Creating resilient cities through climate-responsive urban planning

Q: Could you tell us about yourself and what your role in Ramboll is?

A: I’m Ratna Delia Octaviana, an urban planner with an architectural & urban designer background, but more importantly, someone who believes that cities should be designed with soul, resilience, and a deep empathy for the people who live in them. My journey started in architecture, but I soon realised that what truly excites me is not just designing buildings but shaping the larger urban fabric - the spaces in between, the connections, the experiences that bring a city to life. That’s where I found my passion in master planning, placemaking, and climate adaptation.

At Ramboll, I serve as Associate Director of Urban Planning under the Water Infrastructure & Climate Resilience department. My work revolves around integrating urban planning with climate adaptation strategies, ensuring that cities are not just designed for today but future-proofed against rising seas, extreme weather, and shifting urban needs.

What excites me the most is the collaborative process, working with multidisciplinary teams to craft masterplans, nature-based solutions, and resilient infrastructure frameworks that address real-world challenges like climate adaptation, sustainable mobility, and resource circularity. Every project is a chance to redefine urban resilience, to push boundaries, and to shape cities that are not only functional and beautiful but also adaptive and inclusive.

At the heart of it all, I believe that great urban planning is about designing with people in mind -because when a city works for its people, everything else falls into place.

Q: What is the role of planning and design in urban blue spaces and how does that enhance the liveability and resiliency of a city, especially for water sensitive cities in Asia Pacific?

A: Planning and design play a huge role in shaping urban blue spaces, especially in water-sensitive cities across Asia-Pacific. It’s not just about managing water, it’s about turning blue spaces into multi-functional assets that enhance resilience, sustainability, and liveability.

For example, we need to move beyond seeing rivers, reservoirs, and coastlines purely as water management systems. Instead, they should be designed as vibrant, accessible public spaces that promote biodiversity, recreation, and urban cooling. This makes cities not only more resilient but also more enjoyable to live in.

Another key strategy is Water-Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD), where we use nature-based solutions like wetlands restoration, floodable parks, and integrated water retention systems to help manage stormwater, reduce urban heat, and improve water quality. These elements work together to create self-sustaining, climate-adaptive water ecosystems.

And of course, in Asia-Pacific, many communities have deep cultural and historical ties to water whether through floating markets, riverfront villages, or coastal economies. So, planning needs to embrace local identity and community ownership, ensuring these spaces feel familiar and inclusive while also incorporating modern climate adaptation strategies.

Ultimately, blue spaces are more than just water, they are the lifeblood of resilient, thriving cities. If designed well, they can turn urban challenges into opportunities, creating places that are not only protected against climate risks but also more enjoyable, healthier, and sustainable for future generations.

Q: What role does water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) play in modern urban planning?

A: Water-Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) is no longer just an optional sustainability feature - it is a fundamental approach in modern urban planning. It shifted the approach on how we manage the water from treating it as challenge to embracing it as a resource. Instead of relying solely on traditional drainage infrastructure, WSUD integrates nature-based solutions like wetlands, bioswales, and permeable surfaces to slow, absorb, and filter water, reducing flood risks while enhancing urban resilience.

Beyond flood management, WSUD helps combat the urban heat island effect through green roofs, rain gardens, and shaded public spaces, creating cooler, more comfortable environments. It also promotes water conservation by integrating rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling, ensuring cities use water more efficiently.

What I find most exciting about WSUD is its role in placemaking. It turns water into an active part of the city, whether through floodable parks, interactive waterfronts, or beautifully designed retention ponds. These spaces don’t just manage water; they bring people closer to it, fostering a sense of connection and stewardship.

Q: What are the key considerations when designing flood-resilient cities?

A: Designing flood-resilient cities requires a multi-layered approach that goes beyond just controlling water, but it’s about creating adaptive urban environments that can absorb, respond, and recover from flood events while enhancing overall liveability. It is about understanding the natural water cycle and working with it, not against it. Regardless of a city's circumstances, a resilient city must implement a multi-tiered flood protection strategy. Urban design and land use planning is also a critical step, by understanding water and taking that into consideration for planning critical infrastructure and land use, it will help reduce risks from the onset, as well as the potential financial costs in responding to the risks. Robust connectivity and mobility is also key as a flood-resilient city must ensure that transport and infrastructure networks remain functional during and after extreme weather events.

Finally, flexibility and futureproofing must be embedded in the planning process. With climate change increasing the unpredictability of flood events, cities must remain adaptable. This means integrating real-time data, predictive modelling, and smart water management systems to dynamically respond to changing conditions. Urban design should also allow for phased adaptation by reserving space for future flood protection measures rather than committing to fixed, high-cost interventions that may become obsolete.

Q: Which Ramboll or Henning Larsen project stands out to you the most?

A: For me, it has to be Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. I've been in Singapore for a long time, and I still remember when I first heard about it, long before I joined Ramboll. Back then, I was just starting my career as an urban planner, and I attended a presentation where Ramboll shared the transformation of the park. It completely wowed me.

The idea of turning a rigid concrete canal into a thriving, naturalized park was such a bold and forward-thinking move. Instead of treating water as something to control and contain, they embraced it as part of the landscape by creating a flood-resilient, biodiverse, and community-friendly space. It wasn’t just about engineering; it was about rethinking urban water management in a way that enhances both nature and people’s everyday experiences.

Seeing how the project came to life over the years made me realize how impactful urban planning and nature-based solutions can be. And now, being part of Ramboll, I find it even more inspiring to know that these kinds of projects are at the heart of what we do.

Q: What attracted you to join Ramboll?

A: What really attracted me to Ramboll was its multidisciplinary approach. As an urban planner, I see master planning as a multifaceted process. It’s not just about land use or urban design, but about integrating engineering, climate resilience, mobility, water management, and sustainability to create thriving, future-ready environments. Here at Ramboll, we have all these disciplines in-house, making collaboration seamless. It allows us to coordinate better, learn from each other, and develop truly holistic solutions rather than working in silos.

Another key reason is Ramboll’s values and how they are actually put into practice. It’s one thing for a company to have guiding principles, but it’s another to see them actively shaping projects, decisions, and workplace culture. Sustainability, resilience, and people-centric design aren’t just corporate buzzwords but they genuinely influence how we work and the impact we create.

Beyond projects, what stands out is Ramboll’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. It’s not just about hiring a diverse team, it’s about creating an environment where different perspectives are valued, and everyone has a voice. So far, I’ve seen firsthand how collaboration across cultures, disciplines, and backgrounds leads to stronger, more innovative solutions. And from an employee perspective, Ramboll fosters a supportive and inclusive workplace where people feel heard, respected, and empowered.

For me, being part of a company that not only talks those values but actively embeds them into both its work and its people is incredibly inspiring.