Urban Flood Adaptation through Public Space Retrofits: The Case of Lisbon (Portugal)

Abstract

Abstract:A "Conceptual Framework of flood adaptation measures applicable in the design of public spaces" was previously created with the objective of increasing the rate of successful flood adaptation endeavors, fulfill municipal goals for more adaptive cities and facilitate the initial brainstorming phases of a public space design process. This research aims to assess the relevance and applicability of this Conceptual Framework on the particular municipal context of Lisbon. The paper starts by demonstrating the city's existing vulnerabilities and projected climate change scenarios, where it is possible to confirm that floods are indeed a recurrent phenomenon that will aggravate in the near and distant future. Subsequently, municipal endeavors up to the present time are analyzed with the purpose of assessing if the Conceptual Framework provides additional types of flood adaptation measures that may be considered. In a final stage, additional types of adaptation measures highlighted by the Conceptual Framework are assessed with regard to their application and infrastructural relevance. In light of the presented results, which confirm the infrastructural benefits of the additional measures proposed, new discussions emerge specifically regarding Lisbon's municipal flood adaptation management and its relation with public space design.

Urban Resilience to Flooding: Triangulation of Methods for Hazard Identification in Urban Areas

“…The combined action of intense rainfall, wind, sea level rise with tides and storm surges is especially relevant for Lisbon's context and geographical position. The Municipality is involved and proactively committed to increase the resilience of the city to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by actively working in relevant areas such as participating in international initiatives such as C40 and 100 Resilient Cities, largely investing from strategic to practical actions to increase city sustainability [23,24].…”

Urban Regeneration Projects Bound to Water, along and towards the Tagus Estuary (Portugal)

“…The General Drainage Master Plan, within the framework of the planned interventions for the improvement of the drainage system set by the Lisbon's Municipal Master Plan in effect (PDM, 2012) aims 'to meet the current and future challenges of drainage in the city, focusing on the protection of people and goods, within a framework of economic, social, and environmental sustainability' [39] (p. 262, translation by the author). While suggesting the requalification of the watercourses together with the preservation and increasing superficial and underground drainage storm flows, the 2012 PDM and the accompanying documents give strong emphasis to the source control strategy [40]. 'With the exception of traditional solutions, such as underground reservoirs or deviation tunnels, the PDM is a long way off from concrete adaptation actions, specifically concerning detailed implementation designs' [40] (p. 8).…”

“…While suggesting the requalification of the watercourses together with the preservation and increasing superficial and underground drainage storm flows, the 2012 PDM and the accompanying documents give strong emphasis to the source control strategy [40]. 'With the exception of traditional solutions, such as underground reservoirs or deviation tunnels, the PDM is a long way off from concrete adaptation actions, specifically concerning detailed implementation designs' [40] (p. 8).…”

“…This means to convey, to drain, to infiltrate, to harvest, and to store water (just to name a few ways to deal with water scarcity and abundance) which we can see in some examples of 'adaptation' to the specific site. This ranges from the ambitious scheme for Treasure Island in San Francisco (transportation planning and sustainability consulting by Arup) to European water-sensitive urban public spaces projects-the 2013 Water Square in Benthemplein, Rotterdam (De Urbanisten); Catene Park in Venice, (Czstudio Progetti); and the 1998 Waterscape in Potsdamer Platz, Berlin (Atelier Dreiseiti's/now Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl)-, to recent local design solutions proposed for the Lisbon Municipality-urban flood adaptation through public space retrofits [40] (Appendix A) and the Praça de Espanha Urban Park project (Baldios Landscape Architects with Ventura Trindade Architects).…”

Sustainable Urban Agriculture as Functional Hybrid Unit—Issues of Urban Resilience

“…This following paper focuses on the solutions rooted in the sustainable development concept and related to increasing the demand for agrarian areas which can supply cities with food [11,12]. Another point of focus refers to water management, including the issue of water re-use in the context of circular economy [13][14][15][16][17]. Both issues are closely related to residents' needs in re-urbanized areas of a compact city, namely, to ensuring security, understood also as access to food, the formation of shared green spaces, and social life development.…”