Geo-hydrological hazards and urban development: designing a resilient river valley in Genoa

Issues surrounding determination of geo-hydrological hazards and more specifically flood risk are presently of great interest both across Europe. However, flood-control infrastructures are not always a reliable mitigation approach, especially in the face of climate change uncertainties. In fact, most of them are designed to operate under an obsolete assumption that the pattern of flow variability remains unchanged over time. Alternative mitigation strategies combined within a territory-based approach are needed, which this paper addresses by exploring innovative urban design concepts that focusses on flood resilience. In this framework, the concept of Recycle applied to urban landscapes, infrastructures and hybrid systems as well as the investigation of territorial dynamics and different design experiences at UNIGE can contribute the cultural debate on water landscapes and geo-hydrological risks, mainly due to the predisposing conditions of climate change in the rainfall regime and urban development of Genoa.