climate change adaptation in urban design: the expectant
TRANSCRIPT
Laura A. Delaney Ruskeepää, M. Sc. Architect/Urbanist, Researcher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Aalto University
laura.ruskeepaa (a) aalto.fi
Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Design: the Expectant Design Approach
How can coastal cities adapt to water issues associated with climate change? How can public space and engagement be used towards this end?
Image: Mikko Rauhala.
Research draws from the author’s thesis
‘Adaptation and Adaptability: Expectant Design for Resilience in Coastal Urbanity’
Can be found online in MIT’s ‘DSpace’Zoning and Development Plans Aim for Maximum Development
Laura Delaney Ruskeepää [email protected]
Presenting:
Study Site Problem Statement Expectant Design and flexible space Design Sample Questions for Further Study
Laura Delaney Ruskeepää [email protected]
KALASATAMA
177 hectares total area(437 acres)5 km of shoreline18 000 residents10 000 jobs1,350,000 m² floor area(14,531,280 ft²)construction 2009-2035 +
Kalasatama zoning plan. Image: City of Helsinki City Planning Department. Planned development of Kalasatama. Image: City of Helsinki Planning Department.
Zoning and Development Plans Aim for Maximum Development
Existing Strategies and Policies
Helsingin kaupungin
HULEVESISTRATEGIA
Helsingin kaupungin rakennusviraston julkaisut 2008:9 / Katu- ja puisto-osasto
SUOMEN YMPÄRISTÖ 1 | 2007
Suomen kyky sopeutua ilmaston-muutokseen: FINADAPT Assessing the adaptive capacity of the Finnish environment and society under a changing climate: FINADAPTTimothy R. Carter (toim./ed.)
YMPÄRISTÖN-SUOJELU
Suomen ympäristökeskus
Yhteenveto päättäjille Summary for Policy Makers
Helsinki City Flood Strategy, Helsinki City Storm Water Strategy (City Planning), FINADAPT study (Finnish Environment Institute), and Finland’s National
Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry).
Main conclusions from policy review:
-Research and planning groups remain separate
-Impact of policy on physical planning not visible
-Goals conflict with existing spatial structure
Laura Delaney Ruskeepää [email protected]
Taking into Account Existing Strategies and Policies
Design should aim to:
-Influence development that is in flux
-Address gaps in science and planning
-Bring inclusion of stakeholders
-Address new and existing construction
-Create a public and flexible strategy
-Create new ground for policy implementation
Lowest Height recommendation. Image: Skol Design ltd., and City of Helsinki
Economic and Planning Centre.
Construction in Arabianranta, during a flood event. Image: Simo Haanpää.
Osayleiskaavan hulevesien hallintasuunnitelma v. 2006Kuninkaantammi Storm Water Pilot Project plan. Image: Skol Design ltd., and City of Helsinki Economic and Planning Centre.
Construction in Arabianranta. This architecturalization of the flood plain
remains invisible to the onlooker. Image: author.
Laura Delaney Ruskeepää [email protected]
Climate Change Adaptation confronts uncertainty, risk of large scale impact, high cost of adaptation, and a long time scale.
Adaptation Problem Statement
Laura Delaney Ruskeepää [email protected]
Adaptation schemes that propose immediate and total action are not feasible in the face of uncertainty, risk (finance related), and slow processes of environmental change coupled with often short-lived
policy and government initiatives.
Adaptation Status Quo Criticism
Laura Delaney Ruskeepää [email protected]
An adaptation strategy should be expectant. It should provide cities several decision opportunities, the time to see the impacts of those
decisions, and to choose from a spectrum of commitment.
Adaptation Proposal
Laura Delaney Ruskeepää [email protected]
Figure 2: Temporary use. Helsinki’s Dodo container garden in Kalasatama. Image: Laura Delaney Ruskeepää.
Figure 1: Flood infrastructure. Oosterscheldekering (Eastern Scheldt ) storm surge barrier, NL. Image: Vladimír Šiman.
Cities must work to reduce their
environmental impact, but they must
also adapt to current and future
environmental change.
Public space in cities must provide
opportunities for genuine public
engagement. Design should anticipate
the user’s intervention.
For urban sustainability
For urban opennessTemporary use
Flood infrastructure
‘Expectant Design’ (Delaney Ruskeepää, 2011)Inspiration for
‘Expectant Design’ (Delaney Ruskeepää, 2011)Defining
Figure 3. Expectant Design conceptual diagram, in a coastal environment. Image: Laura Delaney Ruskeepää.
Expectant Design (Delaney Ruskeepää, 2011) takes inspiration
concepts such as terrain vague (de Solà- Morales, 1995), the
anticipatory design of flood infrastructure, and the flexibility of
temporary use in public space. [email protected]
Figure 5: Conceptual image of expectant design in coastal public space context, part two. Image: Laura Delaney Ruskeepää.
Figure 4.: Conceptual image of expectant design in coastal public space context, part one. Image: Laura Delaney Ruskeepää.
Expectant Design
-anticipates change
-open, partial, adaptable strategy
-multiple occupancies and uses
-incremental and flexible
-engaging and public
‘Expectant Design’ (Delaney Ruskeepää, 2011)Defining
Figure 6: Example of expectant design in a coastal development. Image: Laura Delaney Ruskeepää, thesis MIT.
Adaptation strategy as public space
Phased development, collaboration of stakeholders
Incremental design, time for discussion
Flexible space, temporary uses based on community demands
User engagement / awareness
‘Expectant Design’ (Delaney Ruskeepää, 2011)Implementing
Ignasi de Sola-Morales Rubio, “Terrain Vague” Anyplace, ed. Cynthia C. Davidson Cambridge: MIT Press, 1995
“empty, unoccupied” yet also “free, available, unengaged”[email protected]
Images: Flickr user ihanakahvila and Katharina Moebus.
Temporary Use of Flexible Space in Kalasatama
Experiential Expectations of Coastal Areas and Public Spaces
What are the expectations and experiences of visitors to these areas? Design anticipates change in the site and user.
Components in Water - Adaptation Guidelines
BUILT SPACE ON WATER
FLOOD ZONING
INFILTRATION SPACE / FLOOD TERRACE
RECREATION
FUNCTIONING WATER ECOLOGY
WATER CONNECTION
WATER WALK / FLOOD PROTECTION
Design elements communicate guidelines for
a new relationship of city to water.
New site - water zoning.
“FIELD HOUSE”, PAVILION IN PARK
SPORTS FIELDS OF VARYING TYPES
DOG PARK
PUBLIC PIER
PUBLIC POOL
PARK WALKWAY
CONSTRUCTED WETLAND, FLOATING ECOLOGY
WATER-BASED PUBLIC PROGRAM (EX: SAUNA, PUBLIC INDOOR POOL)
GARDEN / EVENT BARGES
20 M5 10
Implementation is a slowly phased
process, according to environmental
change, city and user decision,
and the experimental nature of the
adaptation strategy.
Design for Adaptation
Key project findings and conclusions
-Adaptation is a process. It should be treated as such.
-Adaptation has much to do with behavior change. Hence, an adaptation strategy
must be public and engaging, and a catalyst for social change.
-In a phased design, development can’t be totally controlled or dictated in the long
term.
Challenges and areas for further research
-Architecturalization of expectant principles, in the retrofit of existing buildings
towards a designed floodability.
-Production of feasible adaptation precedents and urban design expertise
-Further city administration and resident incentivization