When creating a sustainable landscape design in Asheville, NC, landscape architects rely on several design principles to guide them. They look at such things as sustainability and environmentally friendly qualities. One other influential concept is low-impact development (LID).
What Is LID?
LID is a design approach intended to reduce the urban impact on diverse natural resources. It is a means to create a sustainable landscape design reflective of the land while reducing the negative impacts of urbanization on diverse natural resources. This is water but also soil and plant diversity.
Achieving LID in design requires knowing and following the major principles. These are:
- Know the ecology, hydrology and constraints of the existing site and its past incarnations.
- Minimize the aggregate of impermeable surfaces e. g. paved or other impenetrable exteriors. This reduces runoff, improves the water content of the soil and prevents soil erosion.
- Maximize opportunities for water to penetrate and be stored in the soil
- Gather, save and store for reuse any water not soaked up by the land. Rain barrels and cisterns are e commonly introduced for this purpose.
- Retain, maintain and increase the vegetation covering the site. Use native and drought-resistant plants to improve diversity, reduce runoff and decrease erosion.
LID and Landscape Design In Asheville NC, LID is an excellent means of creating a sustainable landscape design. This can take many forms. Among the most common are rain gardens, green roofs and bioretention gardens. Through implementing LID, even the smallest garden can become environmentally friendly and sustainable.
