FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jason Vogel P.E., Ph.D.

Telephone: (405) 744-7532

Email: jason.vogel@okstate.edu

The Green Country Sustainability Forum announces a regional Low Impact Development (LID) Design Competition aimed at educating design professionals, built environment decision makers, and the public on the positive impacts of LID.  LID is an approach to land development (or re-development) that works with nature to manage stormwater as close to its source as possible.   Benefits of LID include decreased flood risk, improved water quality, more urban green space, improved urban habitat, and, in many cases, increased property values.  Teams will submit their LID design based on data from properties within the Metropolitan Tulsa area. Teams will consist of licensed landscape architects, architects and engineers.  Categories may include Suburban Residential Development; Urban Re-Development; and Green Roadway.  A kickoff event is scheduled for Thursday, November 14^th at the Mid-Continent Tower, 15^th Floor, 401 S. Boston at 4:30pm CST.  RSVP to attend kickoff at GCLID@outlook.com Registration is open from November 14^th, 2013 to February 14^th, 2014.  Submittals are due February 28^th, 2014.  Prize money of up to $10,000 will be awarded to the winning team from each category. The Awards Ceremony on April 3^rd, 2014 will be held in conjunction with the Great Plains LID Research and Innovation Symposium from April 2^nd – 4^th, 2014.  Full information can be found at: http://lidcompetition.okstate.edu/

Competition Objectives:

• Provide a hands-on learning experience through which design, construction and development professionals in the Green Country area will gain meaningful experience in working with LID.
• Demonstrate to local design professionals, real estate developers, civic groups, and the general public the economic, environmental and marketing benefits that are available.
• Identify and attempt to remove potential barriers to the implementation of low impact development techniques in the area, while illustrating practicality by showing what is feasible.
• Encourage greater use of these beneficial techniques for sustainable development in our area and highlight local incentives where applicable.
• Recognize the participants and finalist design teams for their creativity, innovation and application of sustainable site design.
• Prepare contestants for potential upcoming regulations requiring low impact development techniques by giving them an open forum to explore ideas and design methods

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For more information on this topic contact Jason Vogel at (405) 744-7532 or jason.vogel@okstate.edu

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