Across the academic sphere, much research has been conducted into the development of water-sensitive elements to address issues around urban water management. However, these elements are commonly investigated in isolation, with little consideration for initiatives from other disciplines that may support their success. This research aims to demonstrate the value that an architect may bring in incorporating ideas drawn from various disciplines to create a water- sensitive design solution with multiple ecosystem benefits, taking into account the human experience of space and place-making. In doing so, the design demonstrates that a water-sensitive building is aesthetically pleasing, viable and achievable. The feasibility of water-sensitive designs has been noted as a focus area by the South African Water Research Commission; one which is particularly pertinent in our present water-scarce environment in South Africa. This applied study is based on a previous Master of Architecture (Professional) dissertation building design, which is used as the unit of analysis. The building focuses on restoring the quality of water in the Liesbeek River in Cape Town using passive filtration methods. The objective of this study is to gain new insights into the design process and planning of water-sensitive architectural buildings, which assists in understanding when collaborating across disciplines. The research is guided by Deep Ecology, phenomenology and Ecological Urbanism. Research by Design is used as the method of the study, in which different design iterations based on the raw data of the original building are investigated and analysed, as well as evaluated by specialists from various disciplines in order to create a best-fit design solution. The revised building takes into account the practical, site-specific and architectural qualities of a water-sensitive design to create a people-centred building that incorporates ecological and engineering demands in greater detail. Key outcomes of the study include a typical design process for a WSAD and architectural guidelines for water-sensitive buildings, grounded in the diverse values of water and its relationship to people and nature. The dissertation aims to contribute to the academic discourse around water-sensitive design. Further, the guidelines developed may be used to inform the design of conventional buildings.

Urban designers are trained to think systematically, to simultaneously see the big picture for numerous human systems in the city—including multiple modes of transportation, barriers faced by the city's inhabitants, and food and waste systems—and synthesize them into a coherent design. However, many urban designers use architecture as their sole means of shaping our cities, rather than employing other design disciplines as well. One solution to this limited focus on the built environment is "landscape urbanism." First appearing in the 1990s, landscape urbanism is a theory that argues that the best way to organize a city is through the design of its landscape, rather than the design of its buildings. At its best, landscape urbanism encourages a new way to understand cities: through the horizontal domain that acts as every city's connective tissue. At its worst, landscape urbanism can emphasize a purely aesthetic view of nature in the city, rather than recognizing its full potential as an additional functional system within the urban landscape. This failing of landscape urbanism can be addressed by its next evolution: ecological urbanism. As MIT Professor and Landscape Architect Anne Whiston Spirn writes in The Granite Garden, we need to recognize nature as "an essential force that permeates the city." By embracing the presence of nature's processes within the city, we can create an ecological urbanism that combines human and natural systems for the betterment of both. "The realization that nature is ubiquitous, a whole that embraces the city, has powerful implications for how the city is built and maintained and for the health, safety, and welfare of every resident" (Spirn). Currently, the Anacostia River and the neighborhoods to the east are neglected parts of Washington D.C., and most of the river's tributaries are buried underground. This neglect is similar to cities' historic disregard for the productive processes of nature, settling instead for a superficial, idealized abstraction of nature in the city. What if the city decided that instead of viewing urban streams as a nuisance that needed to be hidden, the Anacostia River and its tributary system could provide a beautiful, functional, and memorable organizational structure for the East of the River neighborhoods? Highlighting the presence of this large natural system within the city could be an opportunity to develop an "urban ecology" and frame our future relationship with nature. Using Washington DC's Anacostia River, its tributaries, and the East of the River neighborhoods as its framework, this thesis explores a possible step past landscape urbanism by advocating for an ecological urbanism that demonstrates how human and natural systems can work together in an urban environment in a way that is ecologically productive, regionally connected, and mutually beneficial. / Master of Science / Urban designers are trained to think systematically. They must simultaneously see the big picture for numerous human systems in the city—including multiple modes of transportation, barriers faced by the city’s inhabitants, and food and waste systems—and synthesize them into a coherent design. However, many urban designers use architecture as their sole means of shaping our cities, rather than employing other design disciplines as well. One solution to this limited focus on the built environment is “landscape urbanism” which recognizes that cities (like landscapes) are constantly undergoing processes of change. First appearing in the 1990s, landscape urbanism is a theory that argues that the best way to organize a city is through the design of its landscape, rather than the design of its buildings. At its best, landscape urbanism encourages a new way to understand cities: through the horizontal domain that acts as every city’s connective tissue. At its worst, landscape urbanism can emphasize a purely aesthetic view of nature in the city, rather than recognizing nature’s full potential as an additional functional system within the urban landscape. This failing of landscape urbanism can be addressed by its next evolution: ecological urbanism. As MIT Professor and Landscape Architect Anne Whiston Spirn writes in The Granite Garden, we need to recognize nature as “an essential force that permeates the city.” By embracing the presence of nature’s processes within the city, we can create an ecological urbanism that combines human and natural systems for the betterment of both. “The realization that nature is ubiquitous, a whole that embraces the city, has powerful implications for how the city is built and maintained and for the health, safety, and welfare of every resident” (Spirn 5). Currently, the Anacostia River and the neighborhoods to the east are neglected parts of Washington DC, and most of the river’s tributaries are buried underground. This neglect is similar to cities’ historic disregard for the productive processes of nature, settling instead for a superficial, idealized abstraction of nature in the city. What if the city decided that instead of viewing urban streams as a nuisance that needed to be hidden, the Anacostia River and its tributary system could provide a beautiful, functional, and memorable organizational structure for the East of the River neighborhoods? Highlighting the presence of this large natural system within the city could be an opportunity to develop an “urban ecology” and frame our future relationship with nature. Using Washington DC’s Anacostia River, its tributaries, and the East of the River neighborhoods as its framework, this thesis explores a possible step past landscape urbanism by advocating for an ecological urbanism that demonstrates how human and natural systems can work together in an urban environment in a way that is ecologically productive, regionally connected, and mutually beneficial.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Laurence A. Clement / Contemporary design of the urban environment focuses increasingly upon the quality of space found within the public right-of-way. Landscape architects and urban planners are beginning to ask new questions that deviate from the conventional streetscape designs of the latter half of the 20th century. Under the mantra “complete the streets,” communities all across America are calling for a paradigm shift towards multimodal, pedestrian-scaled urban rights-of-way. At the same time, existing stormwater and combined sewer infrastructure is nearing the end of its productive lifespan in cities all across the country and world. The direct costs associated with repairing this infrastructure combined with the indirect costs of poor water quality and a greater frequency and intensity of flooding events downstream present a strong argument for developing new, innovative ideas about how to best design the stormwater infrastructure of tomorrow. The reintegration of ecological processes into the urban fabric will act as a catalyst for the appreciation of genius loci (spirit of the place) and user meaning while mitigating downstream flooding, increasing water quality, and extending the lifespan of existing stormwater infrastructure. By studying the hierarchical categorization of urban rights-of-way according to increased levels of user orientation, this research project aims to clearly articulate a new theoretical framework for expanding upon the current discourse surrounding “complete streets” and “green streets” theory. In the long-term, it is both economically and socially profitable for cities to use ecological processes to reclaim auto-oriented, urban rights-of-way as valuable public space for the health, safety, and welfare of all their users.

