A Systematic Assessment for the Co-Design of Green Infrastructure Prototypes - A Case Study in Urban Costa Rica

The management of urban water has traditionally evolved from single-function systems to more sustainable perspectives promoting society and nature as inputs to engineer novel infrastructure. In the field of transdisciplinary research, co-design refers to a design thinking strategy in which people jointly frame a problem-solution. This article presents a conceptual framework to assess a case study focusing on the co-design and implementation of green infrastructure as a prototype for stormwater management. The evaluation is done from a self-reflective post-implementation perspective. Research activities are translated into the framework to evaluate conditions shaping the trajectory of the prototype. As result, key aspects driving the research concerning levels of stakeholders’ participation and dimensions of power are identified. Planning resilient co-design strategies to retrofit urban spaces is necessary to avoid unintended consequences, especially at the initial experimental stages. This study aims to contribute to the continuous improvement of pilot strategies in urban spaces by providing a framework for a structured evaluation of research experiences.