The RedSUDS 2023 conference «SUDS and the renaturalization of the city» was held on April 26th and 27th at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería de Caminos, Canales y Puertos of the Universidade da Coruña. IIAMA-UPV, GITECO-UC, GEAMA, and Green Blue Management organized the event.The objective of the conference was to analyze the potential of SUDS as a transformative element for the renaturalization of cities and to learn about successful cases implemented both nationally and internationally that help convey to the public the suitability and effectiveness of these sustainable and green infrastructures in the long term.
The event had a novel format compared to previous editions, as the program was defined based on the selection of a series of communications received before March 3rd. «We wanted the participants themselves, who have attended the conference in previous editions, to be the protagonists of the event, so the program was designed based on the works and studies that were sent to us,» explained the promoters of the event.
The conference started on Wednesday, April 26th, in the afternoon, with the presentation of the SUDSlong project, «Improvement and strategic management of sustainable urban drainage systems for long-term success,» and a visit to the Campus-SUDS, a pilot installation with several SUDS techniques built in the surroundings of the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería de Caminos, Canales y Puertos of the Universidade da Coruña.
On Thursday, April 27th, there was a session of oral presentations focused on the potential of SUDS and the renaturalization of cities, where works related to planning and collaborative experiences, national and international success stories, and future challenges of sustainable urban drainage were addressed. «In a short period of time, we have gone from carrying out pilot tests to demonstrate the potential of SUDS, to these techniques being part of large infrastructures and included in the urban planning of cities. The future is promising: SUDS are here to stay,» highlights the organizers of the REDSUDS 2023 conference, which is now in its fourth edition.