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Rasheed, Ashiq Mohamed. "Adaptation of water sensitive urban design to climate change." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2018. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/122960/1/Ashiq%20Mohamed_Rasheed_Thesis.pdf.
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This research developed mathematical models to generate reliable future rainfall data in small spatial and temporal scales, and used them to estimate future floods and water quality scenarios. Outcomes of the study suggested a substantial increase in the occurrences and the extent of future floods and the amount of pollutant that they carry. Outcomes will be highly valued in future-proofing urban flood mitigation measures and water sensitive urban design infrastructure.
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Fumero, Andrea. "Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) as a climate adaptation strategy." Thesis, KTH, Urbana och regionala studier, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-278524.
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“Global floods and extreme rainfall events have surged by more than 50% in the past decade and recent studies show that they are occurring four times higher than in 1980” (Neslen, 2018). At the same time, the urban population is rising. Today, 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas and it is estimated to increase to 70% by 2050 (United Nations, 2018). This expansion of urbanized areas is correlated with the increase of impermeable surfaces that, in case of extreme weather events, are not able to drain the water efficiently. The rainfall-runoff is channelled from roads, parking lots, buildings, and other impervious surfaces to storm drains and sewers that cannot handle the volume. The high ratio of impermeable surfaces and the increased extreme rainfall events cause severe environmental, social, economical problems in urban areas. Merely technical and engineering solutions are no sufficient, therefore a new approach that can maintain and adapt the natural water cycle inside the urban areas is needed. Ecosystem services and resilience thinking have become key principles in adaptation strategies at different levels, from international policies (e.g. Sustainable Development Goals) to local actions (e.g. Copenhagen adaptation plan 2015) and design (e.g. climate resilient San Kjeld in Copenhagen). In this scenario, the design approach of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) aims to promote resilience at the local level by managing stormwater, encouraging the defence of the aesthetic value of green and blue areas. WSUD is a multidisciplinary approach that involves water management, urban planning, architecture, and landscape design. The main idea of WSUD is that sustainable stormwater systems should be beautiful, meaningful, and educational (Echols, 2007). This master thesis explores the concept of Water Sensitive Urban Design and its application in the cities of Copenhagen, Malmö and Rotterdam. The case study of PHVision in Heidelberg, Germany, is analysed from the concept of WSUD. Design improvements are suggested stemming from the analysed European examples and the theoretical background.
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Lottering, Naomey Olive. "The extent of water sensitive urban design in the George municipality." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/17848.
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Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2011.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigated the extent of Water Sensitive Urban Design activities in the George municipality in the Western Cape Province, in South Africa. Water resource management in urban areas worldwide had become unsustainable with the widespread implementation of outsized infrastructure, environmental degradation and overuse of natural resources. The result was a concept called Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM). IUWM encapsulates the entire water cycle from rainwater to surface water, groundwater and wastewater, as part of urban water management, and not as separate entities. There was worldwide response to IUWM, with the USA formulating Low-Impact Development (LID), the UK designing their Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS), and New Zealand articulating Low Impact Urban Design and Development (LIUDD), all to improve urban water resource management. Australia responded with Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD). WSUD explores the design and planning of water infrastructural development in an urban setting, vital in Australian cities which experience continuous severe water shortage conditions. The WSUD approach aims to influence design and planning from the moment rainwater is captured in dams, treated, and reticulated to consumers, to the point of wastewater re-use, as well as stormwater use. Various techniques are specified as part of the WSUD approach namely: the installation of greenroofs, demand reduction techniques, stormwater management and the re-use of treated wastewater for irrigation and fire-fighting. These WSUD activities can be implemented from large-scale efforts with whole suburbs working together to manage stormwater by construction of wetlands, as well as small-scale change in design and planning, e.g., with household rainwater tank installation for irrigation and toilet flushing. With South Africa’s progressive legislation at a national, provincial and local municipal level, various WSUD activities can be implemented to aid and guide municipalities. The study aimed to investigate what type of WSUD activities the George municipality has implemented, and to what extent the activities had an impact on water consumption, since the drought in 2009. The reasons behind any lack of implementation were also explored. Proof of only eight WSUD activities implementation could be found. Water debtors’ data and bulk water data was sourced in order to determine the effect of the eight WSUD activities on water consumption. Bulk meter data could however not be used to correlate with the debtors’ data since readings from many bulk meters had not been recorded. Debtors’ data did prove however that the WSUD activities had a short-term impact on water consumption in the suburbs where it was implemented. The reasons given for non-implementation were not satisfactory. Recommendations are that the municipality should focus on better planning and implementation of diverse activities and that keeping records and data should be made a priority to determine any progress made.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die omvang van die Water Sensitiewe Stedelike Ontwerp (WSUD) aktiwiteite in die George munisipaliteit in die Wes-Kaap, in Suid-Afrika. Waterhulpbronbestuur in stedelike gebiede in die wêreld het nie-volhoubaar geword met die grootskaalse implementering van buitenmaatse infrastruktuur, agteruitgang van die omgewing en die oorbenutting van natuurlike waterhulpbronne. Die gevolg was 'n konsep wat Geïntegreerde Stedelike Water Bestuur (IUWM) genoem is. IUWM omvat die hele watersiklus vanaf reënval, tot oppervlakwater, grondwater en afvalwater, as deel van die stedelike waterbestuur, en nie as aparte entiteite nie. Daar was 'n wêreldwye reaksie te IUWM, met die VSA se Lae-impak-Ontwikkeling (LID), die Verenigde Koninkryk se ontwerp van hul volhoubare stedelike dreineringstelsel (SUDS), en Nieu-Seeland se formulering van Lae-impak Stedelike Ontwerp en Ontwikkeling (LIUDD), om stedelike water hulpbronne beter te bestuur. Australië het reageer met Water Sensitiewe Stedelike Ontwerp (WSUD). WSUD verken die ontwerp en beplanning van waterbestuur infrastruktuur ontwikkeling, in 'n stedelike omgewing, waar dit noodsaaklik was in die Australiese stede wat deurlopende tekort aan water ervaar. Die WSUD benadering het ten doel om die ontwerp en beplanning te beïnvloed vanaf die oomblik reënwater in damme opgevang is, behandel, en aan verbruikers versprei word, tot by die punt van afvalwater hergebruik, sowel as stormwater gebruik. Verskeie tegnieke word verskaf as deel van die WSUD benadering, naamlik: die installering van “greenroofs”, wateraanvraagbestuur tegnieke, en stormwater gebruik en hergebruik van behandelde afvalwater vir besproeiing en brandbestryding. Hierdie WSUD aktiwiteite kan implementeer word vanaf grootskaalse pogings met die samewerking van hele voorstede met stormwater bestuur deur die konstruksie van die vleilande, sowel as kleinskaalse verandering in die ontwerp en beplanning by huishoudings, byvoorbeeld met reënwatertenk installasie vir besproeiing en toilet spoel. Met Suid-Afrika se progressiewe wetgewing op 'n nasionale, provinsiale en plaaslike munisipale vlak wat munisipaliteite steun en lei, kan die verskeie WSUD aktiwiteite ïmplementeer word. Die studie is gemik om ondersoek in te stel na watter tipe WSUD aktiwiteite deur die George-munisipaliteit implementeer word, en tot watter mate die aktiwiteite 'n impak gehad het op die water verbruik sedert die droogte in 2009. Die redes agter 'n gebrek aan implementering is ook ondersoek. Bewyse van implementering van net agt WSUD aktiwiteite kon gevind word. Data van die water debiteure en grootmaat water meters is verkry ten einde die effek van die agt WSUD aktiwiteite op die water verbruik te bepaal. Grootmaat water meter data kan egter nie gebruik word om te korreleer met die data van die debiteure aangesien die lesings van baie grootmaat water meters nie aangeteken is nie. Debiteure se data het egter bewys dat die WSUD aktiwiteite 'n korttermyn-impak op die waterverbruik in die voorstede waar dit geïmplementeer is gemaak het. Die redes gegee vir nieuitvoering is nie bevredigend nie. Aanbevelings is dat die munisipaliteit moet fokus op beter beplanning en implementering van diverse aktiwiteite en dat die hou van rekords en data prioriteit gemaak moet word om vas te stel of enige vordering gemaak is.
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Parker, Nathaniel Ryan. "Assessing the effectiveness of water sensitive urban design in Southeast Queensland." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2010. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/34119/1/Nathaniel_Parker_Thesis.pdf.
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Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) systems have the potential mitigate the hydrologic disturbance and water quality concerns associated with stormwater runoff from urban development. In the last few years WSUD has been strongly promoted in South East Queensland (SEQ) and new developments are now required to use WSUD systems to manage stormwater runoff. However, there has been limited field evaluation of WSUD systems in SEQ and consequently knowledge of their effectiveness in the field, under storm events, is limited. The objective of this research project was to assess the effectiveness of WSUD systems installed in a residential development, under real storm events. To achieve this objective, a constructed wetland, bioretention swale and a bioretention basin were evaluated for their ability to improve the hydrologic and water quality characteristics of stormwater runoff from urban development. The monitoring focused on storm events, with sophisticated event monitoring stations measuring the inflow and outflow from WSUD systems. Data analysis undertaken confirmed that the constructed wetland, bioretention basin and bioretention swale improved the hydrologic characteristics by reducing peak flow. The bioretention systems, particularly the bioretention basin also reduced the runoff volume and frequency of flow, meeting key objectives of current urban stormwater management. The pollutant loads were reduced by the WSUD systems to above or just below the regional guidelines, showing significant reductions to TSS (70-85%), TN (40-50%) and TP (50%). The load reduction of NOx and PO4 3- by the bioretention basin was poor (<20%), whilst the constructed wetland effectively reduced the load of these pollutants in the outflow by approximately 90%. The primary reason for the load reduction in the wetland was due to a reduction in concentration in the outflow, showing efficient treatment of stormwater by the system. In contrast, the concentration of key pollutants exiting the bioretention basin were higher than the inflow. However, as the volume of stormwater exiting the bioretention basin was significantly lower than the inflow, a load reduction was still achieved. Calibrated MUSIC modelling showed that the bioretention basin, and in particular, the constructed wetland were undersized, with 34% and 62% of stormwater bypassing the treatment zones in the devices. Over the long term, a large proportion of runoff would not receive treatment, considerably reducing the effectiveness of the WSUD systems.
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Nambinga, Linekela Elias. "Review and gap analysis of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) in Windhoek, Namibia." Master's thesis, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/30914.
