Transforming Climate Change Problems Into Climate Adaptive Design : Redesigning Uskudar Urban Square

Design With Water: Transforming Climate Change Problems Into Climate Adaptive Design : Redesigning Uskudar Urban Square

Melike Üresin

TRANSFORMING CLIMATE CHANGE PROBLEMS INTO CLIMATE ADAPTIVE DESIGN WITH WATER: DESIGNING USKUDAR URBAN SQUARE

Summary Due to rapid urbanization, climate change effects increasing gradually in urban areas. At the same time, solutions are developing to mitigate and adapt climate change. Green- blue infrastructure is one of them. In terms of knowledge and experiences, landscape architects can have a role in transforming climate change problems into urban infrastructure. For the flood risk, it is possible to use water as design material and rediscover the potential of it. The purpose of this research is to explain transforming climate change problems into ecological urban infrastructure in terms of designing with water by developing proposals for Uskudar Shoreline to develop a key for flood management of Istanbul shorelines. Within this scope; describing today’s climate change problems in terms of water, explaining climate adaptive design and transforming climate change problems into ecological urban infrastructure, defining reasons cause flooding around Uskudar urban square and as a final, developing suggestions for Uskudar shoreline are the objectives. Keywords: climate change, green infrastructure, flood management, climate adaptive urban design, Uskudar shoreline

Introduction Developing urbanization in the world has been increasing incredibly rapid. Also global economy generates new districts and immigration is shifting in small and large scales are occurring according to climate change. In this condition, the failings of the nature become apparent such as rising of sea level, intense storms, changes in form and timing of precipitation and peak of the temperature (Pickett, Cadenasso, & McGrath, 2013, p. xxi). It is predictable that, global warming effects might be seen more frequent in 100 years (Change, 2007). Nevertheless, it is instant necessity to develop existing urban areas as climate adapted and flood resisted. Thus, “the development and implementation of new innovative and practice orientated concepts and systems in cooperation with the private and public sector universities, municipalities and companies is generally supported” (Schuetze & Chelleri, 2011). Green(blue) infrastructure is crucial development for climate change. It has been stated as a system that satisfies reduce of global warming negative effects in cities such as preventing flood by balancing storm water and decreasing thermal effect by planting urban areas (Krasny & Tidball, 2009). In this context, Istanbul is under the risk of climate change effects. Existing urban areas should be improved by redesigning according to climate adaptation and flood control principles. Even tough Bosporus has resisted too many natural events, some of shorelines have started having floods after heavy rains. Uskudar is one of these under risk shorelines. After heavy rains, the sea level rises and it merges with the main road. In this research, the results will be conducted from literature review about climate change adaptive design will be evaluated and synthesized and design solutions will be developed for Uskudar shoreline’s flood management after explaining Istanbul urban development effect on flood in Uskudar.

Mitigating and Adapting Climate Change Bernstein and his friend (Bernstein et al.) define climate as a complex and interactive system that is effected by the content of atmosphere, land cover, water, and living organisms. As a result of human activities leading to fossil fuel consumption and wasting land cover, the most important greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide increases and the atmospheric components change rapidly. The increase of greenhouse gases is caused by the reflection of the remote rays from the earth, preventing them from returning again, and these rays are reflected on the earth and cause the temperature increase (Bernstein et al., 2008). Besides increase of population, rapid urbanization and consuming flora effects cannot be underrated. Human activities cause climate change and climate change impacts are kind of a response of the nature to human. Also the flora and fauna get effected. The biggest circumstances of the climate change are increase of temperature, acidulation of ocean, occurring intense weather situations, changing precipitation periods, and sea level rise.

Shifting precipitation patterns, extreme rainy weathers and sea level rise cause floods and floods cause loss of life and properties besides reducing daily life standards. Ceylan and his friends(2007) state that other than the direct effects of these injuries, increase of polluted water, landslides and the interrupted traffic flow and trade are also the indirect effects (Ceylan et al. (2007). Since climate change can’t be totally preventing, preventing from these damages, it is clear that the climate change should be mitigated and adapted.

