The Role of Bioretention Systems: Water and the City

Water plays a vital role in our existence on this planet. Without water there would be no life. Water is now an emerging issue in the contemporary agenda of urbanism. This is probably not such a surprise, as we are constantly reminded of the consequences of climate change, the ongoing intensification of the water cycle (Huntington 2006), urban flooding, rising sea levels, increases in global river runoff (Miller and Russell 1992), the changes in water resource availability, and an amplification of warming through the water vapour feedback. The list of environmental, economical, social, and political issues involving water increases year after year, as the natural forces of water seem to take their revenge on so much of the environmentally insensitive urban planning and development.