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With an ever-increasing population and global warming, fresh water resources are nearing depletion resulting in a global water crisis. As a consequence, cases of drought have been reported worldwide especially in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to climate change, urbanisation adds strain to infrastructure as well as water supply and the management of water resources. As a result, most developing countries are faced with a water management challenge. There is thus a need for a paradigm shift towards an Integrated Water Management (IWM) approach. Worldwide, countries have responded to the Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) concept through the implementation of various management strategies; with Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) emerging from Australia. Some closely allied management strategies in response to IUWM emerged in the USA as Low-Impact Development (LID), in the UK as Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), and in New Zealand as Low-Impact Urban Design and Development (LIUDD). Namibia is situated along the south-west coast of Africa and is considered the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa. It is characterised by a semi-arid environment, with more than 80% covered by desert or semi-desert. The country is regularly afflicted by drought and has fluctuating and unreliable rainfall patterns, often accompanied by high evaporation rates. The City of Windhoek, as the capital city, the biggest municipality and also the largest densely populated town in Namibia, is faced with an ever-increasing shortage of water for its inhabitants. For close to 50 years, the water scarcity situation has led to direct waste water reclamation for potable re-use in Windhoek. Other measures implemented by the City of Windhoek (CoW) towards IUWM include Water Demand Management (WDM), Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) and Water Conservation (WC). In order for Windhoek to transform into a Water Sensitive City, the implementation of WSUD is imperative. Although the CoW has implemented measures towards IUWM, more options still need to be explored in order to contribute to IUWM processes and to ultimately become a Water Sensitive City. This research was aimed at conducting a comprehensive review of existing WSUD practices within the CoW and identifying gaps pertaining to WSUD implementation. The research confirmed, via a review of relevant literature, that the implementation of WSUD mainly flourishes when documented policies and regulations drive implementation. To review WSUD implementation in the CoW, this study followed a qualitative research approach by gathering data via online questionnaires using the SurveyMonkey platform. To validate the survey outcomes, structured interviews were conducted with selected survey participants to gain more insight into the outcomes. For the data collection, the study targeted a sample of managers and specialists from the three departments within the CoW that deal with urban infrastructure design and planning. A 72% response rate was achieved. The study revealed that there was a general understanding and knowledge of WSUD concepts among all the CoW stakeholders involved in water management, planning and design. This was mostly due to their academic knowledge and sometimes via exposure to existing WSUD practices within the city. Water Demand Management, Water Recycling, and Voluntary Green Roofs and Rainwater Harvesting were identified as existing WSUD options currently practised within the CoW. The study identified lack of capacity, lack of knowledge, lack of management support, a fragmented approach, the absence of policies and legislation, and no perceived financial benefits as barriers to WSUD implementation within the CoW. Based on the above findings, the study recommended that the City of Windhoek address existing barriers to WSUD implementation, increase awareness of WSUD within the city, secure government funding and apply for carbon credits to upscale the implementation of WSUD.
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Mallett, Gregory David. "An investigation into how value is created through water sensitive urban design." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27277.
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A key challenge facing developing countries is the rapid increases in urbanisation and the effect this has on their water systems. Water sensitive urban design (WSUD) is a process that considers the entire water system with the aim of achieving a water sensitive city (WSC). However, little is known about how value can be created through WSUD in terms of the sustainability of urban precincts in South Africa. The researcher therefore considered the well-established literature highlighting the relationship between WSUD and sustainable urban development. To understand the value derived from these concepts, two case studies were assessed, namely the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (V&A Waterfront) and Century City. However, it should be highlighted that due to the uniqueness of these cases, no generalisations from the findings can be generated. The methodology implemented for the case studies was social constructivist in nature and to satisfy the research objectives, semi-structured interviews were conducted, documentary material was gathered, and photographic evidence was collected. Moreover, a diverse collection of data was assessed, which was extracted through various methods of data collection, thereby resulting in an in-depth understanding of the case studies. This research concludes there is a relationship between WSUD, sustainable urban development and value. It further argues that the underlying principles of facilities management (FM) and more specifically urban FM provide a managerial framework that can connect these concepts to achieve sustainability for urban precincts. Furthermore, the study uncovered the need for value capture mechanisms as a form of infrastructure financing and value creation for urban precincts. However, it was established that neither case study make use of such mechanisms, so future research is required in this regard.
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ZACCARIOTTO, GIAMBATTISTA. "Integrated urban landscapes: water sensitive design for the città diffusa of Veneto region." Doctoral thesis, Università IUAV di Venezia, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/11578/278624.
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Kabir, Md Imran. "Dynamics of heavy metals in urban green water infrastructures." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/14510.
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In urban environments, the breakdown of chemicals and pollutants, especially ions and metal compounds, can be favoured by Green Water Infrastructures (GWIs). If a better picture of chemicals and pollutants input and an improved understanding of hydrological and biogeochemical processes affecting these pollutants were known, GWIs could be designed to efficiently retain these pollutants for site-specific meteorological patterns and pollutant load. To fill in these gaps, the existing literature was surveyed to retrieve a comprehensive dataset of anions and heavy metal pollutants incoming to urban environments. The existing literature was then surveyed to review the metal retention efficiency, and hydrological- and metal biogeochemical- models of GWIs. Next, biogeochemical processes related to inorganic metal compounds were proposed to be integrated in biogeochemical models of GWIs. A deterministic model has been developed to describe the bulk breakdown rate, accumulation and leaching of Cu, Pb, and Zn in GWIs. The model describes aqueous complexation, mineral adsorption and kinetic methylation of those metals, and has been tested against experimental hydrographs and pollutographs of a GWI (a stormwater biofilter in Monash University) over a period of 100 days. Parameter calibration resulted in R2 98% and in NRMSE < 12% against cumulative effluent water and metal mass. The concentration of Cu and Pb was linearly correlated to the hydraulic conductivity, and equilibrium and kinetic rate constants, whereas Zn concentration was exponentially correlated to them; it was found that ± 20% change in these parameter values returned changes in Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations within about ± 52%, ± 45% and ± 96%, respectively. The maximum annual metal load in the outflow from the biofilter was observed for the rainfall combination with lowest frequency and highest intensity. This model can be effectively used to assist in designing biofilters and assessing their long-term performance.
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Gluckman, Lloyd. "Water sensitive urban design as a transformative approach to urban water management in Cape Town: A case study of the proposed River Club development." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27528.
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The author examines effective urban water management as a means to promote sustainable development and achieve water sensitive cities. A qualitative method is utilised in the collection of data through document studies, desktop analysis and a literature review. A review of the current national and local water policies and approaches within South Africa, and more specifically Cape Town, indicated the need for a coordinated, systems based and holistic approach to urban water management. Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) is considered as an alternative approach to urban water management in Cape Town to build resilience among local communities against the threat of drought and flood events, and promote sustainable development in moving toward a water sensitive city. A model for implementing WSUD in the context of limited resources and capacity within local municipal departments is considered. Incorporating the principles of WSUD within spatial planning initiatives to implement this approach and catalyse a systemic transition in urban water management is considered and assessed in a case study of the proposed development of the River Club. The case study considers a bottom-up approach to transforming urban water management and the capacity of WSUD, when implemented through spatial planning, to simultaneously address multiple objectives including those of sustainable development and those contained within national and local policies. The benefits of a WSUD approach for all are considered. Many if these benefits are as a result of reduced pressures on municipal infrastructure and increased water resources accrued as a product of the proposed implementation model. The implementation model proposed creates conditions in which municipal resources and investment can be redirected to promote equitable water resource and service provision distribution throughout the city. The model is proposed to effect a transformation in water policy, institutional structures and water resource management to reflect the principles of WSUD in a manner which is cognisant of the various limitations inherent to the City.
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au, mike mouritz@dpi wa gov, and Mike Mouritz. "Sustainable urban water systems : policy and professional praxis." Murdoch University, 1996. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051109.95558.
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The provision of water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure is an essential ingredient of cities. However, questions are being raised about the type and form of urban infrastructure, for economic and environmental reasons. Traditionally these techologies have offered linear solutions, drawing increasing volumes of water into cities and discharging waste at ever increasing levels, causing escalating stress on the
environment. In addition the costs of water infrastructure provision and replacement, both in the developing and developed world, is becoming prohibitive. In response, a new paradigm has been called for and new solutions are emerging that have been labelled as Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM). This concept can be considered to consist of both technical and philosophical dimensions, and represents a new form of professional praxis. However, the adoption of these techniques and concepts is constrained by the inertia of the existing urban water systems. It is therefore argued that the introduction of any change must occur across a number of dimensions of the technoeconomic system of the city. These dimensions-artefacts and technical systems (i.e. the technology and knowledge systems), professional praxis and socio-political context (i.e. institutions, culture and politics) and biophysical realities and world views (i.e. the environment and underlying values) - provide a framework for analysis of the change process - both how it is occurring and how it needs to occur. This framework is used to illustrate the link between environment values and the process of technological innovation, and points to the need for the emerging values and innovations to be institutionalised into the professional praxis and socio-political context of society. Specifically, it is argued that a new form of transdisciplinary professional praxis is emerging and needs to be cultivated. A broad review of the literature, an evaluation of selected emerging technologies and three case studies are used to illustrate and argue this position. These examples show the potential economic, social and environmental benefits of IUWM and provide some insight into the potential which this approach has to influence the form and structure of the city and at the same time highlighting the institutional arrangements required to manage urban water systems.
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Gxokwe, Siyamthanda. "Conceptualization of urban hydrogeology within the context of water sensitive urban design: case study of Cape Flats Aquifer." University of the Western Cape, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/5912.
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Magister Scientiae - MSc (Environ & Water Science)Urban hydrogeology can be used to facilitate a decision-making process regarding the implementation of water sensitive urban design (WSUD) to manage water systems of periurban cities. This thesis was aimed at providing explanation of how that approach can be applied in Cape Town using Cape Flats Aquifer as a case study. To achieve this main objective, three specific objectives were set, namely, objective 1 which focused on estimating aquifer parameters using Theis analytical flow solution, in order to identify areas for implementation of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) suggested by WSUD principles; Objective 2 focused on conceptualizing groundwater flow system of Cape Flats Aquifer using the Finite Difference Method (FDM), in order to predict aquifer behaviour under stresses caused by the implementation of WSUD; Objective 3 focused on assessing gw-sw interaction using Principal Aquifer Setting, environmental isotope, and hydrochemical analysis, in-order to identify where and when groundwater surface water interaction is occurring, and thus informing the prevention strategies of the negative effluence of such exchanges on WSUD. The analysis of data collected through pumping test approach which were conducted in March, October 2015 and June 2016, showed that average transmissivity ranged from 15.08m2/d to 2525.59m2/d, with Phillipi Borehole (BG00153) having the highest and Westridge borehole 1 (G32961) having the lowest transmissivity values based on Theis solution by Aqua test analysis. Theis solution by excel spreadsheet analysis showed that average transmissivity ranged from 11.30m2/d to 387.10m2/d with Phill (BG00153) having the highest transmissivity and Bellville 2 (BG46052) having the lowest transmissivity. Storativity values ranged from 10-3 to 10-1 with Phillipi borehole (BG00153) having the highest storativity and Lenteguer borehole 1(BG00139) having the lowest values from both analysis. Average transmissivity visual maps showed that highest transmissivity values within the Cape Flats Aquifer can be obtained around the Phillipi area towards the southern part of the aquifer. Storativity maps also showed that the greatest storativity values can be obtained around Phillipi and Lenteguer area. These findings reveal that MAR would be feasible to implement around the Phillipi and Lenteguer area, where aquifer storage and discharge rates are higher.
