Urban Water Balance and Hydrology Models to Support Sustainable Urban Planning

This chapter examines the CoP approach contributed to the BRIDGE project, and discusses its usefulness in enhancing transdisciplinary learning in research projects. The BRIDGE project combines scientific models and data from different environmental and socio-economic domains into one integrated Decision Support System (DSS). The CoPs were organised in parallel to the scientific research work on energy balance, hydrology, CO2 and pollutants in each city, and they were linked to the different phases of the DSS development. The beta version of the BRIDGE DSS was presented to the participants to provide an idea of its scope and functionality. Examples included social and economic aspects and climate change in London, urban sprawl and zero carbon in Helsinki, transport systems and brownfield land in Gliwice, and air pollution in Florence. A project totally dedicated to setting up a CoP on sustainable urban planning in municipalities is also a good idea, but it should not be overburdened with the demands of one scientific project.