Climate change is going to impact on our lives in more ways than we can even imagine. In response to this, new developments and existing buildings in Edinburgh will have to change in order to support the needs of people. We will also need to consider how public realm, open space, infrastructure and streets are designed, agreed, constructed and maintained.
One of the ways we are preparing Edinburgh for these changes is through our Vision for Management of Water in the City of Edinburgh.
Edinburgh’s Water Vision is;
To develop a long-term and sustainable approach to river, coastal and storm water management across the city and its environs, respecting our unique historic heritage. This will involve all stakeholders and address the flooding and water quality risks associated with our changing climate as a result of changes in rainfall and sea level rise.
One key aim of the report is the need to manage the first 5mm of rainfall within every new development plot.
This is a big change for both planning and building standards, and will require building more raingardens, green roofs and other sustainable urban drainage features.
This will help more plants and wildlife to grow and create greener places for people to live, work and visit. It will also support healthier, happier and better off communities.
A greener city will make our neighbourhoods cooler, helping them become more resilient to heatwaves. This is important as our changing climate means extreme weather events like heatwaves are expected to increase.
Improving drainage
Much of Edinburgh has a historic combined sewer network. This means it carries both sewage and surface water to treatment works.
Our Vision for Management of Water will reduce the amount of clean surface water within the sewer network. This will help cut sewer flooding during heavy rainfall.
We also have a range of Planning Flood guidance available to help. This will help people to design landscapes which, as well as holding back water to reduce flooding, will encourage plants and wildlife to grow.
As well as making these places nicer to spend time in, plants and wildlife will help to naturally clean rainwater before it reaches our rivers and streams.
This new way of working will enable the development of a city that is adaptive and resilient to climate change, that is also beautiful and biodiverse delivering a healthier, thriving and compact city with a higher quality of life for all residents.
The idea is to deliver transformational change in the way that water is valued and managed in the city.
Planning Edinburgh 
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