Using a systematic, multi-criteria decision support framework to evaluate sustainable drainage designs

The conventional drainage design approach does not address sustainability issues. Moving forward, an alternative approach using green infrastructures is recommended. In addition to flow and flood management provided by the conventional methods, green infrastructures can bring multiple benefits such as increased amenity value and groundwater recharge. Unlike the traditional practice, the new approach lacks supporting technical references and software. Stakeholders are discouraged by the uncertainty of performance and costs associated with green infrastructures. We aim to bridge this knowledge gap by providing a systematic decision support framework. This paper provides an overview of the evaluation framework with some application examples. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.