Speakers
Description
The topic of Urban Water Management has experienced a major shift in recent decades, driven by increasing environmental awareness and evolving social expectations. This shift marks a paradigmatic change, offering an opportunity to restore rivers to a central role in urban development, reflecting their historical interdisciplinary significance and multiple values. From being resources historically subjected to intensive exploitation, rivers can once again be recognised as living systems with their own dignity. While they can support the biological cycles of multiple species, they can also provide opportunities for development and regeneration of the urban fabric, becoming crucial drivers for rethinking the metabolism and complex dynamics of cities. Among the array of emerging water-related strategies, projects, and frameworks, the Water Sensitive City (Wong and Brown, 2009) approach stands out for its comprehensive engagement with urban disciplines and spatial dynamics. Leveraging this innovative approach and the possibilities of river-centred transformation, this paper aims to contribute to the discussion on Urban Water Management and Spatial Planning interdependencies. It explores Turin’s urban river areas through the lenses of legacy, river-city interaction, and collective spatial imaginary, aiming to enhance the practical application of the Water Sensitive City model. By highlighting the importance of urban rivers and advocating for a more river centric perspective to spatial planning and design, this research aims to foster a renewed focus on river-oriented centrality, positioning rivers as pivotal elements in addressing the complex challenges of urban transformation within contemporary urban complexity.
References
Wong, T. H. F. and Brown, R. R. (2009) 'The water sensitive city: Principles for practice, Water Science and Technology', 60(3), pp. 673–682.
| Keywords | water sensitive city; urban river; urban water management; spatial planning |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
