A street that carries water the way it carries people

After a single cloudburst flooded thousands of basements across the city, the district set out to prepare every neighbourhood for extreme rain. In Lindebo, that meant rethinking an ordinary street lined with parked cars.

A channel down the middle

The street now carries a shallow granite channel along its centre, sized for a 100-year rainfall. In a storm, it moves water safely toward the harbour and away from homes. On a normal day, it is barely noticeable, a subtle line of stone that cyclists and pedestrians cross without thinking.

Verges that drink first

Widened planted verges on both sides absorb the first 15 mm of every rainfall, so most everyday rain never reaches the channel at all. Residents chose the tree palette during co-design sessions, and 120 new trees in continuous soil trenches will shade the full length of the street within 15 years.

A calmer street

Slow-traffic paving, benches, play edges and cargo-bike parking were added after the first summer, based on how people were actually using the space. Flow sensors now report to the district after every storm.