Low Impact Design Approach for a Hypothetical Subdivision Development at Shakespear Regional Park

Low Impact Design (LID) is an integrated set of principles to minimise the effects of development on the environment through stormwater management and landuse planning techniques.

The Auckland Council sponsored LID student competition presents a medium for final year University of Auckland engineering students to apply these methods into designing a fictional subdivision. This paper describes the winning design as judged by the Auckland Council and IPENZ, and the design methodology.

The design criteria was to provide a hypothetical high density housing (500 dwelling units) development within a 26.2 hectare section of Shakespear Regional Park while maintaining predevelopment hydrology and providing water quality treatment through the implementation of LID principles.

Urban design principles integrated within the development provided central communal areas, maintained harbour views, maximised daylight, preserved natural channels and vegetation, and incorporated street amenities to improve efficiency of Council services and resident safety. LID principles within the design included clustered dwellings, large shared public spaces, and LID treatment trains combining permeable pavements, grassed swales and rain gardens. Modelling and calculations determined the development successfully exceeded minimum council requirements for peak flow while reducing total runoff volume to predevelopment conditions for a range of design storms, and provided a high level of surface water treatment.