Research projects

Adaption to new challenges in urban and rural areas

Changing requirements, associated with new challenges and low flexibility of the existing water and wastewater infrastructure require an adaptation and further development of those systems, especially within the existing infrastructure. This is, where the networking project TWIST + + sets in.

Its objectives are:

• development of integrated concepts for the transformation or further development of water supply and sewerage systems,
• development and integration of required technical subcomponents,
• development of planning and evaluation instruments necessary for implementation, up to the point of a ‘serious game’,
• demonstration and verification of the results in representative model areas and
• identification of drivers and barriers as well as institutional structures required for transferring the results to other areas.

The first task of the ILS is the analysis of relevant water and sewerage trends in the areas of urban and regional planning and urban development, in particular for the three model areas. The results serve as framing conditions and base for the development of specific planning options.

Furthermore, the ILS is involved in setting up a multi-criteria evaluation method, which is planned to support decision-making in planning processes of water infrastructure in the future. The developed planning options and evaluation techniques will be used in the three model areas for demonstration and verification purposes. Here, the ILS examines the coordination mechanisms between sectoral and strategic planners. The ILS investigates the possibility to reduce potentially existing dissonances with formal and in particular informal planning instruments, to be able to ensure the implementation of the developed planning options.

The transdisciplinary approach of TWIST++ is characterized by a high degree of action orientation and practical relevance. The project closes the fundamental gaps in the implementation of sustainable and economically efficient infrastructure concepts: conversion of existing systems, technical integration of water-wastewater and planning assistance. With the management tool that will be developed, decision-making for the application of intelligent and multifunctional infrastructure systems will be facilitated, as a model-based and technically and socio-economically integrated preliminary examination reduces uncertainties and creates acceptance.