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ROSSI, GUIDO EMILIO. "Adaptation to climate change and water sensitive city development. Enhancing resilience and transforming cities through nature as infrastructure." Doctoral thesis, Università degli studi di Genova, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/11567/1008278.
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The increasing impacts of climate change, urban demographic growth and migrations are pressures that exacerbate the vulnerability of cities. In order to respond and enhance their resilience, cities implement adaptation strategies that involve the transformation of the urban space. This requires an approach to the development and design of the urban territory that takes into account the new conditions, thus questioning the modern and post-modern principles and practices.
While engaging in the path towards adaptation goals and successive stages of sustainability in the context of water-related climate impacts, the relationship between cities and ‘nature’ within their own borders is forcedly changed as well as the physical space.
Adaptation, due to its systemic nature, is multi-scalar: at the macro level – urban scale, it is implemented through plans and strategies (adaptation process); at the meso/micro level - urban and architectural design scale, these strategies are realized through concrete interventions (adaptation projects). In the case of climatic extremes related to water, more and more often we are witnessing the use of the so-called ‘nature’ as infrastructure resulting from an eco-centric and holistic approach, rather than the use of the traditional techno-centric approach. Through the analysis of the transformation process at the macro level via a multi-level perspective approach and implemented or planned interventions as blue/green and traditional grey infrastructure projects in selected cities, the research aims to investigate the relationship between cities and ‘nature’ and the urban space produced by the projects aimed at adaptation goals. The cities of Miami and Rotterdam subjected to considerable water-related impacts to are taken as a sample to analyse two different urban transformation pathways towards adaptation.
Although the sample cases constitute only a partial view on the topic, the analysis is useful for drawing some conclusions and highlighting the factors that support the process of urban adaptation and those that constitute a brake, providing some hints and approaches transferable to other urban areas. The transformative approach, a multidisciplinary and systemic vision of the challenges the city faces, the integration of the development of water management policies in urban planning as well as the consistency in the adaptive orientation at the various levels so that strategic planning finds concrete implementation through tangible interventions, are elements that allow to tackle the impacts and allow to consider that the need for adaptation to climate change may represent an opportunity for cities to enhance resilience and modify urban space with benefits in terms of the liveability of the urban space itself.
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Mauck, Benjamin Alan. "The capacity of the Cape Flats aquifer and its role in water sensitive urban design in Cape Town." Doctoral thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27293.
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There is growing concern that South Africa's urban centres are becoming increasingly vulnerable to water scarcity due to stressed surface water resources, rapid urbanisation, climate change and increasing demand for water. Furthermore, South Africa is a water-stressed country with much of its surface water resources already allocated to meet current demands. Therefore, in order to meet the future urban water supply requirements, countries like South Africa will need to consider alternative forms of water management that focus on moving towards sustainability in urban water management. WSUD is one such approach that aims to prioritise the value of all urban water resources through reuse and conservation strategies, and the diversification of supply sources. This study investigates the capacity of the Cape Flats Aquifer (CFA), assessing the feasibility of implementing Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) as a strategy for flood prevention and supplementing urban water supply. The implementation of MAR on the CFA aims to facilitate the transition towards sustainable urban water management through the application Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) principles. The fully-integrated MIKE SHE model was used to simulated the hydrological and hydrogeological processes of the CFA in Cape Town at a regional-scale. Using the results of the regional-scale model, four sites were selected for more detailed scenario modelling at a local-scale. Several MAR scenarios were simulated to evaluate the aquifer's response to artificial recharge and abstraction under MAR conditions. The first objective was to evaluate the feasibility of summer abstractions as a flood mitigation strategy at two sites on the Cape Flats prone to winter groundwater flooding, viz. Sweet Home and Graveyard Pond informal settlements. The second objective of the study was to assess the storage potential and feasibility of MAR at two sites in the south of the Cape Flats, at Philippi and Mitchells Plain. In addition, the migration of solute pollutants from the injected or infiltrated stormwater was simulated and climate change simulations were also undertaken to account for potential fluctuations in rainfall and temperature under climate change conditions. The results indicated that flood mitigation on the Cape Flats was possible and was likely to be most feasible at the Graveyard Pond site. The flood mitigation scenarios did indicate a potential risk to local groundwater dependent ecosystems, particularly at the Sweet Home site. Yet, it was shown that a reduction in local groundwater levels may have ecological benefits as many of the naturally occurring wetlands on the Cape Flats are seasonal, where distinct saturated and unsaturated conditions are required. Furthermore, MAR was shown to improve the yield of wellfields at Philippi and Mitchells Plain through the artificial recharge of stormwater while also reducing the risk of seawater intrusion. MAR was shown to provide a valuable means of increasing groundwater storage, improving the supply potential of the CFA for water supply while aiding the prevention or mitigation of the seasonal flooding that occurs on the Cape Flats. Furthermore, the case was made that MAR is an important strategy to assist the City of Cape Town in achieving its WSUD objectives. MAR and groundwater considerations, in general, are essential for the successful implementation of WSUD, without which, there is an increased risk of overlooking or degrading urban groundwater resources. The findings of this study resulted in a number of recommendation to urban water resources managers, planners and policy makers. First, MAR is an important means for Cape Town to move towards becoming a truly water sensitive city. This study indicated that the CFA should be incorporated as an additional source of water supply for Cape Town especially considering the recent drought conditions and due to its ability for the seasonal storage of water, this would improve the city's resilience to climate change. Furthermore, it was recommended that the application of MAR on the CFA could also be used to reduce groundwater related flooding on the Cape Flats. Second, it was emphasised that urban planning, using WSUD principles is essential for the protection of the resource potential of the CFA. Finally, for the implementation of WSUD and MAR to be successful, there needs to be appropriate policy development alongside the implementation of these strategies to ensure they are achieving their initial objectives and are not causing detriment to the aquifer.
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Petersen, Gadija Assaa-Imah. "The utilisation of spatial planning in improving urban water culture: a case study of Oranjezicht, Cape Town." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/28133.
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Nothing can exist, live, survive or thrive without water. Water is the basis of life for all living organisms and the centre of life for all societies. The global attitude around water has become territorial as it encompasses an intricate link to the development of nations. Centralising main water supplies beyond urban boundaries may have improved the utilisation of water but has also resulted in the separation of society and water. Water is what gave rise to the city of Cape Town, as there was an abundance of rivers and springs located on and around Table Mountain. This water was first used by the Khoi people and became the reason for colonial settlers residing in the Cape. The City is currently experiencing the worst water crisis in over a century due to increased temperatures and decreased rainfall. Amid the water crisis there appears to be underused, freshwater below Cape Town's CBD, flowing to the Atlantic Ocean via the stormwater reticulation system. This water originates from Table Mountain's rivers, streams and, to an extent, springs. Naturally, the drought has sparked widespread concern for, and attention given to, water and its sustainable usage. This dissertation explores the ways in which the City's water, environmental and spatial planning policies could spark a new and improved water-culture within Cape Town to ensure sustainable, long-term water availability. This is done through investigating the potential of Oranjezicht in becoming a catalytic area for water sustainability due to the locations of the Field of Springs and the Platteklip Stream. This dissertation proposes using water sensitive urban design as well as integrated, collaborative partnerships and management mechanisms to encourage an improved urban water culture.
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Alfarroba, Joana Pedro. "Entre a Avenida Miguel Bombarda e a Frente Ribeirinha de Portimão." Master's thesis, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Arquitetura, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/20198.
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Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Arquitetura, com a especialização em Urbanismo apresentada na Faculdade de Arquitetura da Universidade de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre.De um crescimento acelerado e projectado, na sua generalidade, para apresentar soluções que respondam às questões que o tempo foi levantando, nasceu uma cidade fragmentada, funcionalmente desequilibrada e com estruturas urbanas desconectadas entre si. Edifícios que, cruzando vários períodos históricos e com o que deles advém, foram perdendo as suas características mais especificas e deixados à mercê do tempo e da natureza; grandes espaços vagos foram surgindo no tecido urbano, apropriados pela pessoas das mais variadas formas; e estruturas mais pequenas que, uma vez desagregadas daquilo que é a cidade como mega estrutura, surgiram deste desacerto na história, no tempo e no correcto planeamento da cidade. A água apresenta-se no espaço público, na sua grande maioria e muitas vezes por autoria de quem o planeou, como um elemento tranquilizante e harmónico. No entanto, a presença da água em meio urbano não podia ser mais complexa. Desde a rede de águas pluviais, à rede doméstica, são números os processos pelos quais esta passa. Num clima seco como aquele que caracteriza Portimão, são cada vez mais frequentes os episódios de chuva intensa e, por consequência, os danos que esta provoca na cidade. Este documento, apresenta assim no contexto da cidade de Portimão, soluções que, através do espaço público como elemento de articulação, integrem estas dispersas estruturas na cidade como elementos potenciados e qualificadores desta. Assim, numa perspectiva de consolidar o território e adaptá-lo como forma de o preparar para estes cenários que se revelam cada vez mais frequentes, o desenho do espaço público surge como palco de múltiplas intervenções na lógica da adaptação e como estrutura agregadora dos vários componentes que formam a cidade.
To present solutions that answer the questions that time has been raising, from an accelerated and projected growth, a fragmented city was born and functionally disconnected. Buildings that withstood countless historical periods started losing their most specific characteristics and left at the mercy of time and nature; substantial vacant land was emerging in the urban tissue, appropriated by people in uncountable ways; and smaller structures that once were disaggregated from what the city is as a megastructure, arose from this mismatch in history, time and proper planning of the city. Water presents itself in the public space, mostly and often by the authorship of the urban planner, as a soothing and harmonic element. However, the presence of water in urban areas could not be more complex, since the rainwater and domestic network, there are many processes that the water travels through. In a dry climate like the one that characterizes Portimão, episodes of heavy rain are becoming more frequent and, thus causing damages in the city. Therefore, this document presents in the context of Portimão, solutions that, by making public space an articulation element, that incorporates these dispersed structures and transforming them into empowered and qualifying elements of the city. Lastly, in a perspective of consolidating the territory by adapting it as a way of preparing for these increasingly frequent scenarios, the design of public space emerges as the stage of multiple interventions in the logic of adaptation and as an improved structure that adapts several components that constitute the city.
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Madonsela, Boipelo. "Using a diagnostic indicator assessment to understand sustainability transitions towards Water Sensitive Urban Design in the City of Cape Town." Master's thesis, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/30104.
