Urban Waterbodies: Stimulating an ecosystem resilient city by integrating climate sensitivity in human-oriented urban design in Houston

Abstract

Societal problems related to climate change include increasing climate extremes, flood risk and environmental degradation of cities. It is important to address these problems in order to improve urban resilience, reduce flood damage, and promote quality of life. This thesis addresses these problems by focusing on increasing the ecosystem resilience in the urban environment. It seeks to address current shortcomings in cities’ approaches towards urban development; the potential of nature-based solutions as an alternative to grey solutions; and the integration of climate sensitive urban design in the built environment. The main research question is “How can an ecosystem resilient approach guide the built environment in order to integrate climate sensitivity in human-oriented urban design?” The development of a detailed urban design follows from a literature study on ecological urbanism, climate resilience, and nature based solutions, which is supplemented with an in-depth site analysis that focuses on spatial and technical aspects of the built environment in relation to heavy floods, spatial quality, and urbanized landscapes. The study draws on theories of persuasive visual storytelling and research by design. The interdisciplinary approach taken in this project culminates in an urban design proposal for the Buffalo Bayou Downtown corridor in Houston, Texas. The design proposal introduces new nature-based and water-based features into the urban environment. By reintroducing elements of the lost ecoregions of the East Texan coast (including wetlands and prairies) the design proposal not only contributes to improvements in quality of life, but also to greater urban resilience to pluvial floods.