Rain rarely brings positive news to Hamburg. However, this time it was quite different in the Future Garden of the Hamburg Sustainability Week: With its rain simulator, TU Hamburg made it tangible how precipitation affects urban spaces – and why managing heavy rainfall is crucial for climate-adapted cities. While international representatives from politics, business, and science discussed sustainable development at Hamburg City Hall, the Institute of River and Coastal Engineering demonstrated at the Rathausmarkt what research on this topic actually looks like.
But what does heavy rain actually feel like? Those who slipped into the rubber boots didn’t have to look for a theoretical answer. Supervised by Dr.-Ing. Justus Patzke, technical staff member Sascha Kleiner, and student assistant Thomas Frieling, the installation invited visitors to experience artificial rain up close. It made visible what often remains hidden in everyday life: how water flows over sealed surfaces, where it accumulates, and what possibilities exist to deliberately retain and use rainwater.
Led by Prof. Peter Fröhle, the Institute of River and Coastal Engineering researches hydraulic engineering issues in coastal and river areas as well as approaches for climate-adapted urban development. A key focus is on sustainable rainwater management and the development of water-sensitive infrastructure. The work builds on Hamburg’s Rain Infrastructure Adaptation (RISA) initiative, through which the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg is pursuing the concept of a “sponge city.” The goal is to integrate rainwater more strongly into the natural water cycle and to make cities more resilient to the effects of climate change.
The rain simulator was part of the program “Hamburg as a Climate-Resilient and Healthy City,” which the Authority for Environment, Climate, Energy, and Agriculture (BUKEA) organized together with HAMBURG WASSER and the initiative “Abpflastern.” Between interactive activities and discussions about de-sealing surfaces, the Future Garden became a place for a few days where science could not only be explained but also experienced.
