Application of the Integrated Design Process (IDP) Method to the Design of Riverside on the Example of Żmigród (Poland)

Anna Bocheńska-Skałecka,Ewa Walter

doi:10.3390/su12166684

Anna Bocheńska-Skałecka, Ewa Walter

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166684

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Abstract

Today, natural resources of urban areas have been given the rank of a necessary tool for combating climate change. Many cities are trying to manage biologically active areas of great quality by applying a blue-green infrastructure (BGI) strategy. Designing areas such as riverside areas belonging to BGI is particularly challenging. On the one hand, they are environmentally valuable areas requiring protection. On the other hand, they form urban public spaces subject to requirements of urban continuity as well as social and cultural conditions. The authors of the article argue that the optimal way of shaping riverside areas in cities that responds to diverse conditions (environmental, economic, legal, social) can be achieved by applying an integrated system of cooperation between designers known as the integrated design process (IDP) in the design process. The study aimed to answer the question of whether the integrated design process (IDP) that combines both the expert and social approach at the first stage, in the pre-concept phase may be optimal when developing riverside areas as part of blue-green infrastructure (BGI). The method was originally applied to architectural design, therefore the authors analyzed to what extent its assumptions may be used in the waterfront design process. First, the authors’ study compares design processes (traditional and integrated) for use in these processes of expert and social perspective. As a result, the integrated design process (IDP) has been considered as an optimal design process to create such areas. Then, the authors analyze the waterfront design process in Żmigród. The authors wanted to see to what extent the process corresponds to the assumptions of the IDP method. The authors point out the stages that implement assumptions of the IDP method partially or not at all and indicate the reasons for such a situation. The authors evaluated the role of various stakeholders. The analysis and critique of Żmigród case study presented here provide conclusions regarding the possibilities and limitations of the IDP method when implementing blue-green infrastructure projects in a small town.

Highlights

European cities have been increasingly pursuing climate change adaptation policies, to mitigate the negative effects of climate change, and to provide future effective tools and mechanisms for sustainable cities which results from the European Union guidelines
The riverside design process in Zmigród has been implemented in compliance with the policy for areas of specific nature proven by research [6,8,9,10,29] and tested in model projects [11,18,23,31]
The analysis of the process in Zmigród has shown that formal determinants, which may affect the process, are an essential aspect that should have already been considered at an initial stage of the process [50]

Summary

Introduction

European cities have been increasingly pursuing climate change adaptation policies, to mitigate the negative effects of climate change, and to provide future effective tools and mechanisms for sustainable cities which results from the European Union guidelines. Natural resources of urban areas have been given a rank of a necessary tool for combating climate change [1] The strategy has identified that ‘green infrastructure incorporates green and blue areas It can play an exceptionally important role in cities providing services that include flood protection, strengthening water retention and flood prevention, maintaining groundwater at a proper level, and restoring or averting the loss of biodiversity [2]. Often far from the mainstream, focus more on local problems such as economy, employment, or labor migration Their budget is not sufficient to invest in BGI with the same intensity as large metropolises. Smaller cities very often have valuable, high-quality natural resources, but they are not in a position to use their potential for creating and managing blue-green infrastructure

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