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Cities globally are progressively becoming hotspots for water related risk and disaster mainly as a result of the cumulative effects of rapid urbanisation, population growth and the impacts of climate change. South African cities in particular are faced with the dual challenges of meeting demand for scarce water resources, as well as mitigating urban flooding. A shift towards adaptive and sustainable approaches has been proposed in order to address these complexities whilst ensuring the satisfactory delivery of water services to citizens. To support this change, local authorities are tasked with restructuring policy to include climate change adaptation strategies in order to adapt more adequately and proactively. In this regard, Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) has gained importance in terms of guiding cities around the world in transitioning towards becoming water sensitive. WSUD aims to ensure that urban planning and design is undertaken in an interdisciplinary way and minimises the hydrological impacts of development on the surrounding environment. Sustainability transitions literature recognises that infrastructure and technologies are highly intertwined with institutional structures, regulations and social practices. For this reason, transitions towards sustainability-oriented technologies typically involve significant changes along assorted dimensions of the socio-technical system. Accordingly, this project aims to understand and identify the fundamental institutional conditions necessary to support a transition towards WSUD, using the City of Cape Town (CoCT) as a case study site. In order to achieve this aim, the City Blueprint Approach (CBA) was applied to the CoCT based on in-depth interviews and publicly available data. The CBA was developed by the KWR Watercycle Research Institute in cooperation with Utrecht University, The Netherlands and has been tested on various cities globally. It is a set of diagnostic indicator tools comprising the Trends and Pressures Framework, the City Blueprint Framework and the Governance Capacity Framework. The CBA assessment was followed by a thematic analysis to understand the context of transitions to a WSUD approach in Cape Town. The results of the research indicate that the CoCT has had some success in its efforts related to the sustainable management of water resources through the implementation of policy, action plans and a range of learning opportunities for city officials and local stakeholders. Despite these efforts however, issues of financial viability, implementing capacity and political will have hindered progression towards WSUD in the City. In conclusion, the research has emphasised that sustainable water management and a transition towards a WSUD approach requires more than just redesigned infrastructure; it has also highlighted the different institutional aspects that make transitioning towards WSUD possible both in Cape Town, as well as for other cities in developing countries with similar socio-economic contexts to South Africa.
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Kadurupokune, Wanniarachchi Kankanamge Nilmini Prasadika, and s3144302@student rmit edu au. "Sustainable management of stormwater using pervious pavements." RMIT University. Civil, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, 2008. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20081029.102009.
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Pervious pavements in car parks and driveways reduce peak discharge and the volume of runoff flowing in to urban drains and improve the water quality by trapping the sediments in the infiltrated water. This reduces the risk of pollutants such as suspended solids and particle bound chemicals such as phosphorous, nitrogen, heavy metals and oils and hydrocarbons entering receiving waters. The key objectives of the study are to establish relationships between rainfall and pervious pavement runoff and quantify improvements to infiltrated stormwater quality through the pervious pavement. The field experimental results were used to calibrate the PCSWMMPP model and to develop water flow and quality improvement transfer functions of the MUSIC model for concrete block and turf cell pavements. The research reported herein has demonstrated that pervious pavements can be introduced as a sustainable stormwater management initiative and as a key Water Sensitive Urban Design feature to deliver numerous benefits to the environment. The outcomes from the study will be useful in designing environmentally friendly car parks, pedestrian paths, light traffic drive ways, sporting grounds and public areas in the future. Land developers and local government authorities will be major beneficiaries of the study which has increased the understanding of the use of pervious pavements and explored a number of issues that previously inhibited the wider use of pervious pavements in practice.
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Mangangka, Isri Ronald. "Role of hydraulic factors in constructed wetland and bioretention basin treatment performance." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2013. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/63054/1/Isri%20Ronald_Mangangka_Thesis.pdf.
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This research project contributed to the in-depth understanding of the influence of hydrologic and hydraulic factors on the stormwater treatment performance of constructed wetlands and bioretention basins in the "real world". The project was based on the comprehensive monitoring of a Water Sensitive Urban Design treatment train in the field and underpinned by complex multivariate statistical analysis. The project outcomes revealed that the reduction in pollutant concentrations were consistent in the constructed wetland, but was highly variable in the bioretention basin to a range of influential factors. However, due to the significant amount retention within the filter media, all pollutant loadings were reduced in the bioretention basin.
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Smith, Kerry W. S. "Development of a transitioning approach to reduce surface water volumes in combined sewer systems." Thesis, Abertay University, 2016. https://rke.abertay.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/b7c5021f-2efe-421a-b32f-0ac3161fc511.
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The overarching goal of this research is to establish a successful forum for a transition from the existing paradigm of managing wastewater infrastructure to a more sustainable paradigm that achieves a more efficient utilisation of wastewater assets. A transitioning approach to support a more efficient utilisation of surface water and wastewater assets and infrastructure is proposed and developed. The determined transitioning approach possesses key stages namely developing the arena, developing the agenda, case study, and monitoring. The case study stage investigates a drainage utility identifying their improvement drivers, the removal of surface water through detailed drainage modelling and the financial examination of the costs incurred under the various scenarios conducted. Understanding the implications of removing/attenuating surface water from the network is improved through obtaining data by detailed drainage modelling. Infoworks software is used to investigate and assess the current and future operational scenarios of a wastewater system operating over one calendar year. Modelling scenarios were conducted removing surface water from selected areas focusing on the volumes requiring pumping and durations of pumping station(s) operation prior to treatment during storm conditions. The financial implication of removing surface water in combined sewer systems is examined in three main components. Firstly the costs of electricity incurred at the single sewage pumping station (SPS) investigated during the various scenarios modelled require to be addressed. Secondly the costs to retrofit sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) solutions needs to be identified. Thirdly the implications of removing surface water for the drainage utility at the national level and the potential saving for householder’s committing to a surface water disconnection rebate scheme. When addressed at the macro level i.e., with over 2,100 pumping stations, some operating in sequence and contained within one drainage utility annually treating 315,360 megalitres the significance of the same multiple quantifiable and intangible benefits becomes amplified. The research aims, objectives and findings are presented to the identified and convened stakeholders. The transitioning approach developed encourages positive discourse between stakeholders. The level of success of the transitioning approach determined is then tested using a quantitative methodology through the completion of questionnaires. From the questionnaires completed the respondents unanimously agreed that surface water flows should be removed as well as reduced from the combined sewer system. The respondents agreed that the removal of surface water from a typical combined sewer system is justified by applying a transitioning approach focusing on the energy consumption required to pump increased volumes during storm events. This response is significant based upon the economic evidence and is contrary to the respondents previous position that finance was their most influencing factor. When provided with other potentially available benefits the respondents were even more supportive of the justification to remove surface water from the combined sewer system. The combined findings of the work presented in this thesis provide further justification that the transitioning approach applied to the removal of surface water from a typical combined sewer system, as determined in this research has been successful.
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Subramaniam, Daniel Niruban. "Dynamics of nitrogen and suspended solids removal in experimental stormwater biofilters under intermittent wetting and drying." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2015. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/83040/1/Daniel%20Niruban_Subramaniam_Thesis.pdf.
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This research study comprehensively analyses the dynamics of nitrogen and suspended solids removal in stormwater biofilters. The study focuses on pollutant removal during an event with time, rather than the conventional event-mean analysis. Antecedent dry days (number of days in between rainfall) during which biofilters remain dry and the inflow concentration of pollutants were two other important variables analysed in this study. The research outcome highlights the significance of dry-phase processes and the process of stabilization on filter performance and sets a paradigm shift from the current approach towards an innovative way of performance analysis of biofilters.
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Bhikha, Preetya. "Exploring architectural knowledge in water sensitive design." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27415.
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Across the academic sphere, much research has been conducted into the development of water-sensitive elements to address issues around urban water management. However, these elements are commonly investigated in isolation, with little consideration for initiatives from other disciplines that may support their success. This research aims to demonstrate the value that an architect may bring in incorporating ideas drawn from various disciplines to create a water- sensitive design solution with multiple ecosystem benefits, taking into account the human experience of space and place-making. In doing so, the design demonstrates that a water-sensitive building is aesthetically pleasing, viable and achievable. The feasibility of water-sensitive designs has been noted as a focus area by the South African Water Research Commission; one which is particularly pertinent in our present water-scarce environment in South Africa. This applied study is based on a previous Master of Architecture (Professional) dissertation building design, which is used as the unit of analysis. The building focuses on restoring the quality of water in the Liesbeek River in Cape Town using passive filtration methods. The objective of this study is to gain new insights into the design process and planning of water-sensitive architectural buildings, which assists in understanding when collaborating across disciplines. The research is guided by Deep Ecology, phenomenology and Ecological Urbanism. Research by Design is used as the method of the study, in which different design iterations based on the raw data of the original building are investigated and analysed, as well as evaluated by specialists from various disciplines in order to create a best-fit design solution. The revised building takes into account the practical, site-specific and architectural qualities of a water-sensitive design to create a people-centred building that incorporates ecological and engineering demands in greater detail. Key outcomes of the study include a typical design process for a WSAD and architectural guidelines for water-sensitive buildings, grounded in the diverse values of water and its relationship to people and nature. The dissertation aims to contribute to the academic discourse around water-sensitive design. Further, the guidelines developed may be used to inform the design of conventional buildings.
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Moosmayer, Vera. "Climate-sensitive urban design : the theory-application problem in the context of Australian urban design practice /." Title page, summary and contents only, 1996. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09UDM/09udmm825.pdf.
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Dhakal, Raju S. "Evaluating residential satisfaction with an innovative dual water supply system in water sensitive urban development." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2013. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/867.
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The Australian water industry is facing two major challenges: a rise in water demand due to a growing population and a decrease in rainfall availability due to a drying climate. This situation has triggered a re-evaluation of traditional water schemes and promoted consideration of alternatives for sustainable urban water management. One possibility is to replace drinking water usage in garden and outdoor irrigation with non-potable groundwater. This could save almost half of the water supplied in the residential sector, which is the biggest consumer of scheme water in most Australian cities. A major hurdle for the success of such fit-for-purpose groundwater schemes can be the lack of the resident’s participation and support. Currently there are uncertainties about the dynamic nature of individual’s attitudes in terms of satisfaction and accepting behaviours towards the fit-for-purpose water use. This can cause ambiguity in planning and implementation of such projects.
The main purpose of this thesis is to address the following specific research questions: What are the factors that determine residential satisfaction with and behaviours towards the fit-for-purpose groundwater system? and What are the implications of such water system for community, water utilities and urban planners?
These questions have been addressed through a quasi-experimental study utilizing two northern suburbs in Perth metropolitan: Ridgewood and “The Green”. “The Green” is selected as an experimental suburb and Ridgewood is selected as a control suburb, which is a standard metropolitan suburb having the usual main drinking water system. The use of non-drinking groundwater through the dual water supply system in “The Green” began in 2008 alongside the main water scheme. A broad spectrum of parallel literature from many disciplines was drawn upon to inform the research. Concurrent preliminary informal conversations with local residents and a number of field observations were helpful in refining and contextualising the research hypotheses regarding the determinants of residential satisfaction with the fit-for-purpose groundwater supply system in the context of water sensitive urban development.
