Green Blue Infrastructures. Overview of smart spatial strategies: implications for future innovation in design processes

"The main objective of this research is to develop knowledge and tools required to seize the opportunities arising from future challenges, to manage urban stormwater in a way that facilitates robust, synergistic and multi-functional green infrastructure that will address today’s and tomorrow’s climate and other changes in dynamic urban areas.

Its focus is that all forms of water are opportunities and need to be utilised appropriately, which can help to both alleviate and adapt to floods and droughts at the same time, as well as support nicer places to live, ecosystems and biodiversity in the ‘water sensitive’ city. The key to this is managing water above ground rather than below, and to utilise green and blue rather than energy and carbon intensive grey infrastructure.

The work has been conducted in parallel with an international Urban Living Lab in Kiruna, Sweden, combined with one national Urban Living Lab (a so-called city-hub) per participating country, where citizens, practitioners, decision makers, and researchers are brought together to jointly develop innovative solutions. The Dutch Urban Living Lab is the city of Zwolle, in continuation of the recent IJssel-Vechtdelta longterm planning (LTP) cocreation process with all relevant stakeholders. The Austrian Urban Living Lab is the city of Innsbruck.

The Delft University of Technology, together with the Swedish (Luleå University of Technology), Austrian (Leopold Franzens University Innsbruck) and Finnish (University of Oulu) partners cooperated in this research project."

Kuzniecow Bacchin, T, van Timmeren, A & Aires, C 2015, Green/blue Infrastructures. Overview of Smart Spatial Strategies: Implications for future innovation in design processes. Delft University of Technology, Delft.