Urban Waterscapes: Water as Social Infrastructure in Vancouver, BC
Date
2014-08-22
Authors
O'Donnell, Nuala
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Abstract
Vancouver, BC is a rainy city surrounded by water. Climate change analysis
predicts the city will begin to experience more frequent and intense rain as well
as rising sea levels. If intensities increase, existing systems may lack the capacity
to provide the necessary level of flood protection and drainage. Like most cities,
infrastructure currently in place consists of embedded systems networked across a
vast scale, which leave little room for interaction.
This increasing saturation is an opportunity to rethink Vancouver’s relationship
with water: instead of rain being an inconvenience, it could be possible for the
city to celebrate water and come to life when it rains.
This thesis seeks to explore how a new water infrastructure could encompass
the localized scale. To not only mange and distribute water, but to strengthen
communities, connect urban conditions and create a stimulus that reflects the cultural
and geographical identity of the city.
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Keywords
Water, Infrastructure, Vancouver, Community, Urban flooding