An exploratory mixed method approach was adopted starting with qualitative preliminary interviews with local residents to inform the development of a survey instrument. This was followed by the administration of the survey questionnaires at household level to collect quantitative data to measure the relationship among variables and test a model of residential satisfaction. The survey data and the secondary data about residential water consumption were analysed to develop a workable model for residential satisfaction with and behaviour towards the dual water supply system and water sensitive urban environment. Finally, qualitative information during stakeholder interviews, meetings, and seminars was used to interpret the planning implications of the model and behavioural responses towards the water system and urban development.
The research results indicated that the majority of residents (70%) are satisfied with the nondrinking groundwater supply system in their home and neighbourhood. In “The Green”, the household drinking water consumption was reduced by 40% compared to the metropolitan average; however, excessive garden watering exemptions for new garden establishment caused 30% more water usage in “The Green” than the metropolitan average. This study found that the major components of residential environment satisfaction were the neighbourhood, neighbours, and home. Home satisfaction in “The Green” was determined mainly by home attributes and the garden satisfaction, which in turn was dependent upon garden attributes and satisfaction with the groundwater system. In this way, groundwater satisfaction had an indirect impact on home satisfaction mediated by garden satisfaction. The major determinants of groundwater satisfaction were: positive perceptions of operational issues, and risk of groundwater use (negative relationship), and preference for continuation of the groundwater system after its trial period.
The major research findings are explained in Chapter Six, Seven, and Eight. The dynamic nature of community attitudes and community behaviours towards the fit-for-purpose water projects at urban settings were explored, and the planning and development consequences of the implementation of the alternative water systems were explained. The results of this study are highly applicable for water providers, urban planners, and community developers in promoting the successful implementation as well as improvement of fit-for-purpose water systems from a policy perspective. This thesis equally contributes to building knowledge and understanding of residential satisfaction and its relationship to innovative dual water systems in water sensitive urban environments. It facilitates the sustainable management and planning of urban water resources. The research also demonstrates the need to integrate general models of community satisfaction with specific water system attitudes to provide an indication of the role of water supply systems in the overall success of water sensitive developments.
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Rodrigues, Jenifer Ema Gray. "Water sensitive cities: a vision for Lisbon's Alcântara watershed." Master's thesis, ISA, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/15108.
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Mestrado em Arquitectura Paisagista / Instituto Superior de AgronomiaCities are emerging as humanity’s habitat of choice, as they are vital for social, political and economic transformation. However the development of cities has often been characterised by short-term economic benefit and environmentally unsustainable consumption and production practises. Over the last few decades there has been an increase in the number of natural disasters and in the number of people affected by natural disasters, many of which are water-related, such as flooding or water scarcity events. This has been shown to be as a result of three main factors: climate change, rapid urbanisation, and the resultant settlement of people in at-risk areas. The strategic spatial planning of urban development can be an important tool in addressing the exposure of people and places to environmental risks, and in designing a more resilient city that employs flexible solutions to cope with an uncertain and changing future. This thesis focuses on the use of sustainable urban water management (SUWM) strategies as a tool to design water sensitive cities that are more resilient to water-based hazards, support human and ecological needs, and are appropriate to their geographic and climatic context. The thesis analyses the different known SUWM strategies, including Best Management Practises (BMPs), Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD), and Nature-Based Solutions, and proposes an integrative approach that employs concepts and measures from each one. The case study for this thesis is the Alcântara watershed in Lisbon, Portugal. An analysis of the historical, ecological and anthropic factors affecting water management in the case study area is undertaken, followed by a proposal for the sustainable management of water resources in the city of Lisbon and its surroundings
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Bürgow, Grit [Verfasser]. "Urban Aquaculture : Water-sensitive transformation of cityscapes via blue-green infrastructures / Grit Bürgow." Aachen : Shaker, 2014. http://d-nb.info/1066197199/34.
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Huang, Danguang. "Flexible design of urban water distribution systems." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2011. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/2948/.
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Urban water distribution systems (UWDS) are highly inter-connected and under many uncertainties from water demand, pipe roughness, and component failure. Accurate projections of these uncertainties are almost impossible, and thus it may not be a proper method to design the system to meet its performance criteria for the forecasted scenario. The system is designed for the deterministic not for the uncertainties, as a result it may not be efficient or effective to be operated under different future scenarios. Flexible design is shown as a useful strategy to cost-effectively respond to uncertainties because of its consideration of uncertainties in advance, and has been successfully applied in many engineering systems. The objective of flexible design is to identify flexibility sources in UWDS and embed them into the system design to respond to uncertainties. The thesis discussed different terms to define the property of the system to respond to uncertainties and proposed a definition of flexibility for UWDS. It then proposed different measures to indicate flexibility value and introduced an efficient method to handle numerous uncertain parameters in the model. It also develops an efficient method to identify high value flexibility sources based on the Flexibility Index. Finally the thesis presents a flexibility-based optimisation model that enable water engineers to compare different flexible design alternatives and generate optimal solutions. A definition of flexibility in UWDS is proposed to illustrate broadly its property to respond to uncertainties, since it is not so useful, or at least in this thesis to distinguish similar terms to define the property of the system to respond to uncertainties. Identified flexibility sources by the proposed method is not useful for the flexibility-based optimization model to design a system, but it might be a powerful tool to locate the weak points in the system or provide better update options during rehabilitation of the system. The computational efficiency of the proposed flexibility-based optimisation model was demonstrated by dramatic decreasing on the number of the required hydraulic simulation in the case study. Flexible designs in the case study are more expensive than inflexible design, but have better hydraulic performance under uncertainties.
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Rohr, Hildegard Edith. "Water sensitive planning : an integrated approach towards sustainable urban water system planning in South Africa / Hildegard Edith Rohr." Thesis, North-West University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/9202.
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“Without water, there is no life on the earth; it is the most important of all elements. It must be managed in the best possible way” (Cunningham, 2009). Balanced and self-renewing ecosystems are not new phenomena, developed by earlier civilisations, and still part of our modern cities and societies today. However, the increasing urbanisation, densifications and related urban challenges of the modern urban environment is also increasing the pressure on sustainable resources world-wide. Countries responded to the concept of Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) in many deferent ways; the USA formulated the concept of Low-Impact Development (LID), the UK‟s approach was Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS), and New Zealand formulated their approach as Low Impact Urban Design and Development (LIUDD). Aiming to integrate all of the above mentioned approaches Australia developed the concept of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD). WSUD refers to the interdisciplinary cooperation of water management, urban design and landscape planning which considers all parts of the urban water cycle, combines water management functions and urban design approaches and facilitates synergies between ecological, economic, social and cultural sustainability (Wagner, 2010). In the local South African context it is now time for a fundamental paradigm shift to identify and protect sustainable resources, specifically stormwater, not only as a challenge, but a valuable resource playing a critical role in the urban planning and design process and overall sustainability of South Africa’s water resources.
This approach includes the rethinking of the role of layout-planning to direct the desired future of our cities. Water Sensitive Planning (WSP) is introduced by this research, as an initiative to guide current planning and urban design approaches in South African environments, based on the concept of Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM), with the objective to manage the urban water cycle as a whole, and not as separate entities (Barton, 2009). It bridges gaps between various sectors and provides a platform for trans-disciplinary planning, which is a challenge for sustainable water resources management in South African cities. In order to determine whether South Africa has identified stormwater as a valuable resource, integrated in the urban planning process, the research focused on Potchefstroom’s Local Municipalities approach towards Water Management and Urban Planning. Local policy frameworks such as the Spatial Development Framework (SDF), Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and the Water Service Development Plan (WSDP) were evaluated in an attempt to determine the priority and approach towards integrated water management and spatial planning. Planning recommendations referred to international best practices and case studies from Australia, to guide local South African urban planning and urban design approaches to protect the valuable natural resources in the urban environment, by redefining the current role of layout-planning in a local context, and to direct the desired future and sustainable development in South Africa.Thesis (MArt et Scien (Urban and Regional Planning))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.
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Contardo, Jara Valeska. "Physiological biomarkers in moderate sensitive aquatic invertebrates for water quality assessment in urban watercourses." Berlin dissertation.de, 2008. http://d-nb.info/990963586/04.
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Nyandega, Dan, Nigel Bertram, and Morgan L. Thomas. "Cycles of Water and Land : Water sensitive design tactics for highly modified lowlands of coastal cities." Thesis, Monash University, 2019.
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The study investigates highly modified lowlands - the intersection of water and land in coastal cities and their role as 'early warning territories' for the threat of rising water levels. They are concurrently and problematically, important zones for contemporary urban growth and re-development. The study develops alternative water sensitive design tactics, provoked by incremental modification of topographies and water infrastructure to adjust the lowlands to combined pressures of sea-level rise and urban growth in urbanised lowlands of coastal cities.
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Rivera, José Pablo (Rivera De la Mora) 1967. "Site design for urban water management in Mexico City." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/70342.
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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2001.Includes bibliographical references (p. 78-80).
As the world becomes aware of the scarcity of water resources and cities struggle to meet a growing demand, we face the challenge of finding more efficient ways to manage this vital resource. Cities in developing countries face an even greater challenge as rapid population growth and demographic migration concentrate demand in already exhausted areas. Meeting this deficit has meant the expansion of hydraulic infrastructure to ever distant areas at ever increasing costs. Water supply and disposal in the last decades has been dealt with exclusively by hydraulic engineers. They are once again attracting the interest of architects, landscape architects and planners as the effects of urban development on water resources becomes more evident. In an age of shrinking public budgets, site design can offer a competitive decentralized alternative to the massive engineering projects that would otherwise be needed to meet such demand. This work deals with a set of tools that architects and planners can use to contribute to improving the hydraulic capacity of our cities and to restoring some of the fundamental processes of the natural environment on which they are set. It evaluates their performance in a specific context in Mexico City and explores the feasibility of their application.
by Jose Pablo Rivera.
S.M.
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Antonelli, Eleni. "Water-smart Urban Design: Conserving Potential in Swimming Pools." Thesis, University of Oregon, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1794/19702.
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Dry weather dominates several U.S. states, and some of them experience even long-term droughts. Yet, more than 10.6 million swimming pools exist in the U.S., and over 43,000 of them are in greater Los Angeles. Since roughly 100% of their water evaporates on a yearly basis, pool water evaporation accounts for a significant amount of water being wasted every day. Several studies have been conducted to create a proper equation for the evaporation rate on a pool surface, based on the wind speed, water temperature, and relative humidity. This thesis will address a research gap that was found in exploring the way the surroundings of the pool can affect its evaporation rate. In particular, this study examines the relation of the urban design to the evaporation rate of outdoor swimming pools by studying the way the housing type of a neighborhood affects the wind speed over the neighborhood’s pool surfaces.
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Sinclair, Brian R. Phillips Ronald G. "Urban Mongolia an integrative culturally-sensitive sustainability-focused design + planning framework for ger districts /." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri--Columbia, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/6697.
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Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 25, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Dissertation advisor: Dr. Ronald G. Phillips. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.
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Derksen, Michael Cornelius. "Reclaimed stormwater in the urban environment, a design for an urban integrated water-use facility." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/mq23273.pdf.
