Boundary spanning and adaptive capacity in Pearl River Delta megacities

The cities of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) have been experiencing an unprecedented urban expansion for the past four decades, leading to emergence of one of the most populous and dynamic urban regions. However, these rapidly expanding cities located in a low-lying delta area also face increasing flood risk due to a combination of anthropogenic...

Recovery Capacity: To Build Back Better

The ambition to Build Back Better after a serious flood disaster is a complex challenge. A comprehensive, multi-disciplinary redevelopment planning process is required to reduce the flood risk and meanwhile create sustainable solutions that bring added value to society every day. General planning principles can be formulated on how to develop...

Enhancing Flood Resilience and Climate Adaptation: The State of the Art and New Directions for Spatial Planning

The need to respond to increasing flood risk, climate change, and rapid urban development has shaped innovative policies and practices of spatial planning in many countries over recent decades. As an instrumental–technical intervention, planning is mainly used to improve the physical environment (through concepts such as regulating waterproof...

Justice of compensation for spatial flood risk management – comparing the flexible Austrian and the structured Dutch approach

In view of the anticipated climate change, many countries face increasing risks of flooding. Since the end of the 20^th century, the traditional hard flood protection measures have been increasingly complemented with spatial flood risk reduction measures. These measures, though in the public interest and as such, benefitting many...

Shifts in Spatial Plans for Flood Resilience and Climate Adaptation: Examining Planning Procedure and Planning Mandates

The paper examines the development of different spatial plans to address flood resilience in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, one of the most vulnerable cities to flooding and climate change. The analysis focuses on the differences in planning procedures and planning mandates (determined by different plans in authority) before and after the launch...

Collaborative spatial planning in the face of flood risk in delta cities: A policy framing perspective

Integration of flood risk in spatial planning is increasingly seen as a way to enhance cities’ resilience to the growing flood hazards, albeit its operationalisation remains challenging. This study aims to explain the reasons for this difficulty through the case study of Guangzhou, a Chinese delta city that is highly vulnerable to coastal,...

An interdisciplinary approach to urban reconstruction after the 2011 Tsunami

Students of hydraulic engineering, geotechnical engineering, transport infrastructure, urban drainage engineering and urbanism studied the recovery of the city of Yuriage using the goal integration method. Much can be learned from the bold approach of the Japanese to disaster reconstruction and fighting shrinkage in regional spatial planning.

Vernacular architecture inspires flood-proof housing

Urbanisation in Southeast Asia has to cope with land subsidence, rain floods, clogged rivers, storm surges and typhoons. On particular locations, like in the deserted fish ponds in the Manila Bay Area in the Philippines, floating housing can be an attractive building style. PhD researcher Pieter Ham and Finch Floating Homes are inspired by...