Publications (FIS)

A Systematic Assessment for the Co-Design of Green Infrastructure Prototypes

A Case Study in Urban Costa Rica

authored by: Fernando Chapa, María Perez Rubi, Jochen Hack
Abstract: The management of urban water has evolved from single-function systems to more sustainable designs promoting society and nature as inputs to engineer novel infrastructure. In transdisciplinary research, co-design refers to a design-thinking strategy in which people jointly frame a problem–solution. This article presents a conceptual framework to assess a case study focusing on the process of co-design and implementation of green infrastructure as a prototype for urban stormwater management. The evaluation is carried out from a self-reflective post-implementation perspective. Research activities are translated into the framework to evaluate conditions shaping the trajectory of the prototype development. As a result, key aspects driving the transdisciplinary research regarding levels of stakeholder participation and dimensions of power are identified. Planning resilient co-design strategies to retrofit urban spaces is necessary to avoid unintended consequences, especially at initial experimental stages. This study aims to contribute to the continuous improvement of piloting strategies in urban spaces by providing a framework for a structured evaluation of transdisciplinary research experiences.
Organisation(s): Institute of Environmental Planning
Type: Article
Journal: Sustainability (Switzerland)
Volume: 15
ISSN: 2071-1050
Publication date: 30.01.2023
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Computer Science (miscellaneous), Geography, Planning and Development, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, Building and Construction, Environmental Science (miscellaneous), Energy Engineering and Power Technology, Hardware and Architecture, Computer Networks and Communications, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032478 (Access: Open)

BibTeX

@article{cf00764d9e144eddb64ddb4d26c78df6,
title = "A Systematic Assessment for the Co-Design of Green Infrastructure Prototypes: A Case Study in Urban Costa Rica",
abstract = "The management of urban water has evolved from single-function systems to more sustainable designs promoting society and nature as inputs to engineer novel infrastructure. In transdisciplinary research, co-design refers to a design-thinking strategy in which people jointly frame a problem–solution. This article presents a conceptual framework to assess a case study focusing on the process of co-design and implementation of green infrastructure as a prototype for urban stormwater management. The evaluation is carried out from a self-reflective post-implementation perspective. Research activities are translated into the framework to evaluate conditions shaping the trajectory of the prototype development. As a result, key aspects driving the transdisciplinary research regarding levels of stakeholder participation and dimensions of power are identified. Planning resilient co-design strategies to retrofit urban spaces is necessary to avoid unintended consequences, especially at initial experimental stages. This study aims to contribute to the continuous improvement of piloting strategies in urban spaces by providing a framework for a structured evaluation of transdisciplinary research experiences.",
keywords = "co-design, Costa Rica, green infrastructure, prototype, transdisciplinary, urban water systems",
author = "Fernando Chapa and {Perez Rubi}, Mar{\'i}a and Jochen Hack",
note = "Funding Information: This research was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), grant number 01UU1704. Funding Information: The research platform for sustainability FONA of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) funds the research group SEE-URBAN-WATER in the field of socio-ecological TdR. The research focus of the group is on the socio-ecological improvement of already-developed urban areas through retrofitting measures by employing NbS, especially for the management of urban drainage and wastewater systems. The co-design of prototypes has been developed in the group as an empirical experiment to identify how GI can be effectively implemented in practice [,,]. ",
year = "2023",
month = jan,
day = "30",
doi = "10.3390/su15032478",
language = "English",
volume = "15",
journal = "Sustainability (Switzerland)",
issn = "2071-1050",
publisher = "MDPI AG",
number = "3",
}