When water redraws the map – challenges and opportunities for future outdoor urban spaces

Ishi Buffam, Associate Professor at SLU, opened the seminar by highlighting water’s dual role amid climate change.

“Some of the most serious climate-related risks involve water: urban flash floods on hardened surfaces call for watershed perspectives, and coastal areas face rising sea levels,” Buffam explained. “At the same time, water is vital for urban health – supporting ecosystems, cooling cities, and providing resources.”

Managing these intertwined challenges demands collaboration across many perspectives and interests, Buffam noted.

National security and urban water resilience

Kester Gibson from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) emphasized the link between water management, climate adaptation, and national security.

“Water supply, flood preparedness, and drought management are key to building resilience against climate change,” Gibson said.

He gave practical examples where urban water systems not only manage stormwater but also act as natural defenses against wildfires and improve air quality, illustrating the multifunctional role of water in strengthening communities.

Uppsala’s integrated approach to water quality and urban growth

Erica Hasslar and Johanna Andersson, strategic planners at Uppsala City Planning Department, shared how growing urban populations affect water environments, focusing on phosphorus pollution in Fyrisån.

“Protecting our groundwater, especially the aquifer beneath Uppsala, guides our land-use policies,” they explained. “We have developed plans for sustainable water use, including stormwater management and fire safety, aiming for a climate-adapted Uppsala by 2040.”

Uppsala has prioritized reducing phosphorus levels to improve water quality, with ambitions to make swimming in the Fyris River possible by 2030. Their strategy includes continued improvements, collaboration with landowners, and innovation partnerships with academia and industry.

“We are not only working to reduce phosphorus but also to achieve synergy with flood control, biodiversity, recreation, and stormwater management,” they emphasized.

NICER: A new tool for nature-based urban water solutions

Neil Sang, researcher at SLU, introduced NICER, a Horizon 2020 project developing a decision-support tool for planning urban green infrastructure focused on water.

“The project explores how nature-based solutions like green walls, roofs, and rain gardens can recycle and clean urban water locally,” Sang explained. 

“Our tool models how different solutions can work together across neighbourhoods to improve resilience compared to traditional centralized systems.”

The NICER platform allows planners to input local pollution data and receive tailored recommendations for implementing decentralized, nature-based water management solutions.

Copenhagen’s multifunctional climate adaptation through community engagement

Rosalina M Wenningste Torgard, water and place manager for climate adaptation in Copenhagen, shared lessons from the city’s ambitious cloudburst program launched after the 2011 extreme rainfall event.

“We needed flexible, multifunctional solutions that offer value beyond climate adaptation – creating urban spaces for recreation and community benefit,” Wenningste Torgard said.

The Karen Mindes Aksen project, completed in 2023, exemplifies this approach, transforming a part of Copenhagen into an award-winning urban space that balances flood management with local identity and tree preservation.

“Establishing projects like this requires deep dialogue with local communities to ensure the solutions serve their needs and values,” she noted.

Now, Copenhagen is adopting a more holistic water cycle strategy, integrating climate adaptation with urban nature development.

Final reflections

The webinar made clear that water is not just a challenge to be managed but an opportunity to redesign urban spaces for resilience, biodiversity, and quality of life. From national security concerns to local community projects, the future of urban landscapes depends on innovative, cross-disciplinary collaboration – bringing science, planning, and citizens together to redraw the map with water at its heart.