Integrating Climate Adaptation into Green Urban Regeneration a Research-by-Design Approach for Transforming Infrastructural Spaces into New Commons with NbSs

Abstract

With the aggravation of climate conditions all over the world, cities and their communities are suffering the related effects over different climates and geographies. Nevertheless, cities are also at the forefront of climate adaptation, showing how to plan and design to be more prepared for changes, as well as to proactively adjust to present or expected future climate impacts. Extreme heat, drought, and flooding constitute thus opportunities to experiment with design and planning processes, inno-vative strategies, and actions, able to cope with previous urban inequalities and expand multifaceted benefits for all. Within this frame, the paper investigates the potentialities and opportunities related to urban regeneration for green and blue infrastructure, especially through the adoption of NbSs. By considering different kinds of urban infrastruc-tural spaces, the contribution aims to discuss climate adap-tation through the implementation of NbSs, to enhance resilience, by leveraging social, ecological, and economic benefits for all in an integrative, comprehensive, and enduring way. In order to fulfill this aim, the paper suggests a three-phase research-by-design approach, which guides the exploration of the theme. Within the methodology, a “Framework for Climate-adaptive Green Spaces” is being presented, to analyze, understand, and describe selected case studies of Urban regeneration. These projects trans-form abandoned, underused, or degraded infrastructural spaces into new urban green commons, thus distributing social, ecological, and economic benefits while enhancing space quality. By analyzing and comparing the selected case studies, a set of principles will emerge to support the design process of urban climate-adaptive nature-based regeneration. The Framework also questions the role of the quality of the space in the design process, investigating the necessity of bringing back attention to the quality of space, in the multi-material, multi-temporal, and inter-scalar path toward urban regeneration.