Blue-Green Cities: Delivering and Evaluating Multiple

Flood Risk Benefits

Nigel WrightProfessor of Water and Environmental Engineering

University of Leeds

bluegreencities.ac.uk EPSRC Grant   EP/K013661/1

bluegreencities.ac.uk EPSRC Grant EP/K013661/1

o What is Blue-Green City?

o Project Work Packages

o Case Studies

Outline

Grey

and Blue-Green Cities

Hydrologic and environmental attributes in

BGC WP Case Study

BGC WP Case Study

Permeable paving

SuDS/GI

Grassland and heathland

Retention pond and basin Coastal habitat

Waterbodies Watercourses & waterways

Agricultural land

Moorland

Street trees Parks and public gardens

Outdoor sports facilities school playing fields

Woodland

Rain garden Green wall Swales

General amenity space Private gardens

Hydrological Functions

Green and brown roof

Cemeteries, churchyards and burial grounds Derelict land

Allotments, community gardens and urban farms

Ecosystem Functions Built Environment

Hospitals, Clinics & healthcare

Water and gas pipelines

Sewage treatment

Coastal defences & flood control

Hydrological Functions

GREY INFRASTRUCTURE

Ports/Freight

Housing Energy

generation

Airports Railway

Cables (underground & overhead)

Waste management & landfill Car park

Road

Motorways

Schools, Universities & Colleges

Swimming and sports building

Factories & industrial

Offices Retail

MOD & govt establishment

Mines and quarries

Ecosystem Functions Built Environment

SuDS/GI with blue spaces SuDS/GI with green spaces and permeable surface Social infrastructure Utilities & distribution of services Transport Infrastructure Commercial Infrastructure

Develop and rigorously evaluate strategies for managing flood risk that

deliver multiple benefits as part of urban planning and

renewal

Blue-Green Research Aim

BGC WP Case Study

J4M8,Edinburgh

Hebden Bridge

Wortley Beck,Leeds

The Dings,Bristol

Case Study City:Newcastle

BGC WP Case Study

WP1. Uncertainty

Uncertainty

Fidelity

Sensitivity

Quantification

Relevance

Validity

Verification

BGC WP Case Study

Water depth map of Ouseburn catchment (area = 120km2 , cell size = 2m, cells = 30million). Storm event = 60 minutes, 100-year return period

WP2a. Flood Inundation – CityCATBGC WP Case Study

Wortley Beck Catchment – Leeds, UK

WP2a. Flood Inundation – ISIS & TUFLOWBGC WP Case Study

AIM: assess sediment transport and debris dynamics within Blue-Green urban drainage networks and develop improved approaches to accounting for the risks and benefits associated with Blue-Green infrastructure.

PIT technology

WP2b. Sediment, morphology, habitatsBGC WP Case Study

WP2c. Retrofit SuDS – attitudes/behaviours

The Dings, Bristol (above), @Bristol (top-right), St Nicholas House, Bristol (bottom right)

BGC WP Case Study

WP3. FRM components and interfaces

• Develop tools and methodologies to represent urban FRM and Blue-Green networks within a single urban environment

• “System of systems” approach

• Examining interdependencies with wider urban infrastructure

Hoang & Fenner, 2014 submitted

Aim: Develop procedures for the robust evaluation of the multiple functionalities of Blue-Green infrastructure

components within FRM strategies

WP4. Evaluation and synthesis of benefits

•Blue (flood) and non-flood (Green)

•Evaluate the relative significance of benefits in context specific locations

•Establish preference ratings

•Review current design procedures and make recommendations to the design guidance to enhance the most significant non-flood benefits

Identified flood risk (pluvial/ fluvial)?

Change flood risk

management strategies?

Is Blue-Green

infrastructure viable?

Buy-in from all local

stakeholders

Data availability

NewcastleWP5. Demo Study

Newcastle City CouncilEANorthumbrian WaterNatural EnglandUniversitiesWildlife and Rivers TrustsEstatesNatural History Society

The research reported in this presentation is being conducted as part of the Blue-Green Cities Research Consortium with support from the:

• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council • Northern Ireland Rivers Agency• Environment Agency• National Science Foundation• City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services• Johnson Creek Watershed Council

Acknowledgement

bluegreencities.ac.uk EPSRC Grant EP/K013661/1

Delivering and Evaluating MultipleFlood Risk Benefits in Blue-Green Cities