Locating Barriers To and Opportunities For Implementing Low Impact Development Within a Governance and Policy Framework in Southern Ontario

• Main Author: Assad, Nick
• Other Authors: Landman, Karen
• Language: en
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Green infrastructure; Stormwater management; Low impact development; Policy; Governance
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10214/3533

Low impact development (LID), the practice of preserving and restoring natural water cycles in urban development, is considered the next step in stormwater management. Policy and governance play a strong role in the adoption of LID. There has been progress in implementing LID in the Greater Toronto Area but less progress in Southern Ontario in general. This research identifies barriers and opportunities to implementing LID in the context of policy and governance in Southern Ontario. The barriers, opportunities, and policy are identified using a focused literature review, then verified and further explored through key informant interviews. Data are synthesised to produce an Enhanced Governance Model (EGM) for implementing LID. The EGM is evaluated by key informants and further refined. Findings show that public education and provincial-level standards are fundamental to widespread adoption of LID. Five opportunities for jurisdictional integration in stormwater governance are identified and their implications discussed.