Application of nature-based measures in China’s sponge city initiative: Current trends and perspectives

Climate change has a large effect on the global water cycle, which will be further impacted by urbanization, resulting in a slew of water issues such as water scarcity and flooding. As a result, it is becoming increasingly vital to prioritize the protection of natural water resources during urban planning and development. China has advanced the concept of low-impact development (LID) through the establishment of sponge cities. Numerous LID approaches have been utilized in urban building and renovation, including rain gardens, green roofs, and permeable pavements. The purpose of this paper is utilized the keyword retrieval method to review the existing literature on three sponge city technologies, with an emphasis on their performance, adoption/implementation in China, and identify the knowledge gaps and limitations. Rain gardens reduce surface runoff by 25–69% and peak runoff by 12–71%. Green roof can reduce the rate of rainfall-induced surface runoff with a maximum delay time of 20 min. Permeable pavements reduce spalling, cracking, and uneven settlement; use construction waste as a construction material for sustainable development. Besides, the areas of inquiry for researchers and possible recommendations to urban planners are also provided. Thus, based on this review, it is recommended that a better understanding of the adaptive capabilities of sponge city technologies could result in more feasible options for sponge city planning, design, development, and implementation.