The Rainwater-in-Context Initiative works to institute rainwater management practices that strengthen and fully complement New Urbanism at all scales. High-performance rainwater solutions and dense, walkable urbanism can benefit each other when skillfully coordinated.

The Initiative has a record of substantial accomplishments since its formation in 2010. The Initiative has worked with state, local, and federal EPA officials to improve existing and proposed regulations. Initiative members have presented at professional conferences and engaged in public debates with leading practitioners. Members have written articles for professional audiences, including a series published in Stormwater Magazine. The Initiative has commented on rainwater credits in both the LEED and Sustainable Sites rating systems. Members have collaborated on competition entries that demonstrate the superior performance of new urban design.

Articles and Resources

• Rainwater In Context: Is Chicago's Water Rate Increase Money Down the Drain? - by John Norquist & Caitlin Ghoshal, October 26, 2011
• A Perfect Storm for a Regional Watershed Management Plan: An Alternative to site-based LID - by Paul Crabtree with Joe Deluca and Tracy Vandaveer in Stormwater Magazine, May 2011
• EPA Stormwater Rules Should Acknowledge Benefits of Urbanism - by John Norquist in Stormwater Magazine, January/February 2011
• Dense and Beautiful Stormwater Management - by Laurence Aurbach in Ped Shed Blog, May 2010

N Willamette and Denver Ave, Portland, OR

Tools and Case Studies

• SmartCode Module: Regional Watersheds - by Paul Crabtree
• Salon de Refuses, Katy, TX - (Dreiling, Crabtree, and Jacob 2010) – a counterproposal to a Low-Impact Design Competition for a suburban site and winner of a 2010 CNU Charter Award

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Digg