As Farrugia and his friends state that: With the increasing threat of climate change and the growing interest in stakeholder participation approaches, there will be an increasing need for a more accurate yet user-friendly tool to measure the services produced freely by nature. The utility of such tools might even challenge traditional views that development is naturally opposed to environmental conservation by introducing an innovative system whereby development is directly linked with improvement in ecosystem services. This would be especially useful in brownfield sites and urban locations where through better design choices, it will be possible to protect and possibly enhance the remaining ecosystem services(Farrugia, Hudson, & McCulloch, 2013). Damuzere and his friends (2014) claims that urban green infrastructure has the value to mitigate climate change. It can renew damaged natural sites in some points, provide diversity in flora and fauna with protecting terrestrial and water ecosystems at the same time (Demuzere et al., 2014).

Fig. 1 "Mitigating and adapting to climate change: Multi-functional and multi-scale assessment of green urban infrastructure” (Demuzere et al., 2014)

It is stated in the article “Green Infrastructure: Cities” Cities need as much green infrastructure as possible, given how dense and impermeable they tend to be. In the urban environment, green infrastructure covers everything from parks to street trees and green roofs to bioswales -- really anything that helps absorb, delay, and treat stormwater, mitigating flooding and pollution downstream. Green infrastructure also creates oxygen, sequesters carbon, and creates wildlife habitat. Urban greenery has also been proven to improve mental health and well-being("Green Infrastructure: Cities," 2016).

Water is seen as a free and unlimited source in related to Earth contenting water in %75 of it. Though, that is stated in outcomes of statistic data, water is no longer abundantly available and it has turned to a fragile source due to rapid population growth and unstable environment (Singh, Singh, & Hasan,

2014). This statement reveals the importance of water management. It is indicated in Water relations in urban systems: an ecological approach to planning and design, “It is time to come up with ‘self-reliant, self-responsible' water systems” such as systems are need contiguous systems fewer, recycle water and enhance water quality by itself. There are more researches needed about sustainable water management and consumption of water beginning from the smallest entities (Tjallingii, 1993). Water relations in urban systems should be clarified specifying according to cities. Climate Adaptive Design / Investigation Existing Projects According to Herrington: ...Landscape architects have deeply examined the agency of water; its ability to animate, sustain, and even threaten life. From the day-lighting of piped streams, to the creation of planted swales, and modeling of terrestrial hydrology, these endeavors allude to water’s potent ecological role in the landscape (Herrington, 2013). As stated in Designed Ecologies, considering contemporary cities, theys are not water resilience and floods are considered as significant issue. Landscape architects can take the responsibility to solve these problems. Considering landscape as a “sponge” is an effective way to solution oriented approach for storm water management (Saunders, 2013).

According to Tjallingii (1993), designing is a phase of conservation in related to environmental issues. He also emphasizes to importance of solution oriented thinking in process of design (Tjallingii, 1993). Dryline Project is a solution oriented based design. It is a proposed project in New York that “conceives the barrier as a leisure amenity”, Bjarke Ingels have proved that architects could protect the world from drowning by huge floods (Guardian, 2015). The project has a designed green infrastructure with a functional landscape as a sponge for flood management. The team has worked to adapt existing infrastructure to sea level rise. The highway designed on up level and flip-down protect walls among it. The Dryline is not only a proposal of a public space, it is also a bond contents urban flood management systems and landscape elements such as parks, seating, bicycle roads, shelters etc. The embankments were proposed as green belts between elevated roads and public spaces. This project represents a sample for transforming climate change problems into ecological urban infrastructure.

