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Cities by Water: Sharing Solutions from Copenhagen and New York
10 April 2014
The Consulate General of Denmark in New York, the Confederation of Danish Industry and State of Green put a spotlight on the water-related challenges faced by New York and Copenhagen, and the wide array of approaches and solutions these cities have already deployed or are working to implement.
Nearly 400 people attended the event, organized in collaboration with the AIA New York Chapter, which currently has the “Copenhagen Solutions” exhibition on view through April 16, 2014.
The event explored how the integration of urban planning, infrastructure and new technologies is redefining not only how cities cope with climate change, but also how they improve conditions of human life, i.e. emerging solutions and technologies, requirements to increase the resiliency of existing water infrastructure and prospects for integrated water resource management.
New York invests in cleantech and climate change adaptation
“We have a 100-year flood every two years now”, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo stated in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The devastating effects of Sandy in 2012 put the resiliency of New York into serious question and prompted the city to undertake a major evaluation of how to climate proof itself.
- Download the plan “A Stronger more Resilient New York”
This lead to the plan “A Stronger more Resilient New York” published in 2013 – containing actionable recommendations both for rebuilding the communities impacted by Sandy and increasing the resilience of infrastructure and buildings citywide – allocating more than USD 20 billion in investments over the coming years.
Prior to this, New York had already set in motion an ambitious plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030, along with 400 other climate change initiatives, creating strong momentum for sustainable solutions.
Integrated water management solutions from Copenhagen
Denmark’s capital city of Copenhagen has also experienced the last decade’s heavy downpours and rising sea levels. The approach taken in Copenhagen has championed holistic, integrated solutions and extensive public-private collaboration, making the city a global leader in integrated urban water management.
The Danish approach to water expertise is used around the world to deal with climate change and urban development in a sustainable way, understanding water as an asset with enormous potential to enhance the daily life of people living in cities.
There are a variety of tools and methods available for the development of innovative integrated water solutions. These include software to enable the visualisation of possible future scenarios that can help in convincing decision makers and stakeholders about the benefits of integrating blue and green structures.
The more obvious benefits are that integration decreases the hydraulic load on wastewater treatment and reduces the number of combined sewer overflows. Integrated solutions also decrease the risk of flooding and related costs. A final argument is that infiltration of rainwater will increase groundwater regeneration, valuable to cities where groundwater is an important water resource.
Concrete climate adaptation: Copenhagen’s Cloudburst Mitigation Plan
A concrete example of integrated water management can be found in Copenhagen’s Cloudburst Mitigation Plan, which addresses the challenges caused by cloudbursts and floodwater while at the same time incorporating blue and green solutions into the urban fabric.
The holistic approach to cloudburst mitigation reintroduces water as an asset in urban living. Where a traditional approach would address the challenge of floodwater by increasing the size of the sewer and stormwater network, the integrated approach aims to maximize socio-economic value by proposing bike paths acting as storm channels and green boulevards with water channels.
The cloudburst mitigation plan covers entire neighbourhoods of Copenhagen and provides a view into the future, not only for Denmark, but for cities around the world. The propositions in the plan can be a source of inspiration for finding the right match between urban planning and urban water solutions
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