Resilient Waterfront Futures: Mapping Vulnerabilities and Designing Floating Urban Models for Flood Adaptation on the Tiber Delta
This paper explores the feasibility of floating urban development in Italy, given its extensive coastline and inland hydrographic network. The key drivers for floating urban development, as an adaptive approach in low-lying waterfront areas, include the increasing threats posed by rising sea levels...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Land |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/1/87 |
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| author | Livia Calcagni Adriano Ruggiero Alessandra Battisti |
| author_facet | Livia Calcagni Adriano Ruggiero Alessandra Battisti |
| author_sort | Livia Calcagni |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper explores the feasibility of floating urban development in Italy, given its extensive coastline and inland hydrographic network. The key drivers for floating urban development, as an adaptive approach in low-lying waterfront areas, include the increasing threats posed by rising sea levels and flooding and the shortage of land for urban expansion. However, as not all waterfront areas are suitable for floating urban development, a geographical analysis based on a thorough evaluation of multiple factors, including urban–economic parameters and climate-related variables, led to the identification of a specific area of the Lazio coast, the river Tiber Delta. A comprehensive urban mapping process provided a multifaceted geo-referenced information layer, including several climatic, urban, anthropic, and environmental parameters. Within the GIS environment, it is possible to extract and perform statistical analyses crucial for assessing the impact of flood and sea-level rise hazards, particularly regarding buildings and land cover. This process provides a robust framework for understanding the spatial dimensions of flood and sea-level rise impacts and supporting informed design-making. A research-by-design phase follows the simulation research and mapping process. Several design scenarios are developed aimed at regenerating this vulnerable area. These scenarios seek to transform its susceptibility to flooding into a resilient, adaptive, urban identity, offering climate-resilient housing solutions for a population currently residing in unauthorized, substandard housing within high flood-risk zones. This paper proposes a comprehensive analytical methodology for supporting the design process of floating urban development, given the highly determinant role of site-specificity in such a challenging and new urban development approach. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-542b554560d14749b10e1ec7dcc5c0f5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj-art-542b554560d14749b10e1ec7dcc5c0f52025-01-24T13:37:50ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2025-01-011418710.3390/land14010087Resilient Waterfront Futures: Mapping Vulnerabilities and Designing Floating Urban Models for Flood Adaptation on the Tiber DeltaLivia Calcagni0Adriano Ruggiero1Alessandra Battisti2Department of Planning, Design and Technology of Architecture, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Planning, Design and Technology of Architecture, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Planning, Design and Technology of Architecture, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyThis paper explores the feasibility of floating urban development in Italy, given its extensive coastline and inland hydrographic network. The key drivers for floating urban development, as an adaptive approach in low-lying waterfront areas, include the increasing threats posed by rising sea levels and flooding and the shortage of land for urban expansion. However, as not all waterfront areas are suitable for floating urban development, a geographical analysis based on a thorough evaluation of multiple factors, including urban–economic parameters and climate-related variables, led to the identification of a specific area of the Lazio coast, the river Tiber Delta. A comprehensive urban mapping process provided a multifaceted geo-referenced information layer, including several climatic, urban, anthropic, and environmental parameters. Within the GIS environment, it is possible to extract and perform statistical analyses crucial for assessing the impact of flood and sea-level rise hazards, particularly regarding buildings and land cover. This process provides a robust framework for understanding the spatial dimensions of flood and sea-level rise impacts and supporting informed design-making. A research-by-design phase follows the simulation research and mapping process. Several design scenarios are developed aimed at regenerating this vulnerable area. These scenarios seek to transform its susceptibility to flooding into a resilient, adaptive, urban identity, offering climate-resilient housing solutions for a population currently residing in unauthorized, substandard housing within high flood-risk zones. This paper proposes a comprehensive analytical methodology for supporting the design process of floating urban development, given the highly determinant role of site-specificity in such a challenging and new urban development approach.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/1/87floating developmentadaptationGISfloatingriskflood |
| spellingShingle | Livia Calcagni Adriano Ruggiero Alessandra Battisti Resilient Waterfront Futures: Mapping Vulnerabilities and Designing Floating Urban Models for Flood Adaptation on the Tiber Delta Land floating development adaptation GIS floating risk flood |
| title | Resilient Waterfront Futures: Mapping Vulnerabilities and Designing Floating Urban Models for Flood Adaptation on the Tiber Delta |
| title_full | Resilient Waterfront Futures: Mapping Vulnerabilities and Designing Floating Urban Models for Flood Adaptation on the Tiber Delta |
| title_fullStr | Resilient Waterfront Futures: Mapping Vulnerabilities and Designing Floating Urban Models for Flood Adaptation on the Tiber Delta |
| title_full_unstemmed | Resilient Waterfront Futures: Mapping Vulnerabilities and Designing Floating Urban Models for Flood Adaptation on the Tiber Delta |
| title_short | Resilient Waterfront Futures: Mapping Vulnerabilities and Designing Floating Urban Models for Flood Adaptation on the Tiber Delta |
| title_sort | resilient waterfront futures mapping vulnerabilities and designing floating urban models for flood adaptation on the tiber delta |
| topic | floating development adaptation GIS floating risk flood |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/1/87 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT liviacalcagni resilientwaterfrontfuturesmappingvulnerabilitiesanddesigningfloatingurbanmodelsforfloodadaptationonthetiberdelta AT adrianoruggiero resilientwaterfrontfuturesmappingvulnerabilitiesanddesigningfloatingurbanmodelsforfloodadaptationonthetiberdelta AT alessandrabattisti resilientwaterfrontfuturesmappingvulnerabilitiesanddesigningfloatingurbanmodelsforfloodadaptationonthetiberdelta |