Infrastructure That Lives – Connecting Water, Greenery, and Communities to Build the Future of Cities
Contemporary cities face challenges related to both water scarcity and water excess at different times. Droughts, the urban heat island effect, air quality, rainwater accumulation, and the overloading of stormwater drainage networks are issues that require effective solutions. The response lies in proper stormwater management. Wavin proposes a model that harmoniously integrates social needs with […]
Pedestrian and cycling footbridges
Pedestrian and cycling footbridges constitute elements of transport infrastructure with a clearly defined function, namely ensuring the continuity of pedestrian and bicycle movement over terrain obstacles such as watercourses, transport arteries, or terrain depressions. The form of a footbridge is the result of functional conditions, formal and legal requirements, and structural solutions, while at the […]
Stormwater Retention in the Landscape – Best Practices from Wrocław
Just one or two decades ago, what is now considered common knowledge seemed almost like a curse and was widely questioned. Cities were planned to regulate rivers and streams, accelerating runoff and freeing up more land for economic development related to residential, commercial, and industrial construction. As a result, impervious surfaces increased, while areas of […]
The Association of Polish Urban Planners – General Plans
Lunch
The Vistula District – The Heart of Warsaw: Potential and Perspectives
Open, friendly, diverse. If only such a district existed in Warsaw.But it does! Warsaw’s informal 19th district — the Vistula District (Dzielnica Wisła) — has become an institution. Right in the heart of the city, we have a space that lets us enjoy nature and take a break from the urban hustle and bustle. Natura […]
Water in Education
Water is becoming one of the key strategic resources, affecting security, public health, economic stability, and resilience to the impacts of climate change. This talk shows that infrastructure alone and yet more strategies will not be enough if there are no people prepared to make good water-related decisions. Lasting change in how water is perceived, […]
“Madness” as the Courage to Think Beyond Conventional Frameworks
Is managing every single drop of rainwater madness? For many, it still means high costs, new technologies, and difficult design decisions. Just 100 years ago, the very idea of retaining “free” rainwater would have been considered absurd. Today, inaction leads to far greater losses. This presentation will show how ambitious visions of water management collide […]
When a service system works, no one notices it — its absence always comes at a cost
The presentation will show why drainage problems are rarely the result of rainfall alone and are much more often a consequence of decisions made at successive stages of the infrastructure life cycle.We will consider whether infrastructure maintenance can function as a single, integrated service system and why such an approach determines reliability, stability, lower costs, […]
Rainwater as a Resource: How We Are Redefining the Role of Water in Buildings
Water plays a key role in every building. We are used to the fact that it is simply available from the tap. But do we always have to use water intended for drinking? This presentation will attempt to draw attention to locally available water resources—often unwanted and quickly disposed of—which could successfully meet a large […]