Connecting through the lens: Cross-cultural perspectives on urban design and water infrastructure using participatory photography as an observational learning tool

The conventional linear water infrastructure development model transcends from decentralized collection and waste systems to a single large, centralized, piped and treated system; however, sustainable infrastructure projects around the globe are challenging this model and reevaluating the role of communities in the design, construction, and long-term engagement with these systems. In a review of more than 50 studies, Brown and Farrelly (2009) concluded that barriers to implementing SUWM strategies are most often socio-institutional in nature and require building social capital and/or local community capacity. Furthermore, in a solution-oriented review of US city’s approaches to incorporate green infrastructure into urban water redesign, Chini, Canning, Schreiber, Peschel, and Stilwell (2017) surveyed 27 municipalities across the US and made suggestions improving green infrastructure implementation through a policy feedback cycle (PFC) that emphasizes a flexible definition of green infrastructure, an iterative maintenance and evaluation strategy, and a focus on communication to the community. With the decline of the steel industry the region saw a sharp reduction in population and ability to maintain the built environment.