Objectives and Indexes for Implementation of Sponge Cities—A Case Study of Changzhou City, China

Abstract

This paper presents a framework of objectives and indexes for sponge cities implementation in China. The proposed objectives and indexes aims to reflect whether the city is in accord with the sponge city. Different cities have different objectives and indexes as each city has its own geologic and hydrogeological conditions. Therefore, the main problems (e.g., water security and flood risks) in the central urban area of Changzhou city, China were evaluated scientifically. According to the local conditions, four objectives and eleven indexes have been made as a standard to estimate the sponge city and set a goal for the city development to reach the goal of sustainable urban development. The strategy of process control was implemented to improve the standard of urban drainage and flood control facilities, regulate total runoff and reduce storm peak flow, and the ecological monitoring of the function of the rivers and lakes. The objectives of sponge cities include water security, water quality improvement, healthy water ecosystems, and water utilization efficiency. Urban flood prevention capacity, river and lake water quality compliance, and annual runoff control are the key objectives to encourage the use of non-conventional water resources.

Assessment of the Impacts of Land Use/Cover Change and Rainfall Change on Surface Runoff in China

“…Areas with less rainwater and that easily generate surface runoff should focus on the rapid collection of rainwater and the reuse of rainwater simultaneously. (2) Multiple flood management objectives should be encouraged [66]. Objectives to reuse or collect rainwater in single rain events should be different in areas with great variability in rainfall.…”

Hydrologic and Pollutant Removal Performance of Media Layers in Bioretention

“…The urban design and infrastructure are guided by "fast transportation"; stormwater is directed away from urban areas. Recently, China gave high priority to the retention of rainwater, drainage by natural forces, and the construction of sponge cities with natural accumulation, infiltration, and purification [4]. In 2014, the "Technical Guidelines for Sponge city Construction of the Ministry of Housing and Construction-Construction of Rainwater System for Low Impact Development" (hereinafter referred to as "Guidelines") was officially introduced in China [4].…”

“…Bioretention systems are one of the most common technical measures for sponge city construction and urban low impact development [5]. It is widely used in various terrain and soil conditions, aiming to store and purify runoff rainwater through plants, soil, and microbial systems [4][5][6]. However, the construction of bioretention units require to fill, compact, level, and control the elevation-layer by layer-with many processes and specific times.…”

Multi-Objective Approach for Determining Optimal Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems Combination at City Scale. The Case of San Luis Potosí (México)

“…Several initiatives have recently been developed to install SUDs in urban areas [1][2][3][4]. Scientific literature has widely focused on this topic [5][6][7], some studies have addressed the optimal SUD combination at the urban planning stage [8][9][10][11][12], while others have studied possible locations or have proposed multi-objective functions for determining the optimal SUDs location [13][14][15][16].…”