The value of restoring urban drains to living streams

Abstract

Waterway restoration work can involve substantial costs, and if water sensitive urban design concepts such as the creation of living streams are to be widely adopted, it is important to demonstrate that the benefits from restoration are greater than the costs.

Dr James Fogarty, Dr Fan Zhang and Dr Maksym Polyakov, researchers in the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities project Valuation of economic, social and ecological costs and benefits(Project A1.2), discussed their research in a new industry note on the amenity and economic value of a living stream in Perth, Western Australia.