Integrated LID and Green Infrastructure Planning at Rutgers University to Achieve Better Ecological Outcomes at Lower Cost

摘要

Rutgers University recently completed a Stormwater and Landscape Management Master Plan for their Busch and Livingston Campuses. This plan provides an ecological and hydrological foundation for the University's future planning and development efforts through a low impact development (LID) and green infrastructure approach to stormwater and landscape management. The approach considers stormwater management as part of the broader ecological system using a combination of bioengineering techniques and native landscape practices within the campus context. Creating more sustainable green infrastructure requires transitioning from practices that may contribute to the degradation of the environment toward creating working landscapes that perform important ecological functions. Examples of these functions include: receiving, retaining, and filtering stormwater in a way that may preserve or mimic natural hydrological patterns (treating water as a resource, not as a problem); creating natural habitat for diverse ecosystems; providing educational opportunities; contributing to overall campus sustainability initiatives; and reducing the overall operation and maintenance burden for campus staff. This plan provides a unique approach to integrating low impact development practices with landscape ecological improvements, thinking holistically about broader ecological connections and implications while treating the more specific primary needs of the campus as a social and educational setting. After assessing the campus needs and coming up with an approach that strives to improve the health and function of the landscape, current and future stormwater conditions were modeled to better understand the implications of suggested practices and their ability to meet regulatory requirements for stormwater management. The plan also includes planning principles and design guidelines that emphasize a commitment to sustainable landscape and water management design. The master plan is intended to be flexible in terms of identifying techniques and practices that can be applied throughout various Rutgers University settings, while still being specific enough to reflect the unique ecological characteristics and opportunities on the Busch and Livingston Campuses.