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Faragher, Tamsin. "Sustainable water governance: An incremental approach towards a decentralised, hybrid water system." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/29658.
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Cape Town is experiencing its worst drought in recorded history. Notwithstanding that the Western Cape has always been a water scarce region, it is this current drought that has brought home the area’s inherent vulnerability and highlighted the governance issues. The world wherein South Africa’s water governance was created is very different to the world we find ourselves in today. It is a world of uncertainty and unpredictability not contemplated in water governance comprised of legislation, policy, guidelines and practice. The current water governance constructs a conventional approach based upon predictability and certainty and is no longer appropriate to meet today’s new challenges. Consistent with this conventional approach, Cape Town’s municipal water supply is almost completely dependent upon surface water which makes it even more vulnerable to drought than if its supply was comprised of a variety of water supply options. With surface water sources fully exploited and storage opportunities within the urban edge limited alternative water supply options must be more seriously considered and the water governance reformed to accommodate its use. Water governance is the focus of reform because it is the framework for infrastructure planning and therefore controls the resultant system, infrastructure and management. This thesis interrogates the current water governance as the starting point before firstly discussing the proposed incremental approach towards a decentralised, hybrid system for water infrastructure and secondly, identifying specific areas where intervention is necessary for implementation.
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Zhang, Changyu. "A Study on Urban Water Reuse Management Modeling." Thesis, University of Waterloo, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10012/795.
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This research deals with urban water reuse planning and management modeling in the context of sustainable development. Rapid urbanization and population growth have presented a great challenge to urban water resources management. As water reuse may alleviate pollution loads and enhance water supply sources, water reuse is being recognized as a sustainable urban water management strategy and is becoming increasingly attractive in urban water resources management. An efficient water reuse planning and management model is of significance in promoting water reuse practices.
This thesis introduces an urban water reuse management and planning model using optimization methods with an emphasis on modeling uncertainty issues associated with water demand and water quality. The model is developed in conjunction with the overall urban water system with considerations over water supply, water demand, water distribution, water quality, and wastewater treatment and discharge. The objective of the model is to minimize the overall cost of the system subject to technological, societal and environmental constraints. Uncertainty issues associated with water demand and treatment quality are modeled by introducing stochastic programming methods, namely, two-stage stochastic recourse programming and chance-constraint programming.
The model is capable of identifying and evaluating water reuse in urban water systems to optimize the allocation of urban water resources with regard to uncertainties. It thus provides essential information in planning and managing urban water reuse systems towards a more sustainable urban water resources management. An application was presented in order to demonstrate the modeling process and to analyze the impact of uncertainties.
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Neumann, Marc Benjamin. "Uncertainty analysis for performance evaluation and design of urban water infrastructure /." Zürich : ETH, 2007. http://e-collection.ethbib.ethz.ch/show?type=diss&nr=16975.
Full text
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Ranzato, Marco. "Integrated water design for a decentralized urban landscape: [text and figures]." Doctoral thesis, Università degli studi di Trento, 2011. https://hdl.handle.net/11572/368690.
Full textAbstract:
In the Veneto Città Diffusa, the decentralized urban landscape of the Veneto Region, Northeast Italy, the economic growth of recent decades brought about increased urbanization and agricultural intensification. The process of change has been accompanied by the extension and/or maximization of centralized services of drinking water, irrigation, waste water and drainage to meet greater demands for the provision and disposal of water. Accordingly, the structure of a formerly poor rural landscape has been adapted to support an affluent industrialized and urban one. However, all this has had detrimental side effects, which, in time might seriously compromise the quality of life in this landscape. On one side, the transformations that occurred have in fact given rise to unexpected problems of drought, flooding and pollution of water; and recent changes in climate patterns have further intensified these risks. On the other side, the long term fine grained carrying structures of the landscape fabric –like roads, field ditches, stream and river corridors, dirt roads, paths etc.-, as the very basis of the landscape’s unique ecological diversity, and once used to convey the area’s flows now risk general extinction. The existing road system is also increasingly under pressure to intensify traffic that creates congestion, pollution and unsafe conditions. From a planning and design perspective, this calls for adequate methods and tools that can help designers to tackle the needs for more sustainable water flows as well as the needs for a recovered ecological integrity (including spatial intelligibility) of this urban landscape. This can be of a great importance also for a better understanding of other territories of urban dispersion which are spreading especially over the European and –although in very different forms- the American continents. The present research aims to contribute to the planning and design answers to these urgent problems. For this purpose, the urban landscape of the Veneto Città Diffusa was approached with principles derived from an Integrated Water Management approach (IWM) that, recently, has been successfully applied in the urban context as an alternative to the technocratic approach of maximizing flows. Storage of water is the key principle, for it can bring about decentralized storage, which means new and different water flow management and spatial arrangements. This can ultimately be obtained through the placement and implementation of small scale and decentralized infrastructures.
By focusing on the interrelation between flow patterns and spatial arrangements in a small portion of the Veneto Città Diffusa –i.e. the case study landscape- the study has elaborated and confirmed two specific closely related assumptions.
The first assumption is that the recent loss of landscape diversity and the increasing problems of flood, drought and water pollution of the Veneto Città Diffusa are closely related and ascribable also to the processes of centralization of the water flows that accompanied the area’s economic growth. The changes of flow patterns and spatial arrangements of the case study area that happened over the last decades were systematically observed in a threefold area-flow-actor perspective. Insights into the present arrangements of irrigation, drainage, drinking water and waste water at the scale of the Consorzio di Bonifica Valli Grandi e Medio Veronese waterboard also accompanied the investigation. The diagnosis showed that the centralized systems arranged to perform greater inflows and outflows, draw heavily on resources and often risk exceeding the region’s ecological carrying capacity. Moreover, the centralized arrangement often conflicts with the decentralized character of the settlements. No synergetic relations have been developed between the man-made water system and the existing pervasive fine grained elements of the landscape. Instead, this rich capital asset has been left behind and even neglected. And such forms of negligence have ultimately brought about a massive loss of biodiversity, accessibility and spatial intelligibility of the local landscape.
This leads to the second assumption that has been researched: in the decentralized urban landscape of the Veneto Città Diffusa, answers that design measures can give in response to increasing water-flow dysfunctions and loss of diversity can be based on decentralized water storage systems that make use of the existing fine grain structures of local landscapes –ditches, streams, land depressions, former pits, hedge-rows, dirt roads, paths etc.- and promote a local-based utilisation of resources (resilience), while fostering a stronger local identity, biodiversity and accessibility for more coherent spatial arrangements. Building on the Ecological Conditions Strategy conceived by Tjallingii (1996), a set of guiding models was developed. In the models, the principles of Integrated Water Management were tuned to those fine grained landscape elements that still structure the low plains of the Veneto –the built lot system, the agricultural field system, the road system, the stream system and the excavation site system. Principles and models of integration and decentralization drove the exploration of design options for different levels of decentralized management of water in the case study area. The creative design process of learning produced a useful toolbox of design models. The design exploration also proved that the dispersed urbanization of the Città Diffusa can be made suitable to accommodate modern integrated and decentralized water systems that, by re-activating the existing carrying structures, also contribute to recovering the landscape. Decentralized urbanization can actually be an ally in the search for sustainable and legible settlements that also reuse and recycle water locally.
Designing an integrated water system that fits with the Città Diffusa and contributes to the ecological integrity of this urban landscape remains an important challenge. The tools that can be of practical help to designers and decision-makers who are willing to undertake this challenge were investigated and worked out. Nonetheless, the way to realize the outlined strategies is complex and affected by uncertainty. In this context more research is needed to investigate the effects of decentralization at the level of the region on one side, and on the other side to investigate how these integrated systems can be set to fit present institutional and market frameworks. In conclusion, the study generated concrete proposals for one or more pilot projects that will be extremely important to creating consensus in the decision process during the testing of models and strategies.
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Ranzato, Marco. "Integrated water design for a decentralized urban landscape: [text and figures]." Doctoral thesis, University of Trento, 2011. http://eprints-phd.biblio.unitn.it/560/1/Marco_Ranzato_PhD_thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
In the Veneto Città Diffusa, the decentralized urban landscape of the Veneto Region, Northeast Italy, the economic growth of recent decades brought about increased urbanization and agricultural intensification. The process of change has been accompanied by the extension and/or maximization of centralized services of drinking water, irrigation, waste water and drainage to meet greater demands for the provision and disposal of water. Accordingly, the structure of a formerly poor rural landscape has been adapted to support an affluent industrialized and urban one. However, all this has had detrimental side effects, which, in time might seriously compromise the quality of life in this landscape. On one side, the transformations that occurred have in fact given rise to unexpected problems of drought, flooding and pollution of water; and recent changes in climate patterns have further intensified these risks. On the other side, the long term fine grained carrying structures of the landscape fabric –like roads, field ditches, stream and river corridors, dirt roads, paths etc.-, as the very basis of the landscape’s unique ecological diversity, and once used to convey the area’s flows now risk general extinction. The existing road system is also increasingly under pressure to intensify traffic that creates congestion, pollution and unsafe conditions. From a planning and design perspective, this calls for adequate methods and tools that can help designers to tackle the needs for more sustainable water flows as well as the needs for a recovered ecological integrity (including spatial intelligibility) of this urban landscape. This can be of a great importance also for a better understanding of other territories of urban dispersion which are spreading especially over the European and –although in very different forms- the American continents. The present research aims to contribute to the planning and design answers to these urgent problems. For this purpose, the urban landscape of the Veneto Città Diffusa was approached with principles derived from an Integrated Water Management approach (IWM) that, recently, has been successfully applied in the urban context as an alternative to the technocratic approach of maximizing flows. Storage of water is the key principle, for it can bring about decentralized storage, which means new and different water flow management and spatial arrangements. This can ultimately be obtained through the placement and implementation of small scale and decentralized infrastructures.
By focusing on the interrelation between flow patterns and spatial arrangements in a small portion of the Veneto Città Diffusa –i.e. the case study landscape- the study has elaborated and confirmed two specific closely related assumptions.
The first assumption is that the recent loss of landscape diversity and the increasing problems of flood, drought and water pollution of the Veneto Città Diffusa are closely related and ascribable also to the processes of centralization of the water flows that accompanied the area’s economic growth. The changes of flow patterns and spatial arrangements of the case study area that happened over the last decades were systematically observed in a threefold area-flow-actor perspective. Insights into the present arrangements of irrigation, drainage, drinking water and waste water at the scale of the Consorzio di Bonifica Valli Grandi e Medio Veronese waterboard also accompanied the investigation. The diagnosis showed that the centralized systems arranged to perform greater inflows and outflows, draw heavily on resources and often risk exceeding the region’s ecological carrying capacity. Moreover, the centralized arrangement often conflicts with the decentralized character of the settlements. No synergetic relations have been developed between the man-made water system and the existing pervasive fine grained elements of the landscape. Instead, this rich capital asset has been left behind and even neglected. And such forms of negligence have ultimately brought about a massive loss of biodiversity, accessibility and spatial intelligibility of the local landscape.
