Revisiting China’s Sponge City Planning Approach: Lessons From a Case Study on Qinhuai District, Nanjing

Integrating sustainable urban water management into the planning process is essential for developing water-resilient cities. To this end, central government of People’s Republic China initiated “Sponge City” programme. However, challenges and gaps exist in current practice. The operationalizable approach to realise multiple objectives Sponge City missing existing guidelines. Using a local example Nanjing as case study, paper outlines from perspectives content process. A qualitative comparative analysis between Nanjing’s Auckland Water Sensitive Design, well an evaluation through lens Dutch management, identified key elements that would enhance approach. Examples include targets pluvial flood protection, strategy interventions, tools interdisciplinary cooperation This enhanced was successfully applied Qinhuai District, City. Nevertheless, on data availability decision-makers’ mindsets called more efforts interface research policy development upscaling