Sustainable Adaptation - Resilience in Urban Regeneration [ADAPT]

Urban transformation represents challenges as well as possibilities. Continued urban population growth, with increased demands for housing, workplaces, and infrastructure, and the resulting strain on resources and natural diversity, urges development of more climate friendly solutions. Cultural heritage is an important component in urban development; it provides character and a sense of place to the city. An adaptive reuse of heritage could also contribute to environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Hence, the overall aim of ADAPT has been to explore how industrial heritage can be adapted to achieve sustainable climate friendly solutions. The project has been organized in five WPs and has been organized around an in-depth analysis of two large on-going regeneration projects of former industrial sites (Klosterøya and Verket) in the historic towns of Skien and Moss, Norway. The primary goals of the WPs: WP 1 has explored how cultural heritage is reused in an urban regeneration process; WP 2 has examined how to achieve environmental sustainability through the integration of new development and adaptive reuse of older buildings; WP 3 has focused on how to facilitate socially sustainable and resilient urban development by integrating urban agriculture in public spaces developed on former brownfields. WP 4 has explored how to plan for sustainable travel behavior at local and regional levels, while WP 5 has dealt with resilience in practical planning. The prime data sources have been planning documents, field observations, focus group interviews and net-based group discussions. A group of international experts have contributed with important inputs via four professional seminars and a reference group with local planners and representatives for important actors has been an important discussion partner. Resilience was established as an overarching perspective, and resilience can be understood as a proactive approach to planning and decision-making processes, where the purpose is to achieve (more) sustainability. We have asked the following prime questions: What does it take to strengthen planning practices and achieve better adaptation to changes and uncertainties in future urban transformation processes? Resilience has been defined as the ability to maintain important processes and functions in the face of changes and unexpected events, but also the ability to adapt. In this, active learning, innovation, and adaptation are central. This type of urban transformation is extensive and can last between 15-30 years to complete. It raises some common challenges to planning: High density (related to local context) is planned with functional mixing (housing, workplaces, education, and service). Improved access to the sea/water and new central transport links (mainly for walking and cycling) are proposed, linking different urban areas. Construction work is ongoing. The area regulation allows for some parts of the areas to be developed directly, but also for several clarifications and details to be resolved in subsequent zoning plans. This provides flexibility for development. It enables step-by-step site development and ensures that further clarifications and changes can be handled through later detailing. Hereby some new challenges may arise. For example, it turns out that some measures given in the area regulations are not realized due to technical or economic limitations. This makes it possible to question and renegotiate solutions from the area regulations in later planning work. This can create uncertainty. Changes can lead to improvements but also deterioration compared to what was originally intended. If the intentions of the initial phases are not sufficiently secured through adopted plans, they risk being deprioritized. The ownership structure affects how the actual development and development takes place, either by one single owner in charge of developing the area, or by different actors entering and developing different parts. New actors can bring in other goals in the processes that can lead to change and uncertainty. One specific challenge in this type of urban transformation is the lack of users when the planning starts. Similar actors, users and those affected should be involved broadly and beyond minimum requirements for participation, including through temporary activities. More work should be done on targeted method testing. As the areas develop, more and more users are added, for example when new jobs appear, and residents move into the area. Involving these is a challenge that should be met, for example through participation in the detailing and development phases. Based on research findings, the ADAPT project has formulated both general and theme-specific suggestions for achieving increased sustainability when planning and implementing future urban transformation processes.

Langsiktig tenkning er et nøkkelord i denne typen planlegging. Forutsigbarhet bør kombineres med fleksibilitet i langvarige omformingsprosjekter der stor sannsynlighet fins for at uforutsette endringer og usikkerhet oppstår. Forskergruppa har framsatt forslag til endringer i planpraksis, som på sikt vil medføre endringer i kompetanse, adferd, praksis og politikk. En følge kan bli en holdningsendring hos kulturminneforvaltningen. Framtidig sikring av industriarv forutsetter proaktiv holdning til tverrsektorielt samarbeid. Resiliens kan fungere som et strategisk virkemiddel for å skape langsiktige mål og visjoner for et område, nye strategier, tiltak, osv. og å finne muligheter for å oppnå disse. Ved å introdusere resiliens som en overordnet forståelsesramme, har prosjektet fungert kompetansebyggende gjennom å samle den tverrdisiplinære forskningsgruppa rundt behovet for å ivareta fagspesifikke og praksis-orienterte spørsmål samtidig.

Urban growth urges development of more climate friendly solutions. Urban transformation processes effect the built environments, including cultural heritage, as the need for more housing, workplaces and infrastructure arises. Already built structures have to relate to climate changes. Cultural heritage is a component in urban development and it gives cities character. Heritage also have economic value and it can be sustainable to reuse heritage for new purposes. By an in-depth analysis of two large on-going regeneration projects on former industrial sites in the historic towns of Skien and Moss, we ask how industrial heritage can be adapted to achieve sustainable climate friendly solutions. We will scrutinise how the reuse of heritage, alongside developing new infrastructure, may contribute to human wellbeing and place attachment. The interdisciplinary ADAPT project will enable an integrated analysis of the regeneration processes. By analysing how the regeneration initiatives are moving forward, we will examine how cultural heritage is reused, parallel to considering resource efficiency in buildings. We will also pay attention to urban biodiversity and the integration of urban agriculture in public space, and, as part of the development scheme, analyse the transition to different climate friendly transport solutions. The project addresses several challenges identified in the work programme. It draws attention to the ways cultural heritage and cultural historic environments can be used and managed to ensure future sustainable development. The project will generate knowledge on how to transform heritage for new purposes. Sustainable regeneration of cultural heritage may bring forth added value by enabling new social activities. The study is organised in a way that answers the call for a more holistic environmental research that enables the integration of perspectives from the nature sciences, the social sciences and the humanities.