Economic growth

There is some evidence that SuDS can stimulate local economic growth, perhaps through increased consumer spending, enhanced attractiveness of an area to new businesses, creation of green jobs or improved productivity of workers (see diagram below).

Research from the United States found that shoppers were willing to travel further to visit, stay longer once there, and more frequently visit, business districts with trees. In addition, green infrastructure has been credited with significant positive employment impacts. In the UK, developers would be willing, on average, to pay 3% more for land in close proximity to open space. There is (largely anecdotal) evidence that SuDS can unlock developable land, thereby creating opportunities for future growth, and that green areas used for food can increase the productivity of landscapes. There is certainly evidence that increasing the attractiveness of an area through investment in high-quality parks, increases inward investment.

It is also possible that SuDS schemes lead to an increase in employment or contribute to a more highly skilled local economy.

Read more on:

• Benefits of SuDS
• Flood risk management
• Water quality management
• Biodiversity & ecology
• Amenity
• Air quality
• Building temperature
• Carbon reduction & sequestration
• Crime
• Education
• Enabling development
• Flexible infrastructure/climate change adaptation
• Groundwater recharge
• Health & wellbeing
• Pumping wastewater
• Rainwater harvesting
• Recreation
• Tourism
• Traffic calming
• Treating wastewater
• SuDS performance and monitoring