Urban Waterscapes: Water as Social Infrastructure in Vancouver, BC

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.