The LifE (Long-term Initiatives in Flood-risk Environments) project is an integrated design approach to achieving sustainable, adaptable (to climate change) and safer development. This report shows how this can be achieved, what it might cost and how it might look. It presents a shift in thinking by permitting water into sites in a controlled manner, to ’make space for water’. It identifies ways in which the means of managing flood risk becomes an asset to the community, such as recreation space and energy provision, and helps to overcome potential economic and social objections to non-defensive flood risk management.

Illustrations
191 line drawings, 65 photos

Pages: 208

Contents
" Foreword by Sir Neville Simms, BRE Trust
" LifE Team
" Executive summary
" Introduction
" LifE approach and context
" LifE approach. Flood risk management. Development. Environment
" Methodology
" Case studies
" Hackbridge. Peterborough. Littlehampton. Summary
" Results and findings
" Managing flood risk. Energy. Development and amenity. Costs
" Transferable ideas
" Make space for water, energy, and play. Upper river catchment - Let rain slow. Middle river catchment - Let rivers flow. Lower river catchment - Let tides go.
" Life lessons
" Conclusions
" Appendix A. Study Site 1: River Wandle, Hackbridge
" Site analysis. Formulating the design brief. Design objectives. Review
" Appendix B. Study Site 2: River Nene, Peterborough
" Site analysis. Formulating the design brief. Design objectives. Review
" Appendix C. Study Site 3: River Arun, Littlehampton
" Site analysis. Formulating the design brief. Design objectives. Review
" Appendix D. Assumptions
" Addendum
" References and glossary

 

The LiFE Report was the winner RIBA President’s Awards for Research 2009 for outstanding practice-located research.

The LiFE Report received the Bronze Award in the International Urban Landscape Awards 2009, awarded in Frankfurt, Germany

Other publications that may also be of interest
The LifE handbook - Long-term initiatives for flood-risk environments.
Repairing flooded buildings: an insurance industry guide to investigation and repair of flood damage to housing and small businesses