Fostering Pluvial Flood Resilience in Heritage Cities: Insights from Practice in the City of Florence

Abstract

The increase in the frequency of extreme events due to climate change, as well as the evolution of socio-economic scenarios have intensified the water-related challenges of urban socio-ecological systems. In this context, heritage cities represent a hotspot due to their exposure and vulnerability to pluvial flood events that can cause extensive damage to property and people, and loss of unique pieces of art.  Indeed, the growth of impervious surfaces very often combined with outdated drainage systems, have increased the necessity to develop suitable strategies of mitigation against pluvial flood risk.

Starting from the outcomes of two research projects carried out for the city of Florence (Italy), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this work aims at summarizing the lesson learnt regarding the possibility of fostering pluvial flood resilience in heritage cities.

The proposed approaches present flexible assessment techniques that can be replicated in other heritage contexts, providing useful support for defining the most effective strategies to control and mitigate urban flood risk.