Renaturalising lands as an adaptation strategy. Towards an integrated water-based design approach

The effects of soil sealing on the hydrological cycle and water resource exploitation are critical issues for the sustainable development of urbanised areas. Cities’ growth without adequate measures for mitigating anthropic impact has led to deep changes in the hydrological balance regime. In a climate change scenario, the expected increase of rainfall results in hydrogeological and contamination issues, with severe impacts on the fragility of many territories such as small mountain cities. In this framework, Nature-based solutions for sustainable urban water management can help to renaturalise lands, restoring ecosystemic functions. The area of Comano Terme in Trentino offers an opportunity to test an integrated water-based design approach to address the climate crisis. It is a fragile territory with many marginal and disconnected water resources: thermal and mineral springs, and River Sarca, strongly exploited for hydropower production. The increase in rainfall and flow releases from the upstream dam cause floods in urban areas, worsened by soil sealing. This experimental study proposes a multidisciplinary and transcalar approach that combines landscape design and hydraulic constructions to renaturalise the territory with Green and Blue Infrastructure. Sustainable urban drainage devices were integrated into a slow mobility system that reconnects the territory and increases urban resilience.