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Flood Protection vs Heritage Conservation? An integrated urban and landscape design approach for Grimma, Saxony

THOMAS WILL¹ & HEIKO LIESKE²

1 Technische Universität Dresden, Professur für Denkmalpflege und Entwerfen, D-01062 Dresden, Germany

thomas.will@tu-dresden.de

2 Technische Universität Dresden, Institut für Landschaftsarchitektur, D-01062 Dresden, Germany

Abstract During the August flood of 2002, Grimma was one of the worst affected towns in Saxony. The old town was completely flooded and about 700 houses were damaged or destroyed. An initial proposal for future protection of the city called for a 1200 m long, about 3 m high, concrete wall, blocking the city from the river. Alerted by the following controversial discussion, the authority in charge is now pursuing a comprehensive and integrated approach. Our team, called in for consultation, is engaged in bringing together interdisci­plinary expertise for a flood protection system tailored to the special needs of Grimma, i.e. integrating flood control structures with the rich cultural heritage, the unique landscape, and urban design. The approach departs from conven­tional engineering procedures by involving experts and local citizens in stake­holder meetings that explore various options and visualize their consequences.

Key words architectural heritage; conservation; disaster; flood control; flood protection; Grimma; integrated approach; landscape; prevention; urban design