URBAN FLOODSCAPES The multispecies perspective

Abstract

For decades, when developing the urban landscape, anthropocentric models for growth and urban compaction have been seen as ideal, in search for an optimal urban paradigm for sustainability. With the existing climate crisis, caused by human use of planetary resources, natural systems are left out of balance. Rising temperatures and extreme weather caused by heavy pollution and increase in greenhouse gasses have contributed to the loss of species and decrease in biodiversity. Among other consequences, flooding risk in urban areas is exacerbated. The thesis emphasizes the importance of the climate crisis and the need for displaying how cities can be redesigned to work with flooding and nature. The purpose of this thesis is to work with and bring awareness about the climate crisis through architecture and design and explores how nature as a design tool can expose and bridge the lost connections between humans and nature in an urban setting. The aim of the thesis is to create a speculative design proposal of a wetland in Borås with the scenario of flooding as driving force. This helps to showcase how a city can develop its urban fabric in consideration of nature and biodiversity. Literature research, reference studies, sketch storming, AI- based explorations and site analysis work methodologically in a parallel and iterative process that includes both research for design and research by design. Through understanding natural systems of the site and combining them with theoretical principles, design objectives are formed. Speculative design is used as the main technique to represent and discuss the project. The main outcome are design interventions that allow for a connection between humans and nature, by re-establishing a wetland, re-meandering a river and promoting flooding scenarios.