Evaluating the effectiveness of the sponge city approach: a comparative analysis of Chinese and Dutch applications

Abstract

The increasing effects of climate change are deepening water-related problems in cities, such as floods, water scarcity, and droughts. The Sponge City approach, developed in response to these problems, centers nature-based solutions in urban water management. The main objective of this study is to comparatively examine the Sponge City applications in China and the Netherlands, which are pioneers in climate change adaptation policies and have different planning regimes, in order to evaluate the multidimensional effectiveness and long-term sustainability of the Sponge City approach. In this study, performance indicators were determined using a systematic content analysis as the method, and leading projects from China (Zhongguancun Life Science Park, East Lake Greenway) and the Netherlands (Benthemplein Water Square, Park 21 Master Plan) were examined. The findings indicate that Chinese practices exhibit high technical performance and high benefit-cost ratios, but this comes with high sustainability risks due to central financing and high maintenance intensity. In contrast, Dutch practices stand out for their low technical risk and high social acceptance (governance). It is emphasized that the effectiveness of sponge city applications is largely dependent on the geographical and local context, and that supportive policies, community participation, and interdisciplinary collaboration are crucial for successful implementations.

Keywords

• Sponge city
• urban water management
• climate change adaptation
• China
• the Netherlands.

Sünger şehir yaklaşımının etkinliğinin değerlendirilmesi: Çin ve Hollanda uygulamalarının karşılaştırmalı analizi

Abstract

İklim değişikliğinin artan etkileri, kentlerde sel, su kıtlığı ve kuraklık gibi suyla ilgili problemleri derinleştirmektedir. Bu sorunlara yanıt olarak geliştirilen Sünger Şehir (Sponge City) yaklaşımı, kentsel su yönetiminde doğa tabanlı çözümleri merkeze almaktadır. Bu çalışmanın temel amacı, iklim değişikliğine uyum politikalarında öncü olan ve farklı planlama rejimlerine sahip olan Çin ve Hollanda sünger şehir uygulamalarını karşılaştırmalı olarak inceleyerek Sünger Şehir yaklaşımının çok boyutlu etkinliğini ve uzun vadeli sürdürülebilirliğini değerlendirmektir. Çalışmada yöntem olarak, sistematik bir içerik analizi ile performans göstergeleri belirlenmiş, Çin’den (Zhongguancun Life Science Park, East Lake Greenway) ve Hollanda’dan (Benthemplein Su Meydanı, Park 21 Master Planı) öncü projeler incelenmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular, Çin uygulamalarının yüksek teknik performans ve yüksek fayda-maliyet oranları sergilediğini, ancak bunun merkezi finansmana ve bakım yoğunluğuna bağlı olarak yüksek sürdürülebilirlik riskleri taşıdığını göstermektedir. Buna karşın, Hollanda uygulamaları düşük teknik risk ve yüksek toplumsal kabul (yönetişim) ile öne çıkmaktadır. Sonuçta, sünger şehir uygulamalarının etkinliğinin büyük ölçüde coğrafi ve yerel bağlama bağlı olduğu, başarılı uygulamalar için destekleyici politikaların, topluluk katılımının ve disiplinler arası iş birliğinin önemli olduğu vurgulanmaktadır.

Keywords

• Sünger şehir
• kentsel su yönetimi
• iklim değişikliğine uyum
• Çin
• Hollanda.

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