This leads to the second assumption that has been researched: in the decentralized urban landscape of the Veneto Città Diffusa, answers that design measures can give in response to increasing water-flow dysfunctions and loss of diversity can be based on decentralized water storage systems that make use of the existing fine grain structures of local landscapes –ditches, streams, land depressions, former pits, hedge-rows, dirt roads, paths etc.- and promote a local-based utilisation of resources (resilience), while fostering a stronger local identity, biodiversity and accessibility for more coherent spatial arrangements. Building on the Ecological Conditions Strategy conceived by Tjallingii (1996), a set of guiding models was developed. In the models, the principles of Integrated Water Management were tuned to those fine grained landscape elements that still structure the low plains of the Veneto –the built lot system, the agricultural field system, the road system, the stream system and the excavation site system. Principles and models of integration and decentralization drove the exploration of design options for different levels of decentralized management of water in the case study area. The creative design process of learning produced a useful toolbox of design models. The design exploration also proved that the dispersed urbanization of the Città Diffusa can be made suitable to accommodate modern integrated and decentralized water systems that, by re-activating the existing carrying structures, also contribute to recovering the landscape. Decentralized urbanization can actually be an ally in the search for sustainable and legible settlements that also reuse and recycle water locally.
Designing an integrated water system that fits with the Città Diffusa and contributes to the ecological integrity of this urban landscape remains an important challenge. The tools that can be of practical help to designers and decision-makers who are willing to undertake this challenge were investigated and worked out. Nonetheless, the way to realize the outlined strategies is complex and affected by uncertainty. In this context more research is needed to investigate the effects of decentralization at the level of the region on one side, and on the other side to investigate how these integrated systems can be set to fit present institutional and market frameworks. In conclusion, the study generated concrete proposals for one or more pilot projects that will be extremely important to creating consensus in the decision process during the testing of models and strategies.
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Mthethwa, Nkosinathi I. "Evaluating water conservation and water demand management in an industrialised city: a case study of the City of uMhlathuze in Richards Bay." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27976.
Full textAbstract:
The objective of this study was to evaluate water conservation and water demand management in an industrialised City of uMhlathuze in Richards Bay. The City of uMhlathuze Local Municipality is the third-largest municipality in KwaZulu Natal (KZN) and is strategically placed to continue attracting investment as an aspirant metropolis due to the newly established Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) and the country's largest deep-water port. As an industrialised city, uMhlathuze's demand for water is already increasing and with the establishment of the IDZ, it is expected that water demand will escalate even further once the IDZ is fully operational. In line with the research question, this study has, therefore, sought to understand whether the industrialised City of uMhlathuze has developed and effectively implemented a water conservation and water demand management strategy and interventions in order to sustain water supply in anticipation of growing demand due to industrialisation and population growth. This objective was achieved by evaluating the city's current interventions and measures using a range of water conservation and water demand management solutions and guidelines. During this study, it was evident that the greatest threat facing South Africa's ambitious future economic growth, poverty alleviation and government's transformation agenda was the inefficient and unbalanced use of available and limited water resources. Thus, in order to avoid this imminent threat, the country as a whole must continuously reduce water consumption and demand from various sectors. This goal can be achieved through sustainable and improved water conservation and water demand management interventions. The study found that, in recent years, the issue of water scarcity had escalated in KZN. The province was in the grip of a drought, which was taking its toll on water supply in various municipalities around the province. The sparse rainfall in most parts of the province had caused the levels of rivers and dams to decrease to a point of crisis. Consequently, the KZN Provincial Government declared the province a disaster area in 2015. During the study, there was very little improvement as the City of uMhlathuze was still subjected to level 4 water restrictions. Evidently, the drought was intensifying the water problem in a municipality already grappling with poor and inadequate water infrastructure. A review of international and local literature was undertaken to theoretically position the objective of the research. An evaluation of the City of uMhlathuze water conservation and water demand management strategy and interventions was conducted using a questionnaire completed by city officials and part of the study included documentation review. This study investigated key elements of water conservation and demand management as well as interventions that were pertinent to achieving the desired outcome of efficient use of water. Respondents were required to answer questions focusing on several water conservation and water demand management related approaches and solutions. During the study, it was identified that there were inconsistencies in the implementation of water conservation and water demand management interventions even though the City of uMhlathuze had already taken the important step of developing a water conservation and water demand management strategy. It was recognised, however, that water conservation and water demand management remained relatively new for most municipalities. Consequently, it would take time for municipalities, together with communities, to implement effective interventions. The focus needs to be on the establishment of a combined team of staff and stakeholders, set up to finding solutions and interventions designed to maximise the most sustainable and efficient use of water. The conclusions drawn from this study and proposed recommendations indicated that wastewater reuse; pipe replacement; water pressure management; rainwater and stormwater harvesting; water sensitive urban design; leak detection and repair; joint planning and research team with the Industrial Development Zone; groundwater and aquifer recharge; stakeholder engagement, education and citizen awareness are feasible options for the City of uMhlathuze to consider in relation to water conservation and water demand management. These solutions should constitute the foundation of a revised and updated water conservation and water demand management strategy to be implemented incrementally with broad-based participation.
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Katrini, Eleni. "Addressing food, water, waste and energy yields in urban regenerative environments." Research Showcase @ CMU, 2012. http://repository.cmu.edu/theses/55.
Full textAbstract:
“At the same time that we must respond to climate change and rising energy costs, we must also adjust our housing stock to fit a changing demographic and find more frugal form of prosperity. Such a transformation will require deep change, not just in energy sources, technology, and conservation measures but also in urban design, culture and lifestyles. More than just deploying green technologies and adjusting our thermostats, it will involve rethinking the way we live and the underlying form of our communities.” (Calthorpe, 2011)
Our cities are built dependent on centralized systems of water and waste management, food and energy production. This practice has proven efficient for a while; nonetheless as our cities expand with immense speed and population increases, severe issues of food access, waste accumulation, floods, water contamination and increased energy demand reveal the obsolescence of those systems. The solution does not lie anymore only in conservation and precautionary measures but in a diverse way of thinking and redesigning existing infrastructures. Through this thesis, several systems of urban agriculture, decentralized water management and treatment, as well as energy production from waste were identified and studied through literature and actual case studies. The ultimate goal of the research was to create a toolkit for urban regenerative environments, which will be used to introduce those systems to designers. The key component of the toolkit is the quantitative link between the spatial demands of each system and its efficiency.
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Zimmerli, Tanya. "Water | Desire: Design of a Responsible Urban Retreat in Georgetown, Washington, DC." VCU Scholars Compass, 2013. http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/3027.
Full textAbstract:
The design of an urban retreat within an industrial building in Georgetown, DC provides an opportunity to experience water in the built environment. The location of the building between two bodies of water—the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Potomac River—creates an opportunity to connect water and the visitors. Management of the water to ensure responsible resource use was researched and accommodated in the design. Water is further used to shape the space and the moods created by the volumes, materials and finishes. The final project provides a luxurious shower and locker room, a series of pools, and a tea room, open to the sky, across three levels.
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Thelander, Max William. "Design against nature : flooding, water supply, and public space in Los Angeles." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/73711.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2012.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-85).
Starting in the late 19th century, Southern California saw the first of several waves of explosive population growth that have resulted in today's mega-region. While many early settlers were attracted by the city's famous sunshine, the surging population exceeded locally-available water supplies early on. Los Angeles responded by building a vast system of aqueducts to appropriate waters from across the West. At the same time, Los Angeles faces the most severe flooding hazard of any major American city, due to the rare but extreme rainfalls that are intrinsic to its Mediterranean climate. Historically, the Los Angeles River had flowed freely across the basin, but soaring demand for land set the stage for battle between an unpredictable natural system and modernist engineering methods. The river was converted into infrastructure, a concrete channel designed to chute stormwater out to sea as quickly as possible. Since the mid-1980s, a movement to 'revitalize' the river has gained increasing momentum. The river is one of the few remaining open spaces in many parts of central LA, and could form the backbone of a regional trail network to rival the freeways, as well as making ecologically valuable habitat connections. However, much of this vision depends on reducing the need for river to convey the entire watershed's runoff. The 21st century will present California with greater water supply challenges, as well as the potential for more severe urban flooding. It is clear that the last century's approach of building mega-scale, single-purpose infrastructure cannot sufficiently meet future needs. What is needed now is a decentralized approach to stormwater, in which rain is captured where it falls. This approach holds the potential to reduce flooding (enabling revitalization of the main river channel), reduce dependence on imported water by recharging local aquifers, and reduce downstream water pollution, among other benefits. However, the widespread implementation of this concept will depend on the public taking a much more active role in managing their watershed.
by Max William Thelander.
M.C.P.
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Suever, Andrea. "Untapped Potential: Creating a Hydrologically Responsible Urban Environment." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1490699269373902.
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O'Connor, Catherine L. (Catherine Leber). "Decentralized water treatment in urban India, and the potential impacts of reverse osmosis water purifiers." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/106259.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering, System Design and Management Program, Engineering and Management Program, 2016.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 185-191).
The degrading water quality in India combined with reduced groundwater supplies and insufficient municipal water distribution has led to the adoption of household water purifiers across the country. These water purifiers are used to treat water for potable consumption (drinking and cooking), and include a range of technologies capable of treating contaminants found in municipal water, groundwater, or other supplemental sources. The purifiers vary in cost, and have varying levels of accessibility to different socio-economic groups. As of 2010, market studies estimated that water purifiers, and more specifically reverse osmosis (RO) units, had not yet achieved a high level of diffusion across India, though sales were projected to greatly increase. More recent studies found levels of adoption for RO purifiers in certain urban areas growing above 50%, much higher than the 10% or less of households relying primarily on groundwater. Interviews conducted in January 2016 confirmed that households with a municipal supply were treating their water with RO purifiers, so RO adoption has spread beyond homes with only groundwater as a source. Though increased RO system diffusion may increase access to improved water quality, the purifiers require a reject line that discards 30 to 80% of the input water. The waste generated can be substantial, and for an average RO recovery of 20% treating 5.0 liters per capita per day drinking water, total up to 100 liters per household per day, 82.2 megaliters per day (MLD) within the city of Delhi, or even 2,340 MLD across all major urban areas of India if complete adoption occurs within the top two socio-economic groups. These volumes can amount to a measurable fraction of the volume of groundwater that a city extracts to supplement its surface water supply, and the volume of wastewater that goes untreated due to insufficient infrastructure. Policy and technology-based alternatives such as a water efficiency ranking program and the replacement of RO with electrodialysis, a more efficient desalination technology, align with government initiatives calling for higher efficiency and public participation, though a combined program is likely needed to make household water treatment sustainable in the long-term.
by Catherine L. O'Connor.
S.M. in Engineering and Management
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Kott, Joseph. "Streets of clay : design and assessment of sustainable urban and suburban streets." Thesis, Curtin University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/854.
