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Low-impact development is a term used in Canada and the United States to describe a land planning and engineering design approach to manage stormwater runoff as part of green infrastructure. LID emphasizes conservation and use of on-site natural features to protect water quality. This approach implements engineered small-scale hydrologic controls to replicate the pre-development hydrologic regime of watersheds through infiltrating, filtering, storing, evaporating, and detaining runoff close to its source. Green infrastructure investments are one approach that often yields multiple benefits and builds city resilience.
Broadly equivalent terms used elsewhere include Sustainable drainage systems in the United Kingdom , water-sensitive urban design in Australia, natural drainage systems in Seattle, Washington, "Environmental Site Design" as used by the Maryland Department of the Environment, and "Onsite Stormwater Management", as used by the Washington State Department of Ecology.