Strong sustainability requires enhanced knowledge and understanding of complex social-ecological interactions, but it also implies a ‘novel’ conceptualization of the relationship between humans and nature, one in which individuals perceive themselves as embedded members of the Biosphere. The aim of this Licentiate thesis is to investigate the validity of a strategy that is centered on designing the urban green infrastructure to nurture such human-nature relationship in children’s attitudes. The research is framed by spatial cognition, conservation psychology, and social-ecological sustainability and it focuses on the validity of this strategy. Hence, the Licentiate analyzes how reoccurring experiences of nature that are situated in the everyday habitat (i.e. nature routines) affect personal human-nature attitudes and how these can be implemented as leverage points to change social-ecological systems using sustainable urbanism. Paper 1 tests the assumed link between the nature routines in Stockholm and preschool children’s development of cognitive and emotional affinity to nature. The results show that nature-rich routines over a period of four years are significantly correlated with the strength of preschooler’s affinity with nature. Paper 2 uses a mixed methods approach to evaluate changes in Connection To Nature (CTN) in 10 years olds who partake in a project of nature conservation. The results of Paper 2 show that there is an evaluative gap between theory and practice in connecting children with nature that impedes the evaluation of how children’s CTN changes over short periods of time and that impedes the creation of an evaluative framework for nature experiences. Paper 3 considers these empirical results in theorizing an approach to sustainable urban design based on social-ecological sustainability that includes CTN. In order to overcome existing limitations Paper 3 presents the concept of cognitive affordances as a theoretical tool to embed cognitive and emotional attitudes towards nature into the design of urban spaces. All combined these papers provide valid evidence that nature routines in cities, especially for children, can be a significant leverage point to enable future sustainable civilizations.

