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Rethinking Cities in Arid Environments

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Rethinking Cities in Arid Environments Rethinking Cities in Arid Environments 2 “The chief function of the city is to convert power into form, energy into culture, dead matter into the living symbols of art, biological reproduction into social creativity.” Lewis Mumford W Jemaa El Fna, Marrakesh, Morocco 3 This report is the product of collaboration between Arup’s Middle East Planning Team, and specialist planners, designers and engineers from across our global offices. The report has been guided by Arup’s Foresight + Research + Innovation team and their extensive experience. We are also grateful for the expert contributions from a range of external commentators. Contacts Hrvoje Cindrić Jerome Frost OBE Associate Director Middle East Urbanism Leader Global Planning & Cities Leader [email protected] [email protected] Tom Armour Alisdair McGregor Director Director Global Landscape Architecture Leader Arup Fellow Buildings [email protected] [email protected] Released March 2018 [email protected] #aridcities 39th floor, Media One Tower Dubai Media City Dubai PO Box 212416 United Arab Emirates www.arup.com © Arup 2018 4 Contents Foreword 7 Executive Summary 9 Context 14 Cities 38 Public Spaces 66 Buildings 92 Way Forward 114 References 134 Acknowledgements 139 5 “In arid environments cities face two main challenges, increasing temperatures and water scarcity. Through its climate adaptation plan, Dubai will build on various innovative techniques as well as the latest technologies to continue to thrive as a livable city with a healthy and sustainable environment.” Abdulla Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai “As a rapid-growth City in an arid environment, Austin is using the latest research and modeling on climate change to inform our 100 year water utility plan. We are also future-proofing public buildings, by using collected rainwater and recycled water for flushing and irrigation.” Steve Adler, Mayor of Austin, Texas 6 Foreword Mark Watts, Executive Director, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group Climate change and its effect on global Arup’s Cities Alive series provides an water cycles will be a defining marker of overview of future trends that cities face the 21st Century and will significantly and how we can best understand these impact not only the natural environment trends in shaping more sustainable cities. but human civilization as we know it. Cities Alive: Rethinking Cities in Arid Tackling climate change is the biggest Environments marks an important step challenge the human race has ever faced, towards understanding the resilience of because it requires a fundamental shift cities facing water scarcity. It underlines away from the economic model that has the importance of considering the unique created huge material advances over the social, economic, environmental and last two hundred years. But it is also an political characteristics of each city to opportunity to create a different model of identify tailored solutions for cities in an living that is both more sustainable and arid environment. enables every global citizen to enjoy a C40 Climate Leadership Group brings quality of life that is today the preserve of together the megacities of the world to turn only a minority. the Paris Agreement into action. Created Cities are integral to tackling the global and led by cities, C40 is focused on challenges of climate change and water reducing global greenhouse gas emissions shortage for three primary reasons. First, and climate risks. cities are the major theatres of climate impacts such as drought and flooding. Second, because mayors more than any other group of political leaders have demonstrated a capacity to collaborate against climate change. Third, because cities are where the future happens first and so are the birthplace of the new, clean, climate-safe and equitable world. 7 City governance Care for all elements of society and balance their respective needs. THE ARID Public space CITY Resource efficiency Ties our cities together and Strive for efficiency to makes them liveable and continue living on a planet loveable for its people. with finite properties. Urban resilience Precious water Our collective capacity The most essential element to adapt and grow no to human life and must matter what stresses or be cared for with special shocks occur. attention. 8 Executive Summary Hrvoje Cindrić, Associate, Middle East Urbanism Leader Arid environments are characterised by a natural scarcity of fresh water and precipitation. Currently, arid environments cover over 30% of the world’s land surface, a percentage that is set to increase with climate change in the coming century. Cities in these regions face complex challenges such as water scarcity, inadequate infrastructure, rapidly growing populations, and impacts on public health from the effects of urban heat islands. Yet most cities in arid environments are This report capitalises on Arup’s still planned and designed based on a pioneering work on projects in arid global city making paradigm established environments, mainly the Arabian Gulf during the middle parts of the 20th region, southern Africa and the American century. This one-size-fits-all approach, Southwest. It contains ideas and case characterised by private car ownership studies from around the world that and separate land uses connected by showcase best practices in sustainable highway networks, fails to respond to design for arid cities. specific climatic contexts and needs. Cities Alive: Rethinking Cities in Arid Planners, engineers and decision makers Environments proposes a strategic re- working in arid environments require think of how we plan and design cities in climate appropriate design solutions to arid regions. Unprecedented advances in create sustainable and liveable cities. technological innovation have opened up Future responses must be tailored to new opportunities to develop arid cities specific social, economic, environmental in a more sustainable and resilient way. and political conditions, combining the At the same time, there are lessons that best of new technology with locally can be learned from arid cities that have adapted solutions. developed distinct design vernaculars over millennia. 9 At the heart of the report sit three key principles to shape the next century of city building in arid environments: Learn from the past and build on locally adapted climate-specific design solutions Invest in green and blue infrastructure that is designed to work with local environmental and ecological systems Design intelligent buildings and public spaces that can meet the needs of people in changing climate 10 S Msheireb Downtown Doha in Qatar The imperative for cities in arid environments to plan, “In the Arabian Gulf design and build more sustainable and resilient cities is [...], climate change, clear. Adopting strategies that combine technological in the absence of innovation with locally adapted and climatically significant mitigation, is appropriate solutions can help cities and communities likely to severely impact mitigate the effects of climate change and provide positive human habitability in long-term social, environmental and economic benefits. the future.” The report explores climate specific design strategies for Jeremy S Pal and arid cities together with case studies and reflections from Elfatih A B Eltahir1 leading practitioners who have experience implementing solutions. They include strategies for effective groundwater management, pioneering landscape and irrigation techniques, recommendations for innovative buildings and materials and sustainable urban design approaches. 11 The strategies, case studies and reflections The report concludes with a list of possible in the report were generated through a actions on how the strategies, case series of global workshops, have been studies and reflections can help shape the grouped under three scales reflecting the necessary re-design and development of wide ranging expertise of the contributors. cities in arid environments; making them The report is structured by level of detail more sustainable, healthier and better from cities, to public spaces, to individual places to live. buildings. The actions are a first step and are intended to trigger debate and exchange between arid cities. T The model arid city 12 Cities Public Spaces Buildings Preventing urban sprawl Designing for walking Responsive building façades Aquifer recharge Future-proofing mobility Biodiversity Attitudes to recycled water Efficient irrigation Localised vernacular Active lifestyles Nocturnal lighting Microclimate Policy and fiscal incentives Xeriscaped landscapes Dew harvesting Development densities Having fun Greening buildings Green investments Sustainable drainage Building orientation Decentralised infrastructure Inclusive spaces Green and blue roofs Groundwater management Permeable pavements Indoor-outdoor spaces Social interaction Addressing intrusion Innovation in cooling Improved air quality Productive landscapes Recycling water Civic pride Complete streets Low-tech innovation 13 “A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because […] a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.” Max Plank 14 Context What are arid environments? 16 Cities in arid environments 19 Key challenges for arid cities 22 Necessary rethink 27 Thought process 28 What are urban heat islands? 30 The way forward 32 Water for a liveable City of Adelaide 36 15 What are arid environments? Arid environments
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