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Towards Urban Flood Resilience: Transforming the Footprint of a City
April 30, 2014 @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm CDT
Free
“Towards Urban Flood Resilience: Transforming the Footprint of a City”
Eoin O’Neill, Professor, Environmental Policy, University College Dublin
Wednesday, April 30
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Great Cities Institute
412 South Peoria Street
Suite 400, CUPPA Hall
International approaches towards the management of flooding is currently undergoing a paradigm shift as it moves beyond an approach focused upon ‘keeping water out’, towards a more holistic approach characterised by ‘making space for water’, and increasing resilience to flood events. Consequently the role of spatial planning is increasingly being recognised as having a crucial role to play in the adaptation, or even transformation, of urban environments. However, transforming the footprint of a city to become one that is more hydrologically sensitive requires consideration of the long-term strategic vision of a city, raising many challenges. Accordingly, consideration of design elements that work with both the ‘laws’ of nature and of human behaviour are critical to identifying joint visions about the future design of adapted urban environments. In effect, climate adaptation may mean we have to reconceptualise the way we think about urban locations in future. This presentation seeks to, firstly, explore these issues and highlight examples from around the globe where cities undergoing transformation have pioneered, or have the opportunity to pioneer, with new experimental designs, and secondly, to identify any lessons or policy implications arising.
Dr. Eoin O’Neill is a tenured Lecturer in Environmental Policy in the University College Dublin (UCD) School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy. He has BA (Hons) and Masters in Regional and Urban Planning degrees, and completed a PhD in spatial planning and economics in UCD in 2007. He went on to work as a Technical Specialist in Flood Risk Management in the UK Environment Agency, and was subsequently appointed to a lectureship position in UCD in 2010. Eoin is Director of the MSc Environmental Policy programme, a member of the UCD Earth Institute, and a chartered planner with the Royal Town Planning Institute (MRTPI).
His research currently revolves around two core themes, firstly, flood risk management and associated climate change adaptation; and secondly, the application of market-based planning policy instruments. He has published in such international journals as Regional Studies, Urban Studies, Town Planning Review and Planning Theory and Practice. Eoin previously held a visiting scholar position at Peking University, Beijing (hosted by Peking University-Lincoln Centre and the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences), and was also hosted as a visiting researcher by the Environmental Psychology Research Group at the School of Psychology, University of Surrey.
To request disability accommodations, please contact Christiana Kinder, Great Cities Institute, (312) 996-8700, christia@uic.edu
