Catalina Rey Hernández

Studio Flowscapes

Resilient green and blue infrastructure masterplan and relevant section

Rethinking the territory of Concepción, Chile: A resilient and strategic planning for a vulnerable urban coastal system

Concepción is a coastal urban area that has grown into a tidal wetland landscape. The territory is increasingly at risk due to the urban pressure of the expanding city in addition to multiple natural disasters. Consequently, there is a degradation of natural infrastructure, exposing the city to more frequent and severe natural hazards.

Adaptation, appropriation and flexibility are essential elements for a resilient system with multifunctional structures and a new awareness of the importance of the disrupted landscape.

The design resulted in a void adaptive network based on the following design principles: 1. Value the natural system as the base infrastructure for the city. 2. Use voids (unplanned spaces) as emergent, autonomous and self-organized network for risk management. 3. Complete the void network using a green and blue infrastructure as a resilient backbone for the city. 4. Reformulate the city as a provider of nature.

These steps led to a resilient spatial framework that provides more adaptability to natural disasters. The designed backbone was tested in a few extreme scenarios and modified where necessary. This approach can be applied in other cities that face similar challenges.

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