Low Impact Development in San Diego — Demonstration Projects and Proposed Urban Retrofits

San Diego County, with a population of over 3 million, is one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States. With a population of over 1.3 million, the City of San Diego is approximately ninety-five percent developed. This has resulted in substantially less open space for naturally-occurring hydrologic function. There are also fewer opportunities to implement low-impact development in new projects, as most future development in San Diego will be infill or other redevelopment. As the San Diego County LID Handbook notes, the intermittent and ephemeral nature of many streams in the county (and Southern California generally) contributes to their increased sensitivity to urban runoff. Finally, institutional and psychological barriers have until recently hindered the acceptance and growth of LID as a viable alternative to stormwater management. These circumstances have all contributed to the uniquely complicated and arduous task of minimizing the effects of urban runoff in the region.