An Integrated Perspective for Urban Water Management 61
2010). Modular diversity exponentially increases the number of possible configurations that can be achieved for urban water systems from a given set of inputs. This approach generates options for urban water systems that have internal degrees of freedom, which allow their performance to be optimized over time (Ashley et al., 2007; Eckart et al., 2010). The clustered approach to urban development optimizes the adaptive capacity of the emerging urban space by allowing infrastructure provision to be staged in a way that traces the urban growth trajectory more carefully. In addition, this ability to stage infrastructure provision over time means that emerging clusters can implement the latest innovations when they become available. All these options have value, an important point that is missed in traditional economic analysis. It is important for the assessment of adaptive systems to use analyses that recognize the value of options.
Notes 1. See http://www.switchurban.eu. 2. See example for Australia in Eckart et al., 2011, where the city of Melbourne has committed itself to total water cycle management. The approach considers all components of the urban water cycle with the aims of reducing reliance on vulnerable water supplies, improving water quality, and adapting to climate change.