Full textAbstract:
Since automobile use became widespread in North America, Europe, and Australia during the first two decades of the 20th century, cities and their streets have been reshaped to adapt to the motor vehicle surge. Efforts are now underway to re-define the purpose of arterial streets and to re-design these important thoroughfares accordingly. This movement has taken a variety of names, including “Livable Streets”, “Context Sensitive Streets” and “Complete Streets”. Such streets are multimodal transport links as well as places for socio-economic life and active living.This thesis presents findings from research on assessing just how “active” and “sustainable” are a set of arterial streets in five San Francisco Bay Area cities. Six streets, two re-designed as more “livable” or more “context sensitive” streets, and four more conventional arterial streets, are compared across a set of objective performance metrics and subjective assessments from street users and businesses. The analysis was grounded in a mixed methods approach. Streets were evaluated on an array of quantitative measures, as well as the results of six street user focus groups and surveys of 716 street users and local businesses.An important outcome of the research is a framework or model for influences on and supports for street activity and sustainability. Thesis findings affirm the importance to communities of multi-purpose street environments. Thesis results show that arterial streets can be redesigned to engender activity and promote sustainability. This research confirmed the importance of providing space on arterial streets for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users. This thesis represents a significant extension of the knowledge in the field of what constitutes a more sustainable arterial street environment. The assessment framework integrates a far wider range of research disciplines and concerns than previously evidenced in the literature. As such it may provide policymakers with a better understanding and basis on which to pursue further arterial street re-designs in similar contexts to those of the six streets I studied in this research.
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Fernando, W. G. Neranjala. "Use of regime relationships in natural urban waterway design." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 1996. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36002/1/36002_Fernando_1996.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Urban developments directly modify significant areas of the earth's surface. This
modification greatly affects the components of the hydrological cycle and
consequently the process of erosion and sedimentation. The removal of vegetation
and the increase in impervious cover leads to a decrease in infiltration and hence an
increase in surface runoff
The urban population acts as a driving force which changes the landscape and the
hydrological cycle of the area, while increasing the demand for natural and water
related environments. For the population living in the immediate vicinity, these
environments provide a recreational facility, a refuge for wild life and also open
space and vegetation to mitigate air and noise pollution. Therefore planners and
engineers should adopt less artificial measures to arrest the deterioration of urban
streams and their corridors. In this context natural urban waterway design is finding
increasing favour with the engineering profession, the public, and planners.
The Natural Urban Waterway Design method aims to design a stable channel which
looks natural, consisting of meanders, pools and riffles ·with bank stability provided
by suitable riparian vegetation which also provides diverse habitats for flora and
fauna.
The regime relationships originally developed for irrigation channels in India have
been shown to be suitable for application to natural streams. These empirical
relationships are not universal, because their applicability depends on the climatic,
geologic and vegetation characteristics of the catchment, and must be calibrated so as
to account for the catchment geological and hydrological characteristics before using
them in a design method. Two creeks within the Brisbane City Council area, Australia, were selected as part of
the study. Both streams have fairly stable natural cross-sections and are located
within catchments whose degree of urbanisation is quite low. Historical information
was available for these creeks in the form of aerial photographs. The detailed crosssections
and flood frequency information which was used were the result of recent
flood studies undertaken by the Brisbane City Council, Australia.
In this study regime type relationships for mobile sand bed and gravel bed streams in
a sub-tropical humid type climate are derived. The variations of hydraulic
characteristics such as width, depth, area, slope and velocity with bankfull discharge
are compared with the regime relationships presented in the published literature. The
gravel bed stream data showed good agreement with the published literature for
gravel bed streams. The sand bed stream, on the otherhand, showed similar slopes to
the trend lines for sand bed streams, but the data occupies a much higher position
than the published studies for such beds. The difference in position is discussed.
Bankfull discharges and their probabilities of occurrence were derived for these
creeks. It is found that the sand bed stream has a lower average recurrence interval of
bankfull discharge compared to the gravel bed stream. The effect of bank vegetation
on the channel parameters is also discussed.
In this study regime equations were calibrated to account for the geological,
hydrological and vegetational characteristics of the streams. The results
demonstrates the viability of using the regime relationships for the prediction of
stable channel properties for natural urban waterway design. Useful
recommendations that can be used in the design of such streams are also provided in
the conclusions.
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Pandit, Arka. "Resilience of urban water systems: an 'infrastructure ecology' approach to sustainable and resilient (SuRe) planning and design." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/53443.
Full textAbstract:
Increasing urbanization is a dominant global trend of the past few decades. For cities to become more sustainable, however, the infrastructure on which they rely must also become more efficient and resilient. Urban infrastructure systems are analogous to ecological systems because they are interconnected, complex and adaptive, are comprised of interconnected components, and exhibit characteristic scaling properties. Analyzing them together as a whole, as one would do for an ecological system, provides a better understanding about their dynamics and interactions, and enables system-level optimization. The adoption of this “infrastructure ecology” approach will result in urban development that costs less to build and maintain, is more sustainable (e.g. uses less materials and energy) and resilient, and enables a greater and more equitable creation of wealth and comfort. Resilience, or the capacity of a system to absorb shocks and perform under perturbations, can serve as an appropriate indicator of functional sustainability for dynamic adaptive systems like Urban Water Systems. This research developed an index of resilience (R-Index) to quantify the “full-spectrum” resilience of urban water systems. It developed five separate indices, namely (i) Index of Water Scarcity (IWS), (ii) Relative Dependency Index (RDI), (iii) Water Quality Index (WQI), (iv) Index of Network Resilience (INR), and (v) Relative Criticality Index (RCI), to address the criticalities inherent to urban water systems and then combines them to develop the R-Index through a multi-criteria decision analysis method. The research further developed a theoretical construct to quantify the temporal aspect of resilience, i.e. how quickly the system can return back to its original performance level. While there is a growing impetus of incorporating sustainability in decision making, frequently it comes at the cost of resilience. This is attributable to the fact that the decision-makers often lack a life-cycle perspective and a proven, consistent and robust approach to understand the tradeoff between increased resilience and its impact on sustainability. This research developed an approach to identify the sustainable and resilient (SuRe) zone of urban infrastructure planning and design where both sustainability and resilience can be pursued together.
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Tian, Yuhui. "Using Open Space Design and Water Harvesting as a Strategy to Bring Hydrological and Social Benefits to Dense Cities." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/104629.
Full textAbstract:
Rapid urbanization of cities includes common characteristics of high-density populations and large number of impervious surfaces. The high percentages of impervious surfaces like rooftops, roads and parking lots in dense cities would block the natural hydrological infiltration process and increasing flooding threats.
The goal of this study is finding solutions for meeting the nonpotable water use demand by applying water harvesting while also creating open green spaces for residents in urban communities. The design thesis explored the level of benefits that can be achieved by harvesting water from impervious surfaces like rooftops to fulfill the need for water consumption, purification and green open spaces for social activities in residential high-rise condominiums (multi-family residences) in Wuhan, China.
The study has compared hydrological and social benefits from 3 different design scenarios in the selected urban community: 1) the existing site design with underground parking, 2) a new design without underground parking which expands water harvesting options, and 3) a new design with underground parking which limits the application of some BMPs (Best Management Practices).
This study used open space design and water harvesting as a strategy to meet 94% of non-potable water consumption by harvesting water from residential rooftops as well as to decrease and purify surface runoff to reduce the flooding threat from ground surfaces in the selected community. The proposed open space design also achieved social benefits of providing places for social interactions, supporting various recreational activities, educating children about
environmental issues while having in outdoor activities, experiencing nature and keeping or improving the physical and mental well-being of people in the selected urban community.Master of Landscape Architecture
Dense cities have the characteristics of having high-density impervious surfaces roads, bridges, rooftops as well as a large amount of population. Since a large amount of increasing population in dense cities would result in high demands for water consumption, the water shortage problem, as a global issue, has challenged the distribution of water resources in dense cities. The massive number of impervious surfaces, as a result of rapid urbanization, have blocked the process of hydrological circulation by making natural infiltration impossible. Therefore, many dense cities are facing the challenges of waterlogging or flooding threat and the decreasing amount of water resources. This study focuses on using open space design and water harvesting as a strategy to relieve the stress of limited water resources and waterlogging or flooding threat in dense cities. This thesis has chosen an urban community in Wuhan, China for making open space design and bring the hydrologic and social benefits to the selected urban community by combing the practices of water treatment into the design. The new open design in the selected community not only has the hydrological benefits of decreasing and purifying surface runoff to reduce flooding threat, but also has many social benefits such as providing places for social interactions, supporting various of recreational activities, educating children about environmental issues while participating in outdoor activities, experience nature and keeping or improving the physical and mental well-being of people.
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Sanborn, Emma. "Integrating Climate Sensitive Design Principles in Municipal Processes : A Case Study of Edmonton’s Winter Patios." Thesis, Luleå tekniska universitet, Arkitektur och vatten, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-66182.
Full textAbstract:
This paper explores winter patios in Edmonton through the lens of place and climate sensitive design, then reflects upon the existing regulations that influence the design and management of winter patios in Edmonton. The City of Edmonton provides this research opportunity because it is currently pursuing the creation of a four-season patio culture in the city, and has created a strong WinterCity agenda. The introduction explores Edmonton’s local climate and its winter city strategy. This is followed by an explanation of the study’s methodology. The purpose of this thesis is to study how climate sensitive design principles can be applied to create places that attract winter activity. The research questions ask how climate sensitive design principles are currently incorporated in patios, what barriers exist to creating these spaces, and how to overcome these barriers in municipal processes. Many cities in cold climates seek ways to create vibrant, active cities through all seasons, and this study explores how climate sensitive planning principles can help create environments that invite winter activity. To answer the research question, a qualitative methodology was used to examine the case study of Edmonton winter patios using Eliasson’s (2007) concept of place and microclimate. The study identifies design weaknesses in Edmonton patios with little provision of shelter from wind, snow and rain, as well as limited consideration of snow storage and removal. Interviews and document review identify lack of interest and a lack of attention to the physical component of place as barriers to the creation of winter patios. Finally, the use of analytical tools such as urban climatic maps are suggested, as well as the introduction of microclimate standards so information about weather and microclimate can influence how physical components of place are planned and evaluated.
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Zhu, Junlin. "Simulation and design of diversion and detention system for urban stormwater management." Thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/94495.
Full textAbstract:
Diversion of the first flush of storm runoff to a detention basin for pollutant removal is an efficient way to control nonpoint source pollutant in urban areas. This can be achieved by a diversion box and detention basin system. To numerically simulate the response of the system to a design rainfall event and the associated pollutant loadings for a given drainage area, a desk top model has been developed for"user-friendly"' application in personal computers. Hydrographs and pollutographs are generated at the inlet and outlet of the diversion box and the detention basin.These hydrographs and pollutographs are examined and the peak outflow and peak pollutant concentrations are compared with allowable outflow and pollutant concentration for urban stormwater quality and quantity management. This model is designed for both the analysis and design of the system.M.S.