Fig. 2 Dryline Project, Elevated Highway and Shoreline (York, 2016)

Fig. 3 Dryline Project, Shoreline. (Guardian, 2015)

Other representative of climate change adaptive design is the project called The Copenhagen Cloudburst Formula. After a Cloudburst hit Copenhagen, it left 50,000 house with no heat, 90,000 insurance claims, and 1 billion dollars damage behind. That was the climate change impact that the mitigation solutions became forefront in Copenhagen. It ended with a climate adaptive planning by multidiscipline collaborators. The results can be adapted to anywhere to mitigate extreme flood damages. Thanks to blue- green solutions, urban planning, traffic and hydraulic analysis improve the quality of urban space. In existing situation, because of the slope, flow of the water was directing to buildings. They transformed the street to v- profil street. If cloudburst occurs, the middle of the street can overflow and via urban canal, water can be transported.

Fig. 4 Copenhagen Cloudburst Formula Urban Canal

Green areas were designed as “landscape sponges”. Flood pathways were proposed as safety zones. The vehicle way reduced to one lane and shared space was designed with permeable paving. This water and planter relationship is called bluegreen infrastructure.

Fig. 5 Copenhagen Cloudburst Formula Blue - Green City

It is stated in the article “ The Copenhagen Cloudburst Formula: A strategic Process for Planning and Designing Blue-Green Interventions” that blue-green infrastructure has the whole package such as nature, city and recreational space. Anywhere around the world can consider Copenhagen Cloudburst Formula as a specimen for applying “innovative, pragmatic, feasible” tools within existing urban pattern (2016).

Climate Change Effects in Uskudar In terms of general tools and local politics, there are several actions for climate change adaption in Turkey. These are Climate Change Plan (2014-2018) and Climate Action Plan (2011), strategically taking into consideration the issue of Climate Change, instruments (environment tax, EU and development agency funds,EIA) that will increase the durability of the structured areas, and preparation of risk management plans. According to Onur’s survey; these precautions are not adequate and due to denying regulations and rapid urbanization, Istanbul is under an undeniable risk. She conducted an outcome according to surveys; the climate change and urbanization damage land use and vegetation also it seems that urbanization policies should be formulated on protecting and developing the present land use and vegetation in Turkey. Policies aimed at preventing rapid and unplanned urbanization should be considered as priority for Istanbul. Policies that need to be developed from an environmental point of view must come to the forefront in Istanbul. It is thought that the most important effects of climate change in Istanbul are "flood", "drought" and "temperature increase", and these effects can also prevent sustainable urbanization of Istanbul at the same time (Onur, 2014). According to news in 2009, in that year, 59 floods and flood events took place except for the flood disaster in 2009 in Istanbul. In 2001, 42 floods took place. In these floods, the most life and property loss occurred in 1995. In 1995, the 20 floods that were coming to the flood were covered with 201 thousand 100 hectares of water and 164 people lost their lives. The amount of damage determined was calculated as 1 million 100 thousand dollars. In 1998, 600 flood damage was found in 2 floods while 57 people lost their lives. Until the latest flood in 2009 disaster in Istanbul, 15 people lost their lives in the floods that took place that year. 31 people have reportedly lost their lives in 2009. The number of those who lost their lives in the last 20 years has exceeded 470. On the other hand, it is reported that thanks to the 4,364 flood protection facilities built up to date by DSİ, more than 3 thousand 500 settlement units and 1 million hectares of area are protected from flood ("İstanbul'da sel için alarma geçildi," 2009).

