Green climate change adaptation and the politics of designing ecological infrastructures

Abstract

There is a distinctive ecological turn within contemporary urban infrastructure design linked to the embrace of green approaches to climate adaptation and new ‘ecological’ and ‘landscape infrastructures’ which combine green and grey features. These promise a wide range of ecological, social and cultural benefits and have been accompanied by distinctive new design visions and imaginaries. However, there are also competing interests and agendas which threaten to undermine the realisation of socially equitable and ecologically sustainable design in this context. In response, this article explores the politics of designing ecological infrastructures through a case study of the redevelopment of Hans Tavsens Park, a green climate adaptation, stormwater management and regeneration project in Copenhagen, Denmark. The case study exemplifies the ecological turn in design through its aspiration to deliver ecological, social and cultural benefits in conjunction with improvements to stormwater management. However, the article also identifies connections between innovative design and entrepreneurial strategies related to place-branding. It highlights conflicts between this entrepreneurial green design agenda and both social and ecological priorities. The article’s distinctive contributions are its analysis of the politics of green, climate-resilient design and its description of the relationship between seemingly innovative design, including visible greening and ideals of ‘co-creation’, and the exclusion of disadvantaged groups from green, resilient spaces.