Abstract

Policy is a direct product of social ethics. Stormwater policy historically reflects how a community views their relationship with nature, specifically water. This also informs how designers integrate into the landscape – be it removed and detained, or interactive and coalesced. Nascent ideology sweeping the field of landscape architecture encouraged designers to adopt a methodology that supports the agency of the greater bionetwork to thrive within a design rather than compartmentalize and contain. This study explores two unique communities and their value and policy regarding stormwater; Varanasi, India, and Portland, Oregon. Both these communities have unique views regarding water and water management and these values have manifested in unique design opportunities and challenges. The implications of these divergent values on designers, policy makers and planners are discussed. Conclusions include: modifying policies to better reflect the shifting values of communities, allowance for more direct interventions by designers, and designing stormwater landscapes that consider the non-instrumental values of nature and water.

Presenters

Katherine Kraszewska
Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture, Washington State University, Washington, United States

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

The Design of Space and Place

KEYWORDS

Stormwater, Water quality, Environmental policy, Ethics, Portland, Varanasi

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