Adaptive urban transformations employ landscape-based regional design as an integrative and multiscale design and planning approach for sustainable urban development. In this approach, natural and urban dynamics as derived from systems analysis set the pace and nature of adaptation. This chapter presents an initial strategy for adaptive urban transformation in the Pearl River Delta to illustrate the potential of landscape-based regional design as form of territorial governance that takes the natural and urban landscape as the basis to steer urban–rural transformative processes through a combination of sector activities towards more coordinated sustainable outcomes. The strategic spatial plan and subsequent implementation by means of pilot projects will focus on the potential of interlinked economic and ecological development at multiple scales. Together with the assessment of urban landscape growth over time and the evaluation of current spatial development projects in the region, several significant factors of future development have been identified, leading to an initial strategic vision and transformation perspectives for the PRD. This vision is based on the idea that the PRD will develop into China's Silicon Valley, with strongly developed and well-connected urban qualities, robust green–blue frameworks, cultural-historical assets connected to the region and water-sensitive socio-ecological inclusive urbanism.@en

This chapter draws on three different design studios that focus on the Pearl River Delta to discuss what kind of knowledge has been generated within them, and how they can be used systematically as a method to address the region’s complex challenges. The three studios differ in their objectives, duration and structure, but are linked by a research-through-design approach. A selection of some illustrative outcomes is presented and structured around three types of knowledge—project based, form based and idea based—which is typically produced in the design process. This knowledge refers to four main aspects through which it is possible to describe the complexity of the urban landscape, namely time, space, causality and materiality and can be either contextual or generic. Nonetheless, within a design studio, it can be systematically employed to support research activities, speeding up the development of research programmes dealing with complex issues, such as adaptation of fast urbanising deltas.@en

When used to comprehend how a region changes over time, landscape metrics serve as a precious tool for generating knowledge on transformation dynamics of the spatial patterns and for gain-ing insights on the heterogeneity of its composition. The paper presents the case study of the Pearl River Delta (China). The composition and configuration of the urban landscape using four landscape metrics to compare the evolution of the region’s cities over the period 1992-2015 is examined. ESA CCI land cover maps are used. We argue that when used together with mapping, landscape metrics can improve the understanding of trends and rates of land conversion and support practitioners and decision-makers in the development of landscape-based strategies for future-oriented actions.

@en