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--- minimizing_impervious_areas [2022/05/10 16:01] – created admin
+++ minimizing_impervious_areas [2024/02/29 16:59] (current) – admin
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-====== General ======
+====== Minimizing Impervious Area ======
 Minimizing impervious areas provides more areas for stormwater to infiltrate, reducing the amount of stormwater that leaves a site.  In addition, less impervious area reduces the urban heat island effect and reduces construction and maintenance costs.
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 One of the easiest ways to reduce the amount of impervious surface is to design and build narrower streets.  Many communities require widths of 32 to 40 feet to provide 2 lanes of traffic and parking on both sides of the street.  However, if parking is restricted to one side of the street, streets can be designed with widths as narrow as 22 feet without sacrificing emergency vehicle access or safe traffic flow.
-Streets may also be laid out differently.  A typical grid system results in approximately 20,800 lineal feet of impervious surface, while alternative layouts that utilize cul-de-sacs, such as loops and lollipops, result in as little as 15,300 lineal feet of impervious surface when applied over the same area.  Cul-de-sacs may be designed with the smallest practical radius, generally 40 feet, as this radius will accommodate most emergency vehicles.  Cul-de-sacs may also incorporate a vegetated center that is designed to collect runoff from the surrounding pavement and function as a [[rain garden]], while a [[grassed swale]] may be used in addition to, or as an alternative to traditional curb and gutter.
+Streets may also be laid out differently.  A typical grid system results in approximately 20,800 lineal feet of impervious surface, while alternative layouts that utilize cul-de-sacs, such as loops and lollipops, result in as little as 15,300 lineal feet of impervious surface when applied over the same area.  Cul-de-sacs may be designed with the smallest practical radius, generally 40 feet, as this radius will accommodate most emergency vehicles.  Cul-de-sacs may also incorporate a vegetated center that is designed to collect runoff from the surrounding pavement and function as a [[rain garden]], while a [[vegetated swale]] may be used in addition to, or as an alternative to traditional curb and gutter.
 However, streets should be designed according to the individual needs of the development.  Population density should be taken into consideration when designing street width, as it affects both traffic volume and the number of parking spaces that are required.  In addition, many communities have ordinances requiring minimum street widths or certain types of street layout that must be followed.  As a result, planners should check all local zoning ordinances for such requirements before proceeding.