Planning For Future Development

The reconstruction of impervious surfaces can be simpler than you think – sometimes it is the small things that can make all the difference. Did you know that we average 10 parking spaces in an urban area for every 1 car? Two-thirds of all impervious coverage is to provide habitat for cars – parking lots, driveways, roads, and highways. Here is a list of steps the public and planning officials could consider in planning for future development that could lower the percentage of impervious cover in your community, county, and watershed.

Narrower residential road widths

Reduced road lengths

Hourglass streets

Cluster development

Shared driveways

Angled parking with one way flow traffic

Smaller parking stalls

Reduced parking space ratios for some uses

Shared parking facilities in commercial areas

Shorter residential driveways

Reduced cu-de-sac radii

Cul-de-sac donuts

Vertical parking structures

Two or three story buildings

Stream buffers

Grass swales rather than curb/gutters

Open space requirements (residential)

Open space landscaping requirements (commercial)

Sidewalks only on one-side of street

Reduced side and rear yard setbacks

Decrease distance between lots (frontage)

Hammerhead-shaped turnarounds

Rear yard grading to buffer

Permeable spillover parking areas

Suggestions for steps a community could take to control impervious cover were made by Tom Schueler during an interview titled Water Laws.