Abstract

Stormwater management has historically been the domain of stormwater engineers who worked with the singular purpose of preventing flooding through conveyance infrastructure. Recent awareness of the broader impacts of stormwater has brought new attention to this management practice, changing the way we perceive, manage and treat stormwater. While lakes, rivers and bays have long been impacted by polluted stormwater runoff, new findings document the broader deleterious effects of urban stormwater on aquatic life. Concurrently, in the face of post-industrial transition, waterfronts throughout the world are shifting away from industrial economies towards activities that invite greater numbers of people to live, work and play in this urban setting, enhancing city life. These urban waterfronts also provide new opportunities to treat stormwater before it is discharged and to create amenities from a waste product. This paper proposes a new urban design approach that transforms single purpose infrastructure into multifunctional places that provide numerous benefits. By redesigning stormwater infrastructure in an integrated approach, stormwater outfall locations can unify and regenerate urban spaces to support healthy, vibrant spaces for water quality, wildlife and people. Treatment at the water’s edge will serve as an inspiration for new multifunctional waterfronts as cities throughout the world undergo waterfront redevelopment.