One of the crucial floods in Turkey was in Uskudar shoreline that happened in 2014. Due to heavy rains and sea level rise, water floated from manholes and it caused a big flood around Uskudar Square. It prevented traffic flow and even the Marmaray sub- sea tunnel and metro stations submerged. Thus heavy rain in a day stopped the flow of life in Uskudar. One of the reason for Uskudar to overflow is inadequate infrastructure. According to disaster specialist Kaptan, Üsküdar is likely to flood the sea-side roads during the heavy rainfall. Also, the number of runners in this area is low. The water cannot be discharged quickly because the width of the manholes is not enough. The biggest problem here is Marmaray. Because it is very risky to flood the tunnels with advanced technology like Marmaray. Therefore, the upper part of the Marmaray land and the rainwater manholes and rainwater pipes were closed. The aim was to prevent water pressure. The water could not be discharged adequately because other infrastructure systems were also inadequate (Serbest, 2014). Another disputable reason of the flood is explained by Unal as construction of Marmay sub-sea tunnel. Since that is a massive structure under Bosporus, it caused an overflow of the sea (Unal, 2014). Eren and his friends(awards) states that in the antique period, the area corresponding to Damalis Port was filled by Bülbül river and Çavuş river and also filled with defensive purpose by emperors. This area continued to grow in the Ottoman period during the construction of the Mihrimah and the Yeni Mosque and continued to expand during the Republican period (eren et al., 2006). In 2016, three new filling areas in Uskudar shoreline were determined according to new projects ("Bakanlıktan jet onay; Üsküdar sahilinde üç nokta dolduruluyor," 2016). Filling the sea with concrete is increasing the danger of earthquake and flood. As a conclusion the reasons of recent flood at Uskudar shoreline are; filling river sheds and shoreline, inadequate infrastructure systems and Marmaray structure. Thus solutions would be developing existing infrastructure and climate adaptive design should be implemented.

Fig. 6 New filling areas in Uskudar / T24 News (awards)

Fig. 7 Uskudar manhole repair after flood (2014)

Developing Climate Adaptive Design for Uskudar Shoreline Uskudar has not affected this much by heavy rain before 2014. This reveals that the urbanization and climate changes’ effect around Uskudar was maximized recently. In the solution oriented design kind of thinking, Uskudar should be renewed according to green infrastructure disciplines to minimize negative impacts. Dreiseitl says “water is far from being just a designer’s resource or a material: it begs to have its vital possibilities rediscovered” (Dreiseitl & Grau, 2009). Since Uskudar is under the risk of sea level rise and overflow, water can be considered as an opportunity to transforming climate change problems into ecological urban infrastructure. In this case study, first step will be developing a transportation hub to annihilate chaos that caused by vehicles and pedestrians around Uskudar square. The second and last phase will be developing existing infrastructure to minimize flood damage. Analysis and Proposals

According to analysis from Uskudar Square and shoreline, the problems were categorized into 3 ; transportation , quality of public spaces and ecology. These 3 categories were spotted by the colors; red, yellow and blue. The problem analysis chart reveals the case site problems. As a first step, transportation problems should be solved to annihilate traffic flow chaos. There is nothing to direct people or traffic efficiently in the site. Solving transportation problem would increase the quality of spaces. But also streets and public spaces should be designed over according to needs.

Fig. 8 Problem Analysis in Uskudar Shoreline

Solving urban issues such as transportation and quality of spaces wouldn’t be enough if Uskudar overflows again. Ecological problems should be solved according to green urban infrastructure.

Fig. 9 Proposals above and Approaches below

As seen in the diagrams, different approaches were implied in the proposal. According to proposal; squares will be connecting to each other, promenade will be uninterrupted, public transportation will be distributed homogenously and connected to each other with directing people in a logical way, vehicle ways will be limited and cycling mobility will be supported. There will be more green spaces (also raingardens) as “landscape sponges”. The shared space contributes to sustainable shoreline with maximized permeable paving.

Fig. 10 Proposal Plan ve Uskudar Shoreline

To prevent from the flood, in both pedestrian and vehicle ways, pervious elements were used. To protect subway and Marmaray Station from the huge overflow, around structures were surrounded by elevated soil and planters. Among the promenade, rain gardens will be charging storm water during heavy rain.

Fig. 11 Detail drawing of elevated planters

Conclusion Uskudar has never faced flood risk this crucial until 2014, this reveals the increasing risk of climate change in Turkey. Thus, Uskudar is an important example for under risk urban areas in Istanbul. This study has been done to argue climate change adaptive design and search possibilities for Uskudar shoreline to transforming climate change problems into ecological urban infrastructure. Result and

developed ideas can be the key for adapting Istanbul shorelines to climate change and mitigate climate change effects.

References

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