Big E: Will defensive engineering determine how we adapt to climate change?

The big job this century will be how we respond to the impacts of climate change – especially since our generation chose to do as little as possible and it’s too late to mitigate.  Already it’s clear that this delay will cost us billions, if not trillions, as we adapt, retrofit or design new infrastructure to deal with the volatility now that the heat is on.
So who’s going to do it? 
Once the competition begins for the big money and power associated with these strategies, and the sense of emergency that will justify them, I expect that large integrated firms with their roots in engineering will want to dominate.  It’s also tradition in North America, from the Royal Engineers to the Army Corps of Engineers, that military scale engineering is what we do when faced with huge challenges.  Together they make up Big E.
But should Big E be in charge of determining what this defensive infrastructure will be like, how it will shape our cities – and hence our lives?
Now is the time to start thinking about that, especially since future flooding scenario shows Metro Vancouver at risk.
Here’s an example, reported by Amanda Reed, in how they’re planning and building for sea-level rise in Germany: HafenCity: A Case Study on Future-Adaptive Urban Development.

HafenCity, or Harbor City, is a new city quarter under development in the old harbor of Hamburg, along the river Elbe. It is one of the largest inner-city rebuilding projects in Europe and has been in development for over ten years already, with completion expected around 2020-2030.  …
Since HafenCity is such a large and long standing development project – it features building, bridge, and landscape designs from over 700 architects
I’m not breaking any news here, yet I somehow had not heard of this development until I read this recent interview with Kristina Hill in which she lays out three design strategies for responding to climate change – protect, renew, and re-tool – and says that the ‘protect’ category of adaptive action is exemplified by the HafenCity development:

Physical model of HafenCity looking east, with the new buildings in the development modeled in a light wood tone

For instance:
Rather than build new dikes, the developers incorporated other flood resilient and adaptive infrastructure into the actual construction of the roads, buildings and public spaces with the intention of both controlling flood waters and providing residents with waterfront access:

Waterfront Promenades: Embankment promenades for walking and cycling are at 4 to 5.5 meters above sea level

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The ‘above the streets’ level of the private realm is also characterized by residential units, which all start at one-story above street level.

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Am Sandtorkai street during a flood. The doors of the “flood gates” to the lower levels of the buildings, where much of the parking garages are located, are visible at the base of each building.

In addition to its water adaptive design strategies, HafenCity exemplifies many other sustainable urban planning ideas. It is dense, walkable, bikeable, served by public transit, and full of multi-use buildings and public spaces. Much of the land was formerly brownfields and has now been cleaned and developed. Additionally, the historic character of the area is honored… [Much more here.]

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Or, if Big E prevails with a single-mindedness characteristic of purely defensive strategies, there’s this:

Lower Ninth Ward resident S.J. Thomas walks in front of the new levee wall along the Industrial Canal after assisting a neighbor prepare for Hurricane Isaac on August 28, 2012 – The Guardian