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Adaptation and Resilience Improvements of Urban Green-Gray Infrastructure

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2023) | Viewed by 8848

Special Issue Editors

College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
Interests: landscape architecture; nature-based solution; green infrastructure; low-impact development; resilient cities
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Interests: urban heat wave; climate resilient building; building energy; optimal control in building energy system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
School of Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518000, China
Interests: power & energy systems, grid-interactive efficient buildings, infrastructure resilience, optimization, machine/reinforcement learning
School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117566, Singapore
Interests: urban heat island; urban heat mitigation strategies; decision-making framework; sustainable urban planning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The extreme weather events, energy demand, and thermal environment changes in urban areas are exacerbating urban management, energy safety and human health issues. The risk of urban resilience and adaptation is heavily influenced by how we respond to those events (such as droughts, floods, and heatwaves). Risk evaluation of urban resilience and adaptation under extreme weather conditions is a significant method to quantify the change in urban functions. This is in terms of urban capacity and ability to recover. There are many factors intertwined with urban capacity and its ability to recover, including the political, structural, financial, and ecological environment. This indicates that risk is specific to urban characteristics. The question of how to quantify and evaluate the effect of those extreme weather events on urban adaptation and resilience has attracted the attention of many scholars, governmental managers, decision-makers, and urban designers. Therefore, there is an urgent demand to make global efforts to move toward the creation of more adaptative and resilient cities by reducing extreme weather disasters.

This Special Issue seeks to synthesize academic research and practical solutions to urban adaptation and resilience. Original ideas and understandings of urban resilience and adaptation evaluation, resilient design of urban infrastructure, nature-based urban adaption solutions, as well as green-gray infrastructure solutions are expected. These papers are encouraged to bring benefits to the urban environment, urban energy safety, and government agencies that deal with urban design and construction. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  1. Assessment of urban resilience and adaptation
  2. Resilient design of urban infrastructure
  3. Resilience quantification metrics
  4. Nature-based solutions
  5. Urban green-gray integrated infrastructural solutions
  6. Risk assessment of urban capacity
  7. The urban ability to recover
  8. Improvement of urban resilience
  9. Urban heatwaves
  10. Urban stormwater
  11. Urban energy safety
  12. Sustainable cities

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Mo Wang
Dr. Chengliang Fan
Dr. Shunbo Lei
Dr. Jinda Qi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • resilience
  • adaptation
  • urban green infrastructure
  • urban gray infrastructure
  • climate change
  • extreme weather events
  • impact analysis
  • evaluation model

