Sociotechnical systems in campus stormwater management: impediments and driving forces for refined sustainable systems

Throughout the United States, stormwater runoff from streets and similar hardscapes has had detrimental effects, often resulting in flooding, erosion, and health concerns. This thesis focuses on stormwater management as it relates to university campuses and the benefits of having formal stormwater master plans. It is the responsibility of universities and their patrons to model state of the art techniques, best management practices (BMPs) for sustainability, and to exemplify social and environmental values taught in the classroom. The positive impacts of sustainable stormwater management are becoming well known; however, it is still too difficult for campus managers to find exemplars of university stormwater management programs or post-development analysis. This is often due to sociotechnical factors which account for both technical knowledge and social influences. My thesis is a pilot study for a longer campaign in the dissemination of knowledge about campus stormwater practices. This project identifies campus exemplars and describes key features of their management programs to illustrate how BMPs may be employed more readily. The project also identifies crucial factors leading to and preventing implementation of sustainable stormwater practices. Design and maintenance specialists, campus Facility and Service (F&S) practitioners, local municipalities, and university representatives have been consulted to provide emic perspectives and information that helps illustrate how and why BMPs have or have not been incorporated on university campuses. These interviews provide opinions and reactions to university stormwater operating systems. The aggregate of all the collected data describes both structural and non-structural management approaches for each of the precedents included in the study.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.L.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Landscape Architecture

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Peterson, Kyle

Contributors dc:contributor

• Deming, Margaret E.

• sociotechnical
• stormwater
• best management practices
• university campus management
• sustainability
• master plans
• Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4)

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2013 Kyle Peterson

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/44118

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/44118