The significant restoration of the natural riverbed of the Cheonggyecheon River in Seoul, South Korea, and the urban revitalization of its surroundings are a brilliant example of Sustainable Urban Drainage. This deconstruction is based on the premise of renaturalization, which aims to restore the pre-development water balance (increasing concentration time and reducing peak runoff) through high permeability. It also demonstrates the undeniable importance of preserving valley floors and Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs) in Brazil, as defined by the Forest Code.
Urban design directly influences urban drainage; that is, controlling and managing urban development projects impacts the ultimate performance of the infrastructure network, specifically urban water systems.
Integrating and optimizing infrastructure projects—both roadways and sanitation—is closely linked to the regulation of urban land use and occupation, given that surface runoff is directly proportional to soil impermeability. This relationship is intimately tied to population density and low soil permeability, both of which are hallmark features of rapid urbanization.