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 15133 KiB  
Article
Relationship between Visual and Thermal Comfort and Electrodermal Activity in Campus Blue–Green Spaces: A Case Study of Guangzhou, China
by Xuefei Wang, Zhiqi Chen, Dawei Ma, Tingting Zhou, Jintang Chen and Xing Jiang
Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11742; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511742 - 30 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1371
Abstract
The rapid speed of urbanization in modern cities has led to various environmental challenges impacting human activities, livelihoods, and comfort. One of these effects is the urban heat island, which describes the increase in temperature in an urban area resulting from the replacement [...] Read more.
The rapid speed of urbanization in modern cities has led to various environmental challenges impacting human activities, livelihoods, and comfort. One of these effects is the urban heat island, which describes the increase in temperature in an urban area resulting from the replacement of natural surfaces with concrete, buildings, and other structures that absorb and retain heat. Variations in individual perception and adaptative ability present additional challenges when trying to ensure outdoor comfort and require advanced measuring instruments and simulation tools to accurately predict a broad range of related variables. In this study, we investigated three different types of blue–green spaces (six in total) on the campus of Guangzhou University, focusing on their distinct layouts. The aim was to evaluate these spaces’ microclimate and sunlight intensity conditions by quantifying several environmental factors. Subjective comfort assessments and objective physiological parameter measurements were conducted using questionnaires and biosensors, respectively. The results revealed the following: (1) Different types of blue–green spaces exhibit distinct microclimate and visual environment characteristics, and while similar patterns emerged, certain environmental parameters revealed important differences. (2) There is a significant association between individuals’ thermal and visual comfort in blue–green spaces and multiple environmental factors. (3) Linear regression analysis demonstrated the strong predictive capabilities of skin conductance indicators (Rsc, SCR, and nSCR) in assessing individuals’ outdoor visual–thermal comfort levels, with R2 exceeding 0.5, indicating high accuracy. These findings provide valuable insights and references for urban planners and designers seeking to enhance the visual and thermal aspects of sustainable landscapes on campuses as well as in other outdoor environments. Full article
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17 pages, 19553 KiB  
Article
Transforming Industrial Waterfronts into Inclusive Landscapes: A Project Method and Investigation of Landscape as a Medium for Sustainable Revitalization
by Yihao Wu and Yang Liu
Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5060; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065060 - 13 Mar 2023
Viewed by 2355
Abstract
Urban waterfronts in port cities have experienced a dramatic shift in the process of expanding industrialization, which causes severe ecological and social problems in postindustrial cities. Transforming manufacturing sites to inclusive landscapes requires costly remediation and careful planning to foster smart development that [...] Read more.
Urban waterfronts in port cities have experienced a dramatic shift in the process of expanding industrialization, which causes severe ecological and social problems in postindustrial cities. Transforming manufacturing sites to inclusive landscapes requires costly remediation and careful planning to foster smart development that promotes the city’s economic vibrancy, enhances social and cultural contexts, and improves quality of life. While conventional reclamation strategies mainly focus on the technical aspect of simply performing to meet minimum engineering standards, new industrial urbanism offers a pathway to relink the manufacturing waterfront in contemporary city life through ‘landscape medium’. This paper explores the evolutionary phases of industrial waterfronts from a diachronic perspective and proposes a theoretical framework that utilizes the landscape medium to integrate historically separated elements, including people, infrastructure, and buildings. Using the Yangpu waterfront in Shanghai as a case study, we analyze a completed reclamation project and summarize four sustainable design approaches—connecting, resilient, locality, and inclusive—that can transform obsolete manufacturing sites into inclusive urban landscapes. The primary contribution of this regeneration plan is to reconstruct a continuous and adaptable waterfront field that can accommodate diverse activities and changing needs. To validate our urban design framework, we examine another industrial waterfront renewal project along the Soochow Creek, which has been successfully approved in conceptual design. Overall, our research demonstrates the potential for sustainable, inclusive, and adaptable urban design to revitalize industrial waterfronts and create vibrant, livable urban landscapes. Full article
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18 pages, 4858 KiB  
Article
Sponge City and Water Environment Planning and Construction in Jibu District in Changde City
by Yumei Deng, Jie Deng and Chun Zhang
Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010444 - 27 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2128
Abstract
Urban waterlogging and urban water environment problems in Changde city caused by extreme weather have seriously hindered the sustainable development of cities. A sponge city not only involves the inheritance and development of foreign technology but also a new method for its use. [...] Read more.
Urban waterlogging and urban water environment problems in Changde city caused by extreme weather have seriously hindered the sustainable development of cities. A sponge city not only involves the inheritance and development of foreign technology but also a new method for its use. The background of sponge city construction based on green infrastructures in China was introduced in this study. As one of the first pilot construction cities based on the sponge concept, Changde city possesses natural geographical advantages. The current urban situation, rainfall type and water environment in the sponge construction area were analyzed and the causes of urban waterlogging and deterioration of urban inland river water quality are presented. Based on the urban water environment and ecological status, the specific strategic objectives of the sponge city transformation are given. Meanwhile, the overall technical route and the concrete realization path of each index, such as the water environmental system, water ecological system and security system, are also presented. The annual net flow total control rate and the runoff pollution reduction reached 77.56% and 45.18%, respectively. The total runoff and peak flow were also reduced by 35.08% and 26.82%, respectively. Meanwhile, the peak flow of runoff pollution concentration was reduced by 31.99%. The pollutant load reduction rate of non-point source pollution in the area reached more than 45%. The project not only alleviated the problems of urban waterlogging and black and odorous water bodies but also ensured the sustainable development of the urban water environment. Full article
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Review

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23 pages, 4932 KiB  
Review
A Bibliometric Review of Nature-Based Solutions on Urban Stormwater Management
by Jin Su, Mo Wang, Mohd Adib Mohammad Razi, Norlida Mohd Dom, Noralfishah Sulaiman and Lai-Wai Tan
Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7281; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097281 - 27 Apr 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2034
Abstract
Urban stormwater management is a critical challenge facing cities globally, with natural-based solutions (NBS) emerging as a promising approach for mitigating the impacts of urban stormwater runoff. This bibliometric review examined the research trends and hot topics related to NBS for urban stormwater [...] Read more.
Urban stormwater management is a critical challenge facing cities globally, with natural-based solutions (NBS) emerging as a promising approach for mitigating the impacts of urban stormwater runoff. This bibliometric review examined the research trends and hot topics related to NBS for urban stormwater management. The study utilized a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze 176 articles from the Web of Science database, covering the period from 2016 to 2022. Results showed that NBS is a widely researched topic with a growing trend in publications in recent years, led by the United States, China, and several European countries. The majority of NBS articles were research papers (82%) with a focus on environmental performance rather than social and economic dimensions. Quantitative methods were more frequently used in research articles, particularly statistical analysis/modeling. Interviews and discussions were the most common qualitative method used. The review identified the most relevant countries, affiliations, authors, and journals in the field. Furthermore, hot topics in NBS research were highlighted, including ecosystem services, climate change, and sustainability. The study also emphasized that future research perspective should focus on interdisciplinary and collaborative research, scaling up and mainstreaming NBS, and exploring new ways of integrating different disciplines and stakeholders in the research process. The findings of this review provided insights into the current state of NBS research and offer valuable information for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in the field of urban stormwater management. Full article
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