Water Sensitive Urban Design as a Role Model for Water Management in Germany?

Abstract

“Water Sensitive Urban Design” (WSUD), originally developed in Australia, is a planning and design approach combining the functionality of water management with principles of urban design. WSUD is mainly used in the development of integrated solutions for stormwater management in urban areas. Besides water management, WSUD regards urban design and socio-economic aspects, such as usability, functionality, aesthetics and public perception (Hoyer et al. 2011).This article gives an overview of the (historic) background of WSUD in Australia and describes current developments and achievements, while emphasizing the main framework requirements and strategies to establish WSUD. Legal and statutory aspects, incentives and further education and communication strategies will be highlighted. Finally, by comparing the Australian and German situation, the authors draw conclusions on the possibilities for applying Water Sensitive Urban Design in Germany.