Green Infrastructure / LID for Urban Stormwater Management

Abstract

Green Infrastructure (GI) and Low Impact Development (LID) have emerged as essential strategies to mitigate urban stormwater quantity and quality challenges caused by rapid urbanization. Recent surveys show that in highly impervious catchments GI/LID practices can reduce annual runoff volumes by 30–70 % and peak discharges by 20–60 %, while removing 70–95 % of total suspended solids and 40–80 % of heavy metals from stormwater. Beyond hydrologic and water-quality benefits, GI/LID offers co-benefits such as urban heat mitigation, biodiversity enhancement, and improved public amenities. This paper reviews international terminology and policy evolution, hydrologic and pollutant-removal mechanisms, and the performance of common measures such as green roofs, bioretention, and permeable pavements. We also discuss modeling and decision frameworks (with emphasis on SWMM-based workflows), Sponge City practices in China, and challenges in long-term maintenance, regional adaptation, and climate resilience.