Urban water problems are complex and multifaceted. The climate is becoming increasingly capricious and is causing increased flooding and drought in urban areas. Apart from the negative effects this has on urban green spaces, and consequently on the city’s liveability, it has a serious negative impact on the longevity of the foundations of homes and offices. Any advisable measures need to be based on solid analysis. With the aim of designing optimal solutions, we have developed two Toolboxes in which we have collected our tools and competences. The analytical tools are contained in the URBRAINS Toolbox and the design tools in the RESCIDO Toolbox. The tools are designed to be implemented in combination, with the objective of making cities more resilient and thus more sustainable from the perspective of the client. We do all of this based on a future-oriented Digital Twin perspective, which is part of our Digital Water programme. We also see urban water as an important planning element in the spatial and functional organisation of the city. Our tools have been purposefully developed to identify and design effective and viable measures, while bearing in mind the evident complexity of a city.
With URBRAINS we analyse the urban water system and develop comprehensive and reliable urban water infrastructure, with a corresponding water management.
With RESCIDO we design resilient urban water systems, both above- and underground. Our designs can be implemented at different scale levels: from a single building to an entire city.
Urban Water Design Optioneering
Multi-functional urban land use in conjunction with a changing climate mean that planning issues are becoming increasingly complex. How should we respond? What are the possible measures and what are their associated costs? We answer these questions with the help of the Urban Water Design OpTioneering (UWDOT) tool. Working with the client, we map the precipitation scenarios, taking account of the changing climate. This provides the context in which we set to work with your possible concerns and ambitions.
Urban Water Buffer
The imbalance in urban water is the product of increasingly heavy downpours, alternating with increasingly lengthy drought periods. Up until now, we have resolved such imbalances by adjusting the amount of water brought in or discharged from an area, according to the specific situation and needs. The Urban Water Buffer has been developed to correct this imbalance on-site: by treating and reusing water locally.
Urban Water Planning
European governments face the common challenge of making cities more resilient, robust and predictable in their behaviour. The Urban Water Planning tool provides the possibility of linking framework conditions and problems to a practical package of measures. Water therefore becomes a major planning component. The package of measures can moreover be implemented in a traceable and transparent manner.
Active groundwater level management
Green urban spaces, foundations and infrastructure have different requirements when it comes to the local groundwater level. The Active Groundwater Level Management tool (AGAPE) is capable of responding to these different requirements through a design approach aimed at producing an effective solution. This calls for a thorough understanding of the groundwater system, soil structure, buildings and the existing infrastructure.
Urban Heritage Conservation
Each and every historic building is unique. URGENTO provides insight in risks and opportunities offered by the subsurface characteristics with respect to your heritage building. The package of measures can moreover be implemented in a traceable and transparent manner.
Want to know more?
For more information about Resilient Urban Water, please contact us at:
Lieselotte Tolk PHD. ltolk@avecodebondt.nl +31 6 10 91 43 15