Water-sensitive urban design: learning from experience

Water introduces both opportunities and risks to urban areas. Society is faced with the challenge of finding solutions to complex and interrelated problems such as living safely in densely populated deltas, planning ahead for climate change, finding alternatives to fossil fuels, and urban redevelopment. We need to make sure that all this is achieved in a sustainable way. This paper elaborates on the need to transition towards water-sensitive cities, drawing on the experience of urban water management and water-sensitive urban design in the Netherlands and the UK. This transition involves strengthening the integration of water in spatial planning and design processes, requiring any spatial intervention or new development to be evaluated on opportunities for sustainability and innovation. Design tools or building blocks are suggested that enable the transition to a city in which the awareness of water, energy, nature and living environment are connected, in which developments always take place in a resilient and climate-proof way, and where water can be a focus for enjoyment and vitality. The paper concludes with recommendations on how the UK can build on its own experience and learn from the Netherlands to achieve more water-sensitive urban design.