SWAMPY URBANISM: Make a Little Room for the Elbow River

Abstract

The City of Calgary is known for its flood issues, and the oldest flood recorded can be dated back to 1879. To reduce and potentially eliminate the inundation threats, the city has commissioned numerous dams and reservoirs to alter the hydrological cycle in exchange for security, electricity, and water supply. Thanks to the protection of these grey infrastructures, the city was able to develop and expand rapidly. However, despite the massive concrete barriers that were built to shelter the city from inundation, catastrophic events continue to occur within the city. In the case of the 2013 Calgary flood, the Bow River had reached eight times its regular flow and the Elbow River peaked at twelve times its normal flow rate. This was one of the largest floods in Canadian history which recorded four to six billion dollars of financial losses. Part of the reason for such severe overland flood damage was the increase in developments and urban growth in floodplain-designated zones during the periods when floods are managed. The infrastructural approach has become a double-edged sword that projected a false sense of security and encouraged developments adjacent to the river. With the pressing concerns of climate change and the increased frequency of floods in the past few decades, contemporary urbanism needs to find a new strategy to embrace the challenges of environmental shifts.

The fundamental cause of the problem is that current Canadian societies treat water and land as separate entities, where the land dominates over water. This is reflected throughout our maps and urban design approaches where water is limited within certain boundaries. However, this narrative does not necessarily represent reality as water exists everywhere, the only difference is in quantities and forms. This limited understanding of rivers has constrained us from truly fostering a bond between nature and cities, where the current urban flood mitigation strategies attempt to shelter our societies from the forces of nature rather than adapting to the rhythm. Therefore, this thesis challenges the traditional view of water and aims to imagine a hydrological urban planning strategy that emphasizes on coexisting with water.

There are two types of floods in Calgary: river floods and stormwater floods. The Room for the River is a great strategy to create space for water to overflow, which was invented by the Dutch to manage flooding. On the other hand, Sponge City from China has proven to be effective for rainwater management by creating a more permeable landscape that will temporarily absorb the overflow and release it slowly over time. In addition to these landscape flood mitigation strategies, the core focus of this thesis centers on the Landscape of Retreat Theory—voluntarily vacating flood-prone areas— which addresses the root causes of vulnerability. Given the current circumstances, where both flood exposure and the costs of insurance are increasing, retreating from the floodplain provides long-term economic, environmental and social benefits. As a result, this thesis will explore the creation of a more resilient urban terrain in Calgary by examining all the listed strategies. Additionally, local landscape projects by the O2 Planning + Design Firm will be referenced to ensure the design outcome of this thesis aligns with local contexts. By adopting the Retreat approach, the thesis will culminate into a proposal for urban strategies that integrate the exemplary practices provided, ultimately strengthening flood resiliency by adapting to the rhythm of the Elbow River in Calgary.