Baigiamojo magistro darbo tyrimo objektas yra vidutinio dydžio besitraukiančių miestų centrinių dalių funkcinė ir erdvinė struktūra. Nagrinėjamas Rokiškio miestas, kaip besitraukiantis miestas, susiduriantis su panašiems miestams būdingomis problemomis. Analogų studijoje, miesto raidos procesai lyginami su pasaulio miestuose vykstančiais procesais, remiantis pasauline praktika, ieškoma būdų problemoms spręsti. Siekiant suvaldyti miesto traukimąsi ir pagerinti miesto gyvenamosios aplinkos kokybę bei miesto įvaizdį, kuriama Rokiškio, kaip ekologiško miesto, vizija. Detalesnio tyrimo objektu pasirinkta Rokiškio miesto funkcinė ir erdvinė struktūra bei miesto pietinė dalis ir su ja susijusios urbanistinės bei aplinkos kokybės problemos. Į nagrinėjamą teritoriją įeina masinės statybos gyvenamieji rajonai ir pramonės teritorijos, t.y. itin problematiškos zonos. Darbas pateikiamas aiškinamajame rašte, grafinėje medžiagoje (planšetuose) ir miesto pietinės dalies koncepcijos makete. Darbas atliekamas remiantis moksline literatūra, pasauliniais analogais, juos lyginant, vertinant, darant išvadas ir jų praktiką pritaikant Rokiškio miestui. Aiškinamąjį raštą sudaro penki skyriai: Įvadas, analitinė – metodinė dalis, analitinė – tiriamoji dalis, eksperimentinė – projektinė dalis ir išvados; taip pat literatūros šaltinių, iliustracijų, lentelių sąrašas ir priedai. Darbo apimtis – 111 p. teksto be priedų, 69 iliustracijos, 12 lentelių, 53 bibliografiniai šaltiniai. Atskirai pridedami darbo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The goal of Master thesis is to investigate the functional and spatial structure of mid-size shrinking cities. The object of this study is Rokiškis town – a shrinking town, encountering regular problems of this kind of town. Comparative analysis between Rokiškis and similar foreign towns is made, seeking for tools and examples of problem solving. In order to suppress the process of town shrinking and to ameliorate the quality of living environment, together with the overall image of the town, the vision of Rokiškis as an ecological town is being established. Detailed study of Rokiškis functional and spatial structure, and also of southern part of the town is made. Problems concerning urban planning and the quality of living environment are investigated. The studied territory gathers mass housing blocks as well as industrial territories – and these are the zones of very complex problems. Master thesis is presented by a textual part, graphical drawings and conceptual paper model. Thesis is based on the references of scientific literature, analogues of foreign countries, while comparing and evaluating them, and making conclusions The textual part has 5 chapters: introduction, analytical-methodical part, analytical-research part, experimental-project part and conclusions; references list, illustrations‘ list, tables list and extras included. Master thesis has 111 pages, without extras, 69 illustrations, 12 tables, 53 bibliographical references, extras included.

The dissertation investigates the formative influence of hydrology in shaping the spatiality and socio-economic production processes of the urban environment. It acknowledges the surging pattern of human development, the unprecedented growth of cities and the reality of climate change to propose an intervention which aims to introduce the concept of Regenerative Architecture to a South African context. The intervention manifests as an Integrated Biotectural System for the Production and Reclamation of Water, a new architectural typology which is adapted to suit local conditions and to provide innovative possibilities for socio-economic production. The site of the intervention is located behind the G Berth in the Duncan Dock of the Port of Cape Town, extending up the Heerengracht Axis, the most prominent remnant of the formative influence of hydrology on the City of Cape Town. The intervention proposes to form part of a larger Continuous Productive Urban Landscape defined by water, which connects Robben Island – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – from Duncan Dock, through the Heerengracht, Adderley Street, the Company’s Gardens, Orange Street and De Waal Park through to Table Mountain. The intervention acts as a productive landscape that regenerates the connection between the city, the hidden and inaccessible shorelines and the socio-economic production processes those shorelines inherently represent. It harvests the heritage and cultural resources of a historically productive City of Cape Town to present the socio-economic production possibilities of the future: the generation of water and food and the regeneration of land within the urban environment. Copyright / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Architecture / Unrestricted

