The project in Byskellet, Låsby, is the first to be realised in a series of on-going construction projects where Schulze+Grassov are driving innovation in the design of urban streets and stormwater management systems in Denmark.

The idea behind Waterways is to develop new ways of managing large amounts of rainwater in urban settings by utilising roads in climate adaptation without compromising great street spaces.

The system will help administer the water management during everyday events, stormwater and changing weather conditions, while contributing positively to the surrounding community. The Waterway will allow the city to potentially reduce overflows of water and contribute to a more natural character of the street.

In Låsby, the waterway consists of two water channels. The first is a covered channel in the centre of the road and the second is an open channel along the sidewalk, which is formed by two elements: a steel lid and a concrete channel that separates river water from surface water. The steel lid is designed with a profiled surface that imitates the bed of a natural stream. The covered channel in the road's new v-profile ensures that extreme rainfall remains in the centre of the road and does not intrude on the properties along the way.

The new street profile has made piped water streams visible, and open water is now running in the open channel along the sidewalk. The open water creates a new experience of the public space; an experience that is magnified by new seating options in the street.

Executed on behalf of Danish municipalities, this project is supported by grants from the Realdania Foundation under the Klimaspring climate adaptation programme.