Public space and climate change. Innovative planning approaches for the urban regeneration of coastal cities

The recent news highlights that one of the most evident manifestations of climate changes on the territory is represented by coastal flooding as a result of the combined effect of sea level rise and the increasingly frequent and violent rainfall. Cases such as the massive flood that hit Manhattan, following Hurricane Sandy in 2014, require a deep reflection on how to guide the sustainable development of coastal areas in urban areas, while at the same time managing to guarantee a quality public space. The theme, therefore, is to combine environmental sustainability and urban quality, giving value and emphasizing the potential of a landscape that is changeable by its definition. The paper intends to focus on the redesign and adaptation of public space in urban contexts affected by the aforementioned phenomena, as the latter is considered an essential component of the city, on which the perception of safety and environmental comfort depends. The concepts of space that changes its form and temporary architecture are at the base of the debate regarding adaptive solutions for the public space in those coastal landscapes threatened by the risk of floods over a time horizon of 100 years. The essay intends to focus on some solutions of adaptive public space, always within the logistic framework of costal cities, through the comparative analysis of different case studies represented by projects, proposals and guidelines based on the principle of urban regeneration able to respond flexibly to the effects of climate change on the territory. This analysis arises from the need to define sustainable design actions capable to increase the urban resilience of coastal cities and to guarantee, at the same time, an ever-increasing quality of public space, through the definition of “best practices”.