DIGITAL & STRATEGIC
UX DESIGN PRACTICE
STRATEGIC DESIGN
Rethinking whole-life water stewardship
Exploring the intersection of water management and housing development to unlock cross-sector delivery and innovative stewardship models
The challenges facing water and housing delivery are increasingly linked. While the housing stock in the UK is already restrained, water challenges are increasingly delaying and limiting new development and housing growth. Similarly, housing growth will increase demand on water and wastewater services to an unsustainable point. There is a need for the two sectors to collaborate to manage emerging risks and to collectively unlock new forms of value.
Date
Location
The project will establish a transition pathway for widespread adoption of water smart communities (WSCs) by delivering two outputs:a transition toolkit that devises innovative governance models and a strategy forWSC; and a set of pilots and demonstrator projects to test innovations in practice.
During the first year an initial discovery phase will result in clear definition of the problem, identification of barriers and enablers and a proposed framework for action and transformation. This will be underpinned by our key research themes.
“This project is urgently needed to bring together the wide range of development partners to identify and break down barriers to integrated water management. It is essential that we come together at a time when water demand is only going to continue through both growth and climate change; to demonstrate a replicable approach for future sustainable development.”
George Warren
Integrated Water Management Lead, Anglian Water
Enabling Water Smart Communities (EWSC) is a complex, cross-sector, multi-stakeholder project. Framing the factors limiting innovative delivery of integrated water management within new development requires exploration of social, environmental, economic, and technological context.
It seeks to build a new opportunity by aligning priorities around shared responsibilities, liabilities and risks and mechanisms; by stretching conventional definitions of assets identified and water smart innovation; encouraging collaboration, by alignment and supporting the case for action an investment; and, creating agency, and supporting resilient long-term governance and investment.
Through a design-led process the team has set out a definition of the problem, the barriers and enablers and a proposed framework for action and transformation. The initial discovery research and in-depth academic study will be followed by an iterative process of design and delivery through a set of demonstrators across a range of housing delivery and asset stewardship models.
This work is being delivered in partnership with organisations such as Centre forLocal Economic Strategy (CLES), KWR Research Institute, Dark Matter Labs,Anglian Water, United Utilities, Thames Water, Southern Water, University of East Anglian, University of Manchester, Community Land Trust Network, theChartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management and many more.
