to Using landscaping designed to promote infiltration promote infiltration

•Using landscaping that reduces Using landscaping that reduces need for irrigation, fertilizer & need for irrigation, fertilizer & pesticidespesticides

•Reduction of parking lots size, Reduction of parking lots size, developing multi-use parking sites developing multi-use parking sites and shared parking and shared parking

WHAT DID WE LEARN?WHAT DID WE LEARN?Stakeholders:Stakeholders:

•Are aware of the importance of stormwater Are aware of the importance of stormwater management in their communities management in their communities

••Recognize benefits of parking lot strategiesRecognize benefits of parking lot strategies

••Understand barriers and benefits of LID Understand barriers and benefits of LID parking lot strategiesparking lot strategies

••Are motivated but vary in their ability to Are motivated but vary in their ability to promote changespromote changes

••Identified needs: education, collaboration, Identified needs: education, collaboration, advocacy, innovation, marketing and advocacy, innovation, marketing and regulationregulation

BARRIERS?BARRIERS?

•Climate and GeologyClimate and Geology

•CostsCosts

•Lack of Technical InformationLack of Technical Information

•Good examples for this climateGood examples for this climate

•Costs of initial development and Costs of initial development and maintenancemaintenance

•Return-on-investmentReturn-on-investment

•Balance aesthetics with engineeringBalance aesthetics with engineering

•Inertia and Reluctance to ChangeInertia and Reluctance to Change

WHAT CAN BE DONE?WHAT CAN BE DONE?

•Knowledge Knowledge

•Colorado specific educationColorado specific education

•Citizens as an important stakeholder Citizens as an important stakeholder groupgroup

•CollaborationCollaboration

•AdvocacyAdvocacy

•Local, state, federal and nonprofits Local, state, federal and nonprofits

•Design and Innovation Design and Innovation

•Pilot projects to “prove” effectivenessPilot projects to “prove” effectiveness

•IncentivesIncentives

•Regulation Regulation

COMMUNITY-BASED SOCIAL MARKETING

COMMUNITY-BASED SOCIAL MARKETING

•Alternative to information intensive campaigns Alternative to information intensive campaigns

•Draws on research in social psychology Draws on research in social psychology

•Community level and involves direct contact with Community level and involves direct contact with stakeholdersstakeholders

•Goal -- behavior changeGoal -- behavior change

•Move from Move from tellingtelling communities about LID/Green communities about LID/Green Infrastructure to achieving Infrastructure to achieving actionaction

•Alternative to information intensive campaigns Alternative to information intensive campaigns

•Draws on research in social psychology Draws on research in social psychology

•Community level and involves direct contact with Community level and involves direct contact with stakeholdersstakeholders

•Goal -- behavior changeGoal -- behavior change

•Move from Move from tellingtelling communities about LID/Green communities about LID/Green Infrastructure to achieving Infrastructure to achieving actionaction

CBSM: What are the tools?CBSM: What are the tools?

•IndividualsIndividuals– CommitmentCommitment– PromptsPrompts– NormsNorms

•CommunitiesCommunities– IncentivesIncentives– Removing external barriersRemoving external barriers– RegulationRegulation

AWARE Colorado’s AWARE Colorado’s ApproachApproach

•Literature reviewLiterature review•SurveysSurveys•Identify issuesIdentify issues•Focus groupsFocus groups•Pilot projectsPilot projects•EvaluationEvaluation•ImplementationImplementation

NEXT STEPSNEXT STEPS

• Share with stakeholders and othersShare with stakeholders and others• Community-based social marketing Community-based social marketing • Specific community outreach strategies Specific community outreach strategies

addressing barriers and benefits addressing barriers and benefits • Consider stakeholders’ motivation, Consider stakeholders’ motivation,

ability and opportunity. ability and opportunity. • Pilot projectPilot project

Cynthia PetersonCynthia Peterson303-861-5195303-861-5195cpeterson@awarecolorado.orgcpeterson@awarecolorado.org

Research Report Research Report –awarecolorado.org/resources/report.pdf–awarecolorado.org/resources/report.pdf

LID Map – awarecolorado .org/mapco.htmlLID Map – awarecolorado .org/mapco.html

Questions?Questions?