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There is a fragmentation in the discussion regarding sustainable urban development in the architectural field today. This has led to the creation of several envisions that seek to achieve sustainability using different approaches. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to map different envisions in the architectural field with a focal point on three specific; spatial agency, ecological urbanism and hedonistic sustainability.  The methods used in this thesis are a document study and a literature study with the aim to compare the swedish policies regarding architecture and urban development against the envisions that exist in the architectural field today. Status quo, reform and transformation are the three approaches used as the main theory to analyze the gathered empirics. We have also introduced practical examples from the envisions to give a more nuanced picture of the field and how visions and ideas are being realized. These examples are 2012Architecten in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, HafenCity in Hamburg, Germany and finally Copenhill in Copenhagen, Denmark.  The structure of the thesis is of an analyzed character to help the reader follow the reasonings and notions presented throughout the study. The conclusion shows that there are great difficulties in achieving transformation within the field today, especially regarding the practitioning and realization of visions and ideas since most of the projects are being realized with an underlying driving force in the economic aspect and the urge for economic growth. The study also shows that the current policies in Sweden do not make room for transformation since they are based on the social structures of today. / Inom arkitekturverksamheten idag finns det en splittring i definitionen kring hållbart stadsbyggande vilket skapat flertalet föreställningar som på olika sätt strävar mot hållbarhet. Uppsatsen syfte är därmed att kartlägga olika föreställningar om hållbart stadsbyggande och arkitekturpraktik där fokus har lagts vid tre föreställningar; spatial agency, ecological urbanism och hedonistic sustainability.  Arbetet är utformat efter en dokumentstudie och en litteraturstudie för att kunna jämföra de svenska styrdokumenten och den rådande arkitekturpolitik med de aktuella föreställningar som finns inom arkitekturverksamheten. De tre förhållningssätten status quo, reform och transformation utgör uppsatsen underliggande teori och den insamlade empirin analyseras utefter dessa. Även praktiska exempel från de utvalda föreställningarna tas upp för att ge en nyanserad bild av hur visioner och idéer förverkligas i samhället idag. De praktiska exemplen utgörs av 2012Architecten, Rotterdam, Nederländerna, HafenCity, Hamburg, Tyskland och slutligen Copenhill, Köpenhamn, Danmark.  Uppsatsen byggs upp efter en analyserande struktur för att bjuda in läsaren till att följa de resonemang och begrepp som presenteras. Uppsatsens slutsats visar på svårigheter att uppnå transformation inom stadsbyggnad och arkitektur idag. Detta då praktiken inte speglar forskning och visioner utan samtliga projekt har en underliggande ekonomisk drivkraft. Studien visar även på hur den rådande arkitekturpolitiken inte ger utrymme för transformation inom stadsbyggnad, utan i stället bygger på rådande samhällsstrukturer.

Strong sustainability requires enhanced knowledge and understanding of complex social-ecological interactions, but it also implies a ‘novel’ conceptualization of the relationship between humans and nature, one in which individuals perceive themselves as embedded members of the Biosphere. The aim of this Licentiate thesis is to investigate the validity of a strategy that is centered on designing the urban green infrastructure to nurture such human-nature relationship in children’s attitudes. The research is framed by spatial cognition, conservation psychology, and social-ecological sustainability and it focuses on the validity of this strategy. Hence, the Licentiate analyzes how reoccurring experiences of nature that are situated in the everyday habitat (i.e. nature routines) affect personal human-nature attitudes and how these can be implemented as leverage points to change social-ecological systems using sustainable urbanism. Paper 1 tests the assumed link between the nature routines in Stockholm and preschool children’s development of cognitive and emotional affinity to nature. The results show that nature-rich routines over a period of four years are significantly correlated with the strength of preschooler’s affinity with nature. Paper 2 uses a mixed methods approach to evaluate changes in Connection To Nature (CTN) in 10 years olds who partake in a project of nature conservation. The results of Paper 2 show that there is an evaluative gap between theory and practice in connecting children with nature that impedes the evaluation of how children’s CTN changes over short periods of time and that impedes the creation of an evaluative framework for nature experiences. Paper 3 considers these empirical results in theorizing an approach to sustainable urban design based on social-ecological sustainability that includes CTN. In order to overcome existing limitations Paper 3 presents the concept of cognitive affordances as a theoretical tool to embed cognitive and emotional attitudes towards nature into the design of urban spaces. All combined these papers provide valid evidence that nature routines in cities, especially for children, can be a significant leverage point to enable future sustainable civilizations.

Swedish municipalities increasingly prioritize blue-green infrastructure in response to the changing climate and precipitation. This study focuses on Norrköping, Huddinge, Nyköping, and Kalmar and how urban planning develops strategies for implementing blue-green infrastructure. Through document content analysis, the municipalities recognize the importance of blue-green infrastructure for stormwater management. However, challenges with implementation remain. Clashes with higher legal and economic interests impede progress. There are issues with responsibility allocation and operation. Most of the challenges can be ascribed to the absence of a comprehensive framework for sustainable stormwater management. Each municipality has developed unique practices to handle this, which have emerged through the interviews. The strategies break down to collaborative models involving multiple stakeholders. These findings advocate for a holistic approach suggest potential for a unified framework, and a path forward in sustainable urban planning.