Floodscapes

Floodscapes tells the multifaceted story of humankind’s relationship with flooding, oscillating between fight and symbiosis. Modern water engineering has turned plains and valleys into fully inhabitable environments. At the same time, they have become rigid and highly vulnerable to climate change. In ground-breaking efforts to prevent future floods, countries are rediscovering adaptation strategies: making room for flooding, redistributing risks and reconsidering the use and legal status of floodplains.

Through historical investigations and through the analysis of six contemporary projects implemented in four European countries, Floodscapes illustrates how flood-mitigation measures can be embedded in local space and culture. Merged with landscape development, agriculture, recreation, nature and even urban growth, river management becomes a design issue again, giving landscape architects and urban designers a prominent role in future transitions.