The role of cost, scale, and property attributes in landowner choice of stormwater management option

Cities throughout the world are experimenting with Low Impact Development (LID) strategies to replace ecosystem services degraded by urbanization. Stormwater management may need both centralized/publicly-managed infrastructure and decentralized provision landowners. For landowners participate in these programs they will some latitude choice of techniques siting. However, landowner choices affect bundle provided (such as infiltration, aesthetics, pollution filtering, others) well their spatial distribution. We studied Santa Monica (CA) stormwater regulations that require on a large portion development redevelopment but allow significant degree over method rainwater management. use novel dataset investigate cost best practices (BMPs) BMP. find strong evidence economies scale capital costs for smaller size ranges BMPs our data, property factors such land overall project BMP costs. In addition, results consistent hypothesis building density value important landowner’s option.