ABSTRACT
In adaptation planning, flexibility is considered as an important characteristic to respond to changing circumstances. This chapter presents a novel approach to identify where flexibility can best be embedded in urban flood risk management systems. The Flexible adaptation planning process, comprising change propagation especially how positive and negative impacts propagate in an urban environment, can be used by those concerned with urban planning and urban adaptation to identify 'where' the flexible adaptation responses can be implemented. The flexible physical components are selected based on the components' ability to propagate change in the urban system. The identification of flexible adaptation responses is based on the magnitude of change that the components propagate throughout the system when modified. The context-first approach adaptation planning process identifies the need for flexibility and incorporates it in the form of a high level road map of adaptation measures.
