Water sensitive urban design - the journey thus far

Abstract

The paper presents an overview of the current state of adoption of water sensitive urban design (WSUD) in Australian practice and future trends. At the inaugural conference on WSUD in Melbourne 2000, four major inter-related issues were identified as essential elements in underpinning the effective adoption of WSUD. These were (i) Regulatory Framework; (ii) Assessment & Costing; (iii) Technology & Design; and (iv) Community Acceptance. Since 2000, progress in each of these issues has led to further advancement of WSUD in Australian practice. Successes in implementation are however varied, a reflection of an industry transitioning into a new paradigm.

The technology and design of WSUD elements have evolved since 2000 with many projects demonstrating innovation at a range of scales. Current trends in concept and systemic design, and recent research findings, are rapidly advancing innovation in this regard. Construction and maintenance practices are identified as one of the recurring impediments to the effective implementation of many excellent conceptual designs ofWSUD. Institutional reform for integrated urban water cycle management remains elusive. The socio-institutional dimension of WSUD, while instrumental to effective policy development and technology diffusion efforts, still remains a largely underdeveloped area of research

Keywords:

• Water sensitive urban design
• integrated water cycle management
• stormwater quality

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tony H F Wong

Tony Wong is a founding partner and director of Ecological Engineering, and Chief Executive Officer of the Facility for Advancing Water Biofiltration. He has over 25 years experience in the fields of water resources management in the rural and urban environment, with a recent focus on the water aspects of ecologically sustainable development, particularly integrated urban water cycle management and water sensitive urban design. His expertise has been gained through consulting, research, and academia, and has received a number of industry awards for the projects he has led.

Tony’s principal research and technical design contribution to stormwater treatment elements has resulted in over 100 international journal and refereed conference papers, a book, chapters in a further four books, and a number of national and international invited keynote addresses. He also initiated the 1998 revision of Engineers Australia’s Australian Rainfall and Runoff and the 2002 project to publish Australian Runoff Quality. Tony was the editor-in-chief of Australian Runoff Quality, published in April 2006, a document which sets Australia-wide principles for sustainable urban water management. He now chairs the International Working Group on Water Sensitive Urban Design under the auspices of the Joint IAHR/IWA Committee on Urban Drainage.