Redesigning Urban Infrastructures: New Infrastructure Design Imaginaries and Practices

Redesigning urban infrastructures: New infrastructure design imaginaries and practices Daniel Tubridy A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Sheffield Faculty of Social Sciences Department of Urban Studies and Planning September 2018 2 Abstract According to Rubio and Fogué (2013, 1039), cities are witnessing a “technological and infrastructural invasion” associated with new low-carbon and sustainable technologies. In this context, infrastructure has (re-)emerged as a topic of debate in design theory and practice. One strand of this debate which, the thesis argues, constitutes a new infrastructure design imaginary suggests that new infrastructures should be designed as “multifunctional” systems, taking account of potential ecological, aesthetic and cultural benefits. It is suggested that design could facilitate new affective relationships between people, infrastructures and ecological systems, thereby contributing to sustainability. Now that new approaches to design are being adopted in some places and circumstances, there is an opportunity to investigate their assumptions, logics and effects and whose interpretation of design and aesthetics is given legitimacy. As such, the overall aim of this thesis was to explore contemporary meanings and practices of infrastructure design. This has encompassed an investigation of what types of infrastructure are being designed, what model of design is adopted and who the “infrastructure designer” mobilised might be. Evidence has been collected in two stages through a total of 42 interviews, first, in a scoping phase with a sample of infrastructure design professionals and, second, in two case studies of stormwater design, Hans Tavsens Park and Korsgade in Copenhagen and “Grey to Green” in Sheffield. The case studies explore where, how and why new visions of infrastructure design are being realised and describes the actors, institutions and agendas which influence the infrastructure design process. The key finding of the case study research is that understanding infrastructure design visions and practices requires exploring the material, institutional and economic context for design. Investigation of the context for design demonstrates that seemingly avant-garde design strategies have, in both cases, become implicated in socially-exclusive processes of transformation. Overall, the research foregrounds and explores an under-researched and under-valued dimension of urban development. It establishes a conceptual framework to guide future research in a field that is likely to become more important. Its key contribution is to provide new perspectives and in-depth analysis of both contemporary visions of infrastructure design and on the infrastructure design process. 3 Acknowledgements I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Aidan While, who provided consistent guidance and encouragement and always seemed to have confidence that there was a PhD thesis in here somewhere. I would also like to thank everyone who shared their time and experience by participating in research interviews. This thesis would not have been remotely possible without the care, work and support of Donna Rodgers-Lee, which is beyond my capacity to describe. Instead, I will just note that IOU one lemon tart. Thanks to my family, especially Michael Tubridy for proofreading. Thanks to my fellow think-tank members for providing inspiration and distraction as equally required. 4 Contents Chapter 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 9 1.1 Urban stormwater management ................................................................................. 12 1.2 Research aim and objectives ....................................................................................... 13 1.3 Structure of the thesis ................................................................................................. 14 Chapter 2 Infrastructure and design ...................................................................................... 16 2.1 Infrastructure ............................................................................................................... 17 2.2 Design ........................................................................................................................... 21 2.3 Historical context and the politics of infrastructure design ........................................ 26 2.4 Infrastructure designers and expertise ........................................................................ 32 2.5 Summary and implications ........................................................................................... 34 Chapter 3 Infrastructure design in the Anthropocene .......................................................... 36 3.1 Urban infrastructural futures ....................................................................................... 37 3.2 Problematising invisibility ............................................................................................ 40 3.3 Landscape infrastructure ............................................................................................. 46 3.4 New infrastructural aesthetics ..................................................................................... 50 3.5 Infrastructure designers and expertise: contemporary context .................................. 54 3.6 Summary: a new infrastructure design imaginary? ..................................................... 58 Chapter 4 Infrastructure design in practice ........................................................................... 61 4.1 Conceptualising the infrastructure design process ..................................................... 62 4.2 New approaches to designing stormwater infrastructures ......................................... 70 4.3 Summary ...................................................................................................................... 81 Chapter 5 Methodology ......................................................................................................... 86 5.1 Summary, research aim and objectives ....................................................................... 86 5.2 Philosophical framework ............................................................................................. 88 5.3 Scoping phase and development of the research strategy ......................................... 89 5.4 Case study research and selection ............................................................................... 92 5.5 Methods of data collection .......................................................................................... 98 5.6 Data analysis .............................................................................................................. 106 5.7 Limitations and reflections on the research strategy ................................................ 108 5.8 Summary .................................................................................................................... 112 5 Chapter 6 Locating infrastructure design: results of scoping interviews ............................ 114 6.1 Significance and meanings of infrastructure design .................................................. 115 6.2 Design thinking ........................................................................................................... 117 6.3 Product design, service design and customer experience ......................................... 119 6.4 The new infrastructure design imaginary in practice? .............................................. 121 6.5 Locating the infrastructure designer ......................................................................... 126 6.6 Summary .................................................................................................................... 130 Chapter 7 “Climate Adaptation and Urban Nature”: Hans Tavsens Park and Korsgade in an urban context ....................................................................................................................... 133 7.1 Introduction to the case study ................................................................................... 134 7.2 Copenhagen: environmental policy and urban development ................................... 139 7.3 Stormwater management, design and “urban nature” ............................................. 140 7.4 The “Copenhagen Model” ......................................................................................... 143 7.5 Design expertise and “co-creation” ........................................................................... 153 7.6 Financing design ......................................................................................................... 164 7.7 Summary: the “Copenhagen Model” and the contemporary infrastructure design imaginary ......................................................................................................................... 166 Chapter 8 “Cloudburst and Culture”: the infrastructure design process in the Hans Tavsens Park and Korsgade case study.............................................................................................. 169 8.1 The Nordic Built Cities Challenge: recruiting and validating design expertise .......... 170 8.2 Hans Tavsens Park and Korsgade: the contemporary infrastructure design imaginary in practice........................................................................................................................

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