Dissolving Urbanism: Trans-scalar Spatial Framework for Water Integration

Abstract

This thesis research investigates a spatial framework to effectively address urban water management in Chennai, a city facing extreme hydrological events and climate change-induced challenges. Given the inadequacies of current management approaches, the research introduces a concept and method to incrementally integrate water into the urban form, thereby “Dissolving Urbanism.” This strategy intends to foster more sustainable livelihoods for the residents by breaking down existing physical, spatial, and governance barriers between scales, spaces, and policies. Utilizing historical studies, literature reviews, and data evaluations, a tripartite framework is proposed to (1) spatially address scalar mismatches in urban water management, (2) integrate 'water space' at a neighbourhood scale via proposed water “blocks,” and (3) incentivize private stakeholders to adopt progressive water management solutions through advocacy tools and policy methods. Using an extreme event projection with scenarios and a cost-benefit analysis between traditional and proposed models assess the framework’s efficacy. The study highlights that the proposed framework establishes an interconnection among various scales by creating the currently lacking “middle scale” characterized by the inventiveness, creativity, and imaginaries of water “blocks” that facilitate water-sharing and promote equitable water access and bottom-up flood management. These findings will contribute to urban resilience and water management in the context of climate change, offering valuable advancement to core knowledge and contemporary expression in the field of urban design.