Journal of Water and Land Development

Abstract

The paper aims to answer the following questions: What are the trends in streetscape design? And how can streetscape become more resilient to climate change in the coming years? Although the research questions of exploratory nature also challenge theoretical claims, this is a hypothetical study, designed to foster a discussion about the visions of the future streetscape and new technology for an urban sidewalk. It covers a description and a cross-case comparison of an experimental product -the Climate Tile, implemented in Denmark in 2018, and a theoretical solution -the Sponge Pavementa model system based on the structural soil foundation and permeable surface, evolved as an idea in 2018 in Poland. The cases are examples of innovations selected to describe a new type of water-permeable surfaces matching the urban context. Both solutions share common features: they are in that there is no need to place heavy equipment on the project site; they match the urban context of a dense city, being smooth, resistant and easy to clean. The comparison of the Climate Tile and the Sponge Pavement allowed determining the optimal application for the given solution. It also proved the trend towards the rainwater management-oriented direction of the development of the streetscape of the future. The study results could contribute to the discussion of the streetscape of the future. We would like to focus on the idea of the Sponge Pavement for further development in laboratory tests and as the pilot project.