Transdisciplinary sustainability research on adaption to increasing torrential rains in urban areas requires integration of two kinds of knowledge: First, scientific knowledge in environmental engineering, environmental psychology, and urban and spatial planning; secondly, practical know-how of various stakeholders such as municipalities and companies as well as citizens. Knowledge integration is one of the most important challenges of transdisciplinary research. This article exemplifies the process of transdisciplinary knowledge integration using a case study on water sensitive urban planning that aims at implementing strategies to protect urban living areas and infrastructure from flooding due to heavy precipitations. Five steps can be identified to characterize the process of knowledge integration to develop a concept of water sensitive urban planning. The results show that increasing torrential rains cannot be handled by conventional measures applied separately, but by a combination of measures. Finally, the process of knowledge integration is evaluated in respect to central analytical dimensions in the philosophy of science.
Hunecke, M
Knowledge Integration in Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research. A Case Study on Adaptation to Increasing Torrential Rains in Urban Areas
Gaia-Ecological Perspectives For Science And Society