The Opportunities and Challenges of Implementing ‘Water Sensitive Urban Design’: Lessons from Stormwater Management in Victoria, Australia

Responding to pressure on the natural and built environments from population growth, the need for safe and secure water to support resilient and liveable communities, and the need to adapt to increased climate risk and variability, many cities around the world have sought new ways to develop, manage and sustain their urban environments. Indeed, in recent years, three important and related concepts have emerged in relation to cities and urban development: first, the need to design cities so as to minimise the impact of climatic events on populations, infrastructure and the environment; second, the need to optimise human consumption of scarce natural resources, particularly land, water, energy and nutrients; and third, the need to protect and where possible conserve the natural environment in and between cities. Over time, these concepts have evolved into a variety of different concepts, approaches and ‘visions’ to guide future land use development. One such concept is ‘water sensitive urban design’ (WSUD), a term whose definition varies but which is nevertheless now readily accepted internationally as a core aspiration of urban